Civic Center of Santa Maria Maior

It's fifteen years since I last visited Madeira, and since the hotels at which I had stayed on previous occasions were full, I opted for this hotel - which didn't exist when I was last here - because it's located a short walk away from Funchal's market (Mercado dos Lavradores), the cable car, the restaurants in the Rua de Santa Maria and Pingo Doce supermarket. The lobby is smart, and the check-in staff (as well as nearly all others) were courteous and welcoming. My air-conditioned room was spacious, well-presented and clean, the bathroom likewise; the bed was comfortable. The hotel's wifi was somewhat slow at times - certainly slower than the mobile data connection on my smartphone to which I had to resort on occasions. A USB socket at the bedside/desk or a wireless charging pad somewhere would have been a welcome feature of this day and age though. Breakfast, whether cooked or continental, was varied and plentiful. The only irritation here was that the fruit juices were unimpressive in quality, while the coffee from the machine was instant, not bean. At a time when so many have coffee machines/makers at home which produce the real thing, this was a serious disappointment. There is a pleasant roof-top bar with seating both inside and out. Service here, however, was not as warm as that experienced at the the reception desk or the restaurant/breakfast room. These things aside, I would be content to stay here again.

We had a wonderful stay in this beautiful hotel. Everything available on site, but also very easy walking distance to Funchal centre. All of the staff were extremely helpful & friendly, nothing was too much trouble. The food was wonderful & breakfast was a delicious choice of fresh & cooked food. We would highly recommend this hotel & will definitely be back. It was my partners birthday while we were in Madeira & despite us not announcing this in any way, he was presented with a birthday cake & a bottle of wine, which was a lovely surprise, thank you so much