Curral das Freiras Holidays from AU$1,229

Unique property with lots of indoor and outdoor space. Excellent breakfast!

The Perestrello has recently been refurbished and our room on the 2nd floor of the annex was lovely. The bed was comfy, the room had plenty of storage/hanging space, a good size safe, small refrigerator and quiet air conditioning. The bathroom was spotless with a walk in rain fall shower. Our room had a balcony which got the sun until early afternoon. We used the pool in the garden as well as the one in the adjoining (by a short bridge) Miramar. The gardens and pool areas are really well cared for and maintained. Breakfast is served in a separate restaurant in the Miramar which has a lovely terrace. There is a freshly prepared hot food option together with an extensive range of cereal, rolls, cheese, meats etc. There are several good restaurants within easy walking distance. The hotel has underground parking at €15 per night. All the staff we meet couldn’t have been more helpful, friendly and welcoming. Our only reservation was (for light sleepers) there was some traffic noise in the late evening/early morning. Highly recommended.

This hotel would be great if it wasn’t for a couple of things. The pools close early. Sun goes down at 9pm, but all amenities are closed at 6pm. When you are done exploring for the day, the amenities are closed when you want to use them most. The room needs renovation. The pillows were terrible and the bed is stiff as a board. Parking is a nightmare. They advertise that they have parking, but it was sold out all 5 nights. The only other viable option is at the casino. It’s right next door and the same price nightly, but there are no in and out privileges. This leaves you having to plan your day around only leaving once, which limits your ability to leave multiple times a day. Don’t advertise that you have parking if it is always full. Other than that, great hotel. Beautiful views. And beautiful pools when they are open.

The location of the Pestana Lido Vila is unique to this stretch of the coastline as the hotel is right on the waterfront. Most of the other hotels nearby are perched above the cliff with access to the water via elevators. There is a grocery store right across the street and many restaurants to choose from as well as a walkway along the waterfront that goes several miles up the coastline. We were also able to easily walk into downtown Funchal, about a 30 minute walk. The hotel is well maintained and has beautiful landscaping and many areas for sitting and enjoying the stunning views. The breakfast buffet has an abundance of options, including an omelette bar, as well as champagne. In addition to the indoor seating for breakfast you can choose to sit on the terrace which rubs the circumference of the hotel on the 5th floor and has an unobstructed view of the ocean below, there were plenty of outdoor seats although they are all just for two people, you could pull two tables together but not more than that. The pool was very clean and when we were there in late May there was never an issue of finding a couple of chaise lounges to park on, there are also some larger sun beds. There is direct ocean access via stairs or ladders into the water for strong swimmers. I loved everything about this hotel and would definitely stay there again!

The staff were incredibly accommodating and very giving of their time in making suggestions and recommendations. The daily room service was outstanding. The restaurant staff were friendly and engaging. Overall a terrific hotel in a perfect location close to the old city and the harbor front.