Quinta do Monte

First of all, this hotel is located in a most wonderful area: wild, full of exotic flowers, beautiful hills, and large trees. The breakfast was lovely, and so was the staff. However, we ordered a superior room with a sofa, but we got a double room. We didn't realize that at the beginning; we just assumed maybe the pictures are sometimes enhanced/beautified. But we didn't report it because we were tired and had just arrived. There were no tea/coffee sets, not even a kettle. The floor should be replaced; although clean, it had stain marks that made it uncomfortable to walk barefoot. The swimming pool was supposed to have a jacuzzi, but it was under maintenance the whole time. You can only use the swimming pool until 7 pm. The cleaner didn't supply water (we only got a small bottle at first). The bar was closed at whatever time they wanted (not fixed hours). Once we asked the reception about the opening time, they said until 11 p.m., and we went there around 7 p.m., but the bartender said it was already closed. I'd never give this place 8+ on booking.com.

After reading the reviews we almost cancelled our trip however I'm so glad we didn't! The hotel is a hidden gem and the main building is full of character and antique furniture with beautiful rugs. If you're into the glitz and glamour of new prefab hotels this one isnt for you, but if you're a fan of culture and history you will find it charming! The extended hotel part is adequate and clean, the hotel rooms are huge and have amazing views over the gorgeous exterior which is very well maintained and basically an extension of the tropical gardens. The room has a smart tv, wifi and a fridge although we only discovered this on the last day as its not obvious its in the tv stand! The bar is in part of the old house so it's gorgeous, the restaurant in the new part which is rather uninspiring however breakfast is fairly good with a selection of options to suit everyone. We found the staff to be very friendly with only one lady working the restaurant to let down the team, both encounters with her she was rude and edgy. The reception staff were great and Therese who seated us for breakfast most days was exceptional and so warm and friendly! I was particularly impressed with housekeeping as the ladies were so friendly, they made up a cot for us with bedding and sheets which was so lovely, kept the room clean and replenished and more than few times they placed lost items that had made their way under the bed somewhere we could easily see them which was so thoughtful! We used the bus or the cable cars to get into Funchal both of which were handy. It would be great if the hotel guests could buy a week pass for the cable cars or something similar. I also thought due to the location it would be really handy if there was a vending machine or if the reception sold big bottles of water etc as its not that easy to find commodities nearby. The baby high chair didn't have its straps, so was quite unsafe for a small child but easily fixed. A little information pack in the rooms with bus information, nearby shops and restaurants, how to request facilities and a summary of available facilities at the hotel would be a great addition to the experience.

Glorious view over Funchal from the hotel room and the extensive gardens. The location is very convenient for the iconic sledge ride (2min walk), the Monte Palace gardens and Funchal Cable car (6min) and the Botanic Garden Cable Car (10min). The bus stop at Largo da Fonte is less tha 10min walk, with frequent service to/from central Funchal (much cheaper than the Cable car)| The public areas are spacious and impressive, and our room was large, with ample storage space and comfortable beds. Breakfast was very good, but contrary to our expectation, and to all online information on this hotel, there is no restaurant serving evening meals. Half board guests are ferried by taxi to another hotel, down in Funchal. The food there was good, but it did restrict our flexibility on dining time, and the lack of evening dining facilities meant that Quinta was almost desered in the evenings, no atmosphere at all. We were usually the only customers in the hotel bar when we returned from our outsourced evening meal.| Further on the down side, the airconditioning in our room was not working. Reception sent up a fan and claimed to have contacted the service company, but it was never fixed during our 11 night stay. When I enquired on the third day whether they had any rooms with working aircon the receptionist claimed no other room was available and just shrugged. We found the staff serving breakfast and at the garden Kiosk very helpful and friendly, reception staff much less so.| Overall the hotel has an air of faded gradeur, even the bedlinen and towels were threadbare.| We also had some difficulty with the taxi transfer from the airport as the driver was not familiar with the hotel name or how to get there, asked me to get directions up on Google maps, and tried to drop us off at the cable car station. Fortunately a local taxi driver happened to be, there and gave our driver directions to the hotel.

Lovely views and gardens, but it sure is a trek up lots of steep narrow roads! That's basically true for anywhere slightly inland tho. The heating/air-conditioning is permanently broken i think but they gave us portable radiators. The (indoor only) pool is also cold, and jacuzzi non functional. The pictures of the restaurant are misleading as it is not usually set up with tables in the conservatory area, maybe only in peak season. It's deffo not a 5-star hotel as claimed, e.g. no bathrobes or room service, but it is nice enough. The lifts are quite noisy if you're in nearby rooms, and there were some other humming noises too overnight/early morning, plus the walls are thin. But it had a pool table and a few nice sofas to sit on, nice xmas decorations. It's a shame they shut one entrance gate at 6 too cuz then walking round to the only local restaurant is twice as far. Luckily it's great quality as the hotel restaurant has a very limited and quite expensive menu, but going anywhere else means taking the car down and back up the hills one way system. But some lovely staff and views and plants.

The hotel location could not be any better. Up in the hills (Near Largo da Babosa), the hotel garden is stunningly beautiful! Beautiful plants, trees, statues, and water fountains. The beautiful view of the hills and of yet more green and Funchal City and the sea below, and plenty of seating areas to enjoy the quiet and the views. The room we were given was huge! Big bathroom and a living room and balcony with the garden views. A very big a comfortable bed (super king european size?). The room was a bit cold, but we were given an portable heater on request at the reception, not great one but it helped a little. The hotel was quiet as we were there in January, so not too busy!|The breakfast had a good selection of fruit, pastries, cheeses, cold meat, bread etc. Although the coffee was terrible! Dispensed from a machine! I am sure it could be better! Cappuccino was sweet, cafe com leite too, so we started just having black coffee and adding milk from the jug (not from the machine) , and this was passable. |The bar had a good selection of international drinks and the lovely Madeira wine. The staff working at the bar and the restaurant were so polite and nice! Especially young Alberto and Eduardo! The service was excellent and friendly!|We had a deal for half board, so we ate dinner every night at the hotel, and the food was tasty! They also had a good selection of A la Carte!|The bus 22 took us to an eventful and exciting drives down and up to and from Funchal city for only 2 euros each way, and it takes at around 1/2 hour. There are some restaurants nearby the hotel too, at walking distance. The Monte Palace garden is also nearby and one of the most beautiful garden we have ever seen. We loved our stay and would certainly recommend it!

A beautiful, quiet location and a hotel worth staying at. Staff very accommodating. Room service good. Easy access via cable car down to Funchal for entertainment! Situated in beautiful surroundings with exceptional gardens with all manner of sub-tropical plants. Very pleasant stay!

Ignore some of the negative reviews, I swear some people just love to moan. I stayed for a week in October. The rooms are generously sized and very clean. They are cleaned every day and towels are replaced, we found, if you left the damp/dirty towels in the bath. The mattresses on the beds look new. The rooms are dated and could do with refurbishment, the odd cracked tile in the bathroom and odd marks on the walls. However it didnt detract from overall stay. The room comes with a refrigerator in one of cabinets, wifi and decent smart tv. Its in a very quiet location in the evenings however it is busier in the day outside the hotel as the cable car and gardens are located nearby. We didnt bother hiring a car as an Uber is into Funchal is around €8 and the bus stop next to hotel provides regular transport to the city costing only €2. The streets nearby are very narrow and difficult to pass however this is the same for any of the monte residences and just the way the island is set out. The staff were excellent and provided milk and tea to room on request. Everybody was very friendly and bent over backwards to give us information or help. The breakfast is okay, not top tier but theres definitely enough variety to cover most peoples needs including fresh fruits, bacon, eggs, bread, cold meats and cheeses and variety of juices and tea and coffee. The pool house is a little run down. The jacuzzi is out of service when we stayed however the pool was set at 25°C, the waters clean and not over chlorinated. There is not a lot of eateries around the hotel however we ate at Barbosas, a ten minute walk, most nights and food is top teir. We would happily stay at Quinta do Monte again should we return to Madeira.

I absolutely love this place! Everything is thoroughly modern, but it has the feel of an English Edwardian mansion. I could picture an Agatha Christie novel set here. Service was excellent, staff were very friendly and helpful. The best bit is the location though. The views are superb and it's perfectly located for access to both the cable cars and just a short walk from the start of the toboggan run, which means you can get there early and miss the worst of the queues. Just below the hotel is the Monte Palace Gardens, which really shouldn't be missed. Be warned that the cable car stops around 5pm, so you will need a bus or taxi to get back to the hotel from town in the evening. But you'll want to be back in time to see the sunset from here anyway!