by Mary Lussiana, The Telegraph, May 4, 2017
An insider's guide to the top five-star hotels in Madeira, including the best places to stay for stylish suites, Michelin-starred restaurants, idyllic pools, heavenly spas and exotic botanical gardens, in locations including Funchal, Sao Goncalo and Arco da Calheta.
The Cliff Bay Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
9Telegraph expert rating
The Cliff Bay stands on a promontory on Funchal's shoreline, giving direct access to the sea and beautiful views over the bay. It offers 200 colourful rooms and a wide range of facilities, including games room with snooker, a tennis court, three swimming pools, a solarium, an outdoor whirlpool tub, a spa with ESPA products (and an outdoor gazebo for open air massages), Turkish bath, sauna, gym and a hairdresser. It also houses the two-Michelin starred Il Gallo d'Oro restaurant. Read expert review. From £120per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Belmond Reid's Palace Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
9Telegraph expert rating
For over a century, Reid’s Palace has welcomed guests to its luxurious haven on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. This is one for traditionalists who are fascinated by cultural heritage and enjoy period décor. The hotel organises wine tastings for its guests, as well as dancing classes for everything from the tango to the waltz. There are two tennis courts with a coach available for lessons, and a variety of both seawater and freshwater swimming pools. There is also direct access to the sea via stairs built into the rocks. Read expert review. From £272per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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The Royal Savoy Hotel Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
8Telegraph expert rating
Elegant interiors at the Royal Savoy reflect Portugal’s ‘golden age of discovery’, bedecked as they are with art and furniture from Asia and Africa. It stands at the ocean’s edge, with private access to the sea, and its 174 rooms and suites overlook the harbour and beyond. The excellent Royal Spa houses a sauna, solarium and steam room, a large indoor pool, whirlpool tub and tropical showers. There is a well-equipped gym, a hairdresser and a games room with a pool table and table tennis, as well as several outdoor seawater pools, including one with a swim up bar. Read expert review. From £245per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Hotel The Vine Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
9Telegraph expert rating
Dazzling with design in the middle of Funchal, with views over the bay from its rooftop pool, Hotel The Vine was inspired by the island’s wine-making industry. Interiors, courtesy of local designer Nini Andrade Silva, mix volcanic rock with rich purple fabrics and furniture designed to resemble twisted vines. Food and wine are very much the focus here with a guided chef's tour of the local market followed by a cooking lesson on offer. The poolside bar, with its twice-daily happy hour, is not to be missed for its 360 degree views and complement of exquisite local wines. Read expert review. From £112per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Estalagem Quinta da Casa Branca Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
9Telegraph expert rating
Set back from the road within beautifully lush botanical gardens, this is a hotel of two parts: a 19th century manor house with five luxury suites, and a design-driven glass and steel cube with 43 rooms. In the modern wing, interiors mix light and dark woods against white walls, resulting in a warm feel flooded by light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. In the manor house, the suites echo the public areas which are filled with Portuguese antiques, Venetian chandeliers, polished wooden floors and memorabilia from the Leacock family, initiators of the Madeira wine trade with England in the mid-18th century. Read expert review. From £190per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Casa Velha do Palheiro Sao Goncalo, Madeira, Portugal
9Telegraph expert rating
Filled with sunlight and antiques, fresh flowers and floral chintzes, the tranquil hotel is beautifully preserved and brimming with country house charm. Exteriors are given over to the gardens with wisteria rambling along balconies and framing doorways. The attractive, cream coloured building with a red roof, is low-lying and blends into the landscape. The 37 rooms and suites look onto the lush gardens that surround the Manor House, with some in the main house itself and others in low lying wings. Within the grounds there is a heated outdoor swimming pool, and in the spa an indoor pool, sauna, steam bath and a fitness room. Read expert review. From £145per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Meliá Madeira Mare Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
8Telegraph expert rating
A dazzling white presence on Funchal’s Lido, this contemporary, design-centric hotel offers 220 rooms, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a health spa and, interestingly enough, a medical and dental clinic. Clean and white, minimalist and contemporary, the Meliá is an essay in 21st century comfort. Décor is muted and elegant throughout the rooms whilst open plan public areas benefit from huge floor to ceiling windows and sea views. There are three restaurants and two bars, where local food and wine specialities come with an ocean view. Read expert review. From £91per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Savoy Saccharum Resort & Spa Arco da Calheta, Madeira, Portugal
8Telegraph expert rating
This sleek and cutting edge hotel was built on the site of an old sugar cane mill, and interior designer Nini Andrade Silva has woven references to this throughout. Huge photographs of sugar cane cover the walls while historic alembic metalwork decorates the restaurants. Against the backdrop of the sugar cane theme is a stylishly designed, contemporary resort with Andrade Silva’s trademark dark interiors. The facilities are excellent here, with three heated outdoor pools, squash courts, and a well-equipped spa with sensory showers, a pool and whirlpool tub, treatment rooms specialising in Ila products, and a gym. Read expert review. From £85per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Quinta Jardins do Lago Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
8Telegraph expert rating
On a hillside overlooking the sea, framed by green mountains, and set in six acres of mature tropical gardens, this charming luxury hotel is imbued with a sense of calm and the scents of exotic plants. A palm-fringed pool in the gardens has views to the hills, and there is a gym with sauna, Turkish bath and whirlpool tub. More leisurely pursuits include billiards, table tennis and croquet on the lawn. Those short of reading matter will find a well-stocked library. Quietly professional staff foster the illusion of a private country house. Read expert review. From £199per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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This article was written by Mary Lussiana from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].