Funchal Ecological Park

Overall, we feel like Vila Baleira is not really a 4* hotel. The rooms are fairly outdated - particularly the bathroom. We were a bit disappointed with the cleanliness, particularly as we could tell the floor wasn’t swept or mopped throughout the duration of our stay. The bed was comfortable enough, however the road outside is very noisy, and so if you are a light sleeper you will struggle. Our key card consistently failed to work for our room, to the point we had to be let in with the master key and there was mention of potentially moving us to another room. The next day none of this came to fruition, and it felt like staff didn’t really care. The excuse given was that it has “magnetised”, which we understand can happen but continued to occur no matter where the card was kept during the day. Although this sounds like a minor inconvenience, we found it really frustrating that we were having to go up and down in the lift multiple times a day just to get into our room. The breakfast was disappointing for €15 pp/per day, and so despite having already paid for this we had breakfast at cafes instead (which were nicer and cheaper). So that was a waste of money for us. The pool was nice enough, however there were not enough sun loungers for guests and you very often ended up sitting at tables, which was frustrating. The location was good - it was within a reasonable walking distance to lots of restaurants, cafes, shops and supermarkets. It also has good underground parking.

Had an amazing stay at this hotel! I particularly loved my room - I had a superior room which was very big and spacious and had a balcony with such an incredible view. I also loved the swimming pool (both indoor and outdoor). The reception staff were super friendly who made me feel happy and welcomed. A particular shout out to Katerina at the reception desk who showed me such great hospitality. I’d definitely stay here again.