The Cliff Bay hotel

Upon entering the hotel, after being met by the concierge, you realise you are somewhere special. The hotel is decorated in a rich but extremely tasteful manner. The staff are warm and welcoming and cannot do enough for you.||The hotel grounds are kept pristine, just like every part of the hotel inside. The plants, flowers and trees are meticulously looked after, creating some wonderful garden areas.||The pools are gorgeous, one large pool inside and outside of the spa, with plenty of chairs and loungers, there's always space to settle and enjoy a swim. This pool is chlorinated and the temperature is slightly warmer than the lower pool.||The lower pool is a salt water pool, closer to the sea, again with plenty of sun loungers and umbrellas available. In fact, there's a chap that will move the umbrellas to the spot of your choice if you so wish. There are bars all around the pools areas, and no need to carry your cards or cash, everything is just charged to your room if you wish.||||The room we had (we were upgraded to the Executive Suite - very lucky) was incredible. The space was amazing, the bed was the largest bed we've ever seen, and the view - WOW, a beautiful sea view. I really don't think anything could have been done to make the holiday better, it was perfect!!||||Whilst at the hotel we had the 3 hour Spa session, where you effectively have the Spa room to yourselves for 3 hours. This started with a hot jacuzzi bath, then followed by 2 hours of massages, one for the body, one a facial - this experience was so amazing, and the ladies performing the massages were extremely skilful - just the right amount of pressure.||The food was also very nice. Our favourite was Sushi By The Sea, just as the name suggests you are sat right next to the sea whilst being served delicious sushi inspired food.||At every meal we had there was live entertainment. It was classy and first class rolled into one. The musicians and singers the hotel books to entertain you will just add to the experience in such a positive way.||Highly recommend this hotel.

We have being regular visitors to Madeira and the Cliff bay hotel for over twenty years. We have always enjoyed our stay. Our children are now fully grown but still love to travel with us when we stay. We are always made to feel welcome and are treated as friends when we arrive. The staff are very warm and welcoming but very professional and attentive. The views are breathtaking. The food is great but some improvements could be made to the breakfast ( the hash browns , bacon , sausage and the croissants) . We love the evenings at the cliff bar looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. Very relaxed atmosphere always.

We have just had a wonderful 10 day holiday in Madeira at this hotel. It is beautiful, luxurious and spotlessly clean. Our room was extremely comfortable and well appointed, and we had a fabulous view of the bay and down to Funchal. The facilities are suberb. We enjoyed some delicious meals in The Rose Garden Restaurant, and the pool areas and bars are all fantastic. There was music every night to enjoy and all the staff were friendly, helpful and couldn't do enough for us. We were on holiday to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary, and we came back to our room to find that we had been left flowers and champagne to enjoy! We spoke to many other guests who had been repeat visitors over the years, and we will certainly be coming back ourselves!

I am currently staying at the Cliff Bay Hotel and have been thoroughly impressed with the overall experience. The service is exceptional, with staff consistently demonstrating a high standard of professionalism, attentiveness, and genuine hospitality. The hotel's elevated position offers breathtaking views, enhancing the serene and luxurious atmosphere. Furthermore, the culinary offerings are outstanding each meal has been expertly prepared and elegantly presented. The Cliff Bay Hotel truly excels in providing a refined and memorable stay. Lastly, for those wondering: yes, you can swim in the sea. The hotel provides two lifeguards on duty at all times by the water, ensuring guest safety. The sea is remarkably clear so pristine, it almost feels drinkable. A visit to the Cliff Bay Hotel comes highly recommended and should be made without hesitation. The best!

We stayed for a week in June and loved the hotel. We booked via Jet2 Ultimate Escapes in order to get a Funchal bay sea view room and half board in the Rose garden restaurant. |The food was excellent, so we didn't feel the need to try out the Michelin star restaurant on site! | Our room had a glorious view from the balcony, was spacious with a well appointed bathroom. We liked receiving fresh bottles of water every day . | The staff were friendly and helpful ( especially in the restaurant).|The plants in the hotel and garden were fabulous||A small number of minor issues....||1) on arrival the reception staff were busy and a bit ' cool' . We could have been told more about the hotel facilities eg I didn't find out about the Aquafit sessions for several days. |2) we were told on arrival that we'd been booked into an 8.30 evening meal slot that night as prebooking was required. |We had not been told that by Jet2 so think this is an issue that the hotel and Jet2 should solve together. 8.30 is far too late for us due to a medical issue ...happily the restaurant manager was able to amend this |3) drinking water with the evening meals should be provided in a 5 star hotel where champagne is offered at breakfast!! |4) we walked into Funchal often and usually got a bus back. |A courtesy bus would be a nice touch...I believe the hotel used to offer this in the past....|

Hotel perfect, absolutely stunning views were ever you look. Watching fireworks in the marina from the Hotel. The Staff care, they really do, always happy and always ready to assist and make every occasion memorable. Restaurants, try them all (we did), you will not be disappointed. Highlights Il Gallo D'oro, go if you can, you will see why it has 2 Michelin stars. Sushi by the Sea, special, the location incredible, eating down by the cliffs, ocean breaking against those same cliffs, Funchal to the left, lit up at night...wow. Blue Lagoon, great beach vibe (even though their is no beach). Breakfast at the Rose Garden a wonderful way to start the day, as one of the staff said every morning, 'Another day in Paradise'...and he was right. ||TIP; Just open your heart to Madeira - the warmth of its people, the richness of its food, and the beauty of its sights and experiences will stay with you forever.

A lovely hotel. I recommend it if you would like a luxury holiday. Staff are very friendly, a great buffet breakfast, delicious fresh fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice, lovely bread & local cakes & pastries, also a choice of hot food. There is a lovely swimming pool, a gym , a spa, 3 restaurants, a bar with entertainment & there is also a cinema. If you fancy a 5 star holiday in Madeira this is the place to go. One thing I was not happy about was my husband booked a massage for his back. He went for the massage and the therapist started to to massage his bottom first , he explained he only wanted his shoulders& top of his back done. She continued to massage his bottom. He asked her to stop & she didn't. This is not acceptable. If a client does not want something done , respect their wishes. I had a manicure & it didn't last a week. This was also disappointing. Our experience at the Spa was disappointing. On the plus l had a leg massage & that was good .

Probably one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed at. The service, location, food, and amenities were all amazing. We paid about $400 USD per night for a Funchal Bay view which felt like a bargain, considering we booked the included breakfast rate. The hotel is nicely situated off the main road, but very walkable to an abundance of restaurants nearby. They have so much live music as well! Happy hour is from 5-6 PM which includes 50% discount drinks. During our stay, they had live guitarists, pianists, violinists, and more. At night, they have more live music in the bar area, typically from 830 PM to 11 PM. Drinks are served with complimentary light snacks. The breakfast is extremely expansive and is held in the Rose Garden restaurant. I highly recommend the fruit as much (if not all) of it is grown on the island. I tasted some of the freshest kiwi and grapefruit in my life here. The Rose Garden also hosts great views of the ocean which we got 5 breakfasts in a row! We typically arrived for breakfast between 8 and 830 AM. Finally, the amenities were fantastic. They have multiple saunas, steam rooms, jacuzzis, indoor/outdoor pool AND. salt water pool, tons of outdoor sun chairs, a huge spa area, and gym. I would definitely stay here again if back in Madeira.

The Avista restaurant is beautifully decorated with a gorgeous view. The seating is very comfortable, the drinks are good, the food is great. The shrimp and beef tartare starters are must-gets and the veal in beurre blanc was incredible. The rice that I got as a side was plain rice however it was the most flavorful plain rice I've ever had a restaurant. This would be a 5 star review had it not been for the terrible service. A member our party has a nut allergy and alerted our waiter to it and he kept asking her if it was just an intolerance or an allergy to which she kept replying that it was an allergy. He'd make a face and then take 5 minutes to write it in his notes. He barely checked on us throughout the night and proceeded to give us dirty looks when HE tripped near our table and almost spilled something on us. When we were ordering food (with the intention of taking some home so we could try more) he kept insisting it would be too much food for us and made us feel bad about ordering so much. I would have loved everything about this restaurant if it weren't for that waiter.

A stunning hideaway! Gorgeous views and delicious food. Great experience guaranteed:) The first floor has fish, steak, pastas, all you could ever dream of, combined with the view it really might feel like a dream! The second floor is sushi only and is only open on weekends- chef's choice in sushi assortment but everything we got we loved so trust the chef! Either way, a reservation is pretty necessary so be sure to make that with them or the concierge at your hotel. Be sure to get a glass of Madeira wine with your Tiramisu! Also if you get cold, they have heaters and blankets for you :) Thank you to Leonardo and João for taking the best care of us!!!

You will feel like you are in Positano or Torrey Pines, but better because this jewel box of a location remains relatively undiscovered by the masses. Yet every luxury demanded by even the most discerning international traveler is exceeded. Wow. Wow. And wow. Sit in the terrace for the view, then order a 5 star meal at Avista. Can't wait to return!

It's a nice property but the service from the administration is ridiculously poor. The snobbery, unfriendliness, and bad management are nowhere approaching professional. Perhaps they didn't like us. We were repeatedly approached to ask if we were staying there and treated like were were trespassers. We were staying for over a week. Very odd. After a full week at the hotel and constant poor service and just weird interactions bordering on offensive, we asked for a late check out and were immediately told no. I mean, immediately. Like she was taking pleasure in it. Like we were begging from her. Normally a top quality hotel will at least pretend to check to see if anyone else is taking the room. Perhaps charge us more money? Whatever. We were given a hard no. Yes, soooo sorry we spent thousands of dollars at your hotel and asked for an extra hour. My bad. I recommend stopping by for tea, if you want to see the property. Reid's is nicer. Then again, there are a whole lot of nicer places on the island that don't require you to receive service from the hotel people, bordering on abusive rudeness, certainly when it comes to the hotel staff (the service at the restaurant is good, meaning pretty standard). I do notice that most of these Yelp reviews are for the restaurant, not the hotel. Tripadvisor might be different. If you want a superior experience, look elsewhere.

Cliff Bay is a five-star, European spa of great style and refinement. Staff, food, facilities and service are top notch. Plan on dressing for dinner. I highly recommend the resort to American travelers seeking a high-end spa experience; Cliff Bay is a well-kept secret of German, French and UK guests. Dining, swimming in the sea, wine by the pool, spa treatments and working with reception on excursions around the island (whale watching, hiking and more) are all fabulous. My recommendations: join the Prestige club online first. Choose a premium package room with daily breakfast, and a water view. Book hotel dining reservations several weeks prior to arrival (at least). But if you don't, there are many options. Not to worry. Relax!

Great restaurant with a very vibey outdoor patio and great food; great for a date night.

We had a great sty the food is good but pricey. The staff at Avista (restaurant and pool) was great and fun to be around. These people deserve 5/5 The reason why only 3 out of 5 The management of this place is mediocre at best. When we arrived we had a lengthy and exhausting process of checking in. But where I lost my confidence in the establishment was when a 400$ bracelet went missing after the room was cleaned. The management was in no way accommodating or even thought of taking any responsibility and blatantly said "well go to the police then" (it was our last day). Their "investigation" into the matter was a bad joke. "We asked the girl who cleaned the room and she never saw it" -- sorry but not good enough. Hotel management was not trying to help but was defensive and deflected. Even trying to get them to recognize this incident at all was a fight. It was handled poorly and reflected atrociously kn the entire stay.