Hotéis perto de Calheta Beach, Lombo Do Doutor

Hotel au milieu de la montagne, jolies vues, très bons repas, personnel très gentil Un peu vieux en terme de deco, nous avons eu froid dans la pièce commune et en dormant (manque de couverture), lit très inconfortable…

The Quinta da Saraiva is a beautiful small boutique hotel in a great position overlooking Câmara de Lobos. I would have liked to stay longer but unfortunately it was just an overnight stop. My room was quite small but lovely, with the most comfortable bed I’ve slept in for a long time. The staff are very friendly and helpful. There’s a bar in the reception area which operates on an honesty basis when it’s unmanned. The pool and jacuzzi, overlooking the town below, are great. The hotel’s gardens are nice to explore - they grow lots of stuff, and you’re encouraged to help yourself to bananas! Breakfast was a cold platter of various meats, cheeses, salad, fruit, bread and pastries, with tea/coffee and juices. Eggs are also offered. Personally, I’d have preferred some muesli and yoghurt and more hot options, but it was very nice and well presented. A couple of things: - the hotel discourages you from drinking the water and offers expensive bottled water instead (although it was given to me free of charge when I asked for water at breakfast). So you may wish to take your own. - if you’re driving, the track to the hotel off a busy roundabout is crazy. Be prepared...I almost extended my stay just to avoid the drive out! - The hotel is a little far for walking to the nearest restaurants and to the town, and it’s hilly. I’m fine with that but it won’t suit everyone. There’s an excellent place called Polar which is very popular with locals. It’s about 20 minutes, but be prepared for a bit of a climb.

You just can’t beat the location and views. However, I was not expecting the staff to be so lovely! We arrived early and they arranged our room right away and brought us welcome drinks while we waited. To our pleasant surprise the staff set up an ice bucket with complimentary wine and a personalized note. I loved this little touch! The bed is firm but comfortable. Enjoyed the complimentary parking and breakfast. All in all, this stay was really a dream come true.

Our experience of the hotel was enhanced by our meal in the restaurant, which I have reviewed separately. My favourite thing about the room was the enclosed balcony. It was like having a private yoga studio in the sky. (Fellow yogis note, the floor was slippery.) I also enjoyed the spectacular view from the Sauna, which at the time was free because it was not working optimally. (So do ask!) It was good enough for me, but it took over an hour to heat up. The Pool looked too small and shallow to actually swim in, but mostly it was unusable as it was colder than the sea. I don’t know if this was usual. Breakfast was fairly similar to ones we had at other Madeira hotels, but this place had the tastiest selection of fresh bread rolls and very good garlicky mushrooms. The room was clean. We liked the 3-section recycling bin in the room. Others mentioned lack of plugs for phones. Erm... we knew about that but were surprised to find that there were not enough plugs for the room items. The Kettle and TV had to share a wall outlet. They really should consider supplying an extension lead, which could be given out and collected at check-in, just as they (bizarrely) do with the TV remote control. We did start off on a rather bad note. At check in, we were downright ignored. One receptionist was settling a dispute with another guest, but both members of staff deliberately avoided any sort of eye contact with us. I don't normally notice this sort of thing, but it was rude and infuriating and lasted some time. A simple nod would have sufficed. I’ll put this down to a bad day for the first member of staff, who later was helpful. After a long wait for no discernible reason, the other receptionist demanded payment before we had even seen the room, for which we had paid in advance. We've stayed at many places who use multiple booking sites. Sometimes you pay on arrival, sometimes beforehand, and we understand that the hotel needs to know. However, there are ways of asking that don't come across as offensive and like one is trying to get away with something. Not everyone is out to steal the remote control. Make sure you bring proof of payment if you’ve paid in advance, as we had. The hotel is lucky that they have out of this world views.

This place was amazing. The location of Camara de Lobos was perfect. A lovely fishing village bay. The hotel was split into 2 buildings, the reception building and the main room stay and restaurant building. The reception building has a bar and various relaxing areas and a few stay room above. The other building, the main stay, has 2 floors for rooms and the 3rd floor has the restaurant, pool and sun beds area. The 2nd floor is the best because of the views down into the bay. When we first saw this place on Jet2 we thought it would be higher up the hillside, but this wasn’t the case, it is at street level. Food in the restaurant was good and they couldn’t do enough to satisfy your needs, from requesting ice and drinks to take to your room but going the whole 9 yards. Carolina was our waitress of our stay, whether she served us in the restaurant or at the dock bar by reception. Always smiling and couldn’t do enough for you. We was celebrating our 50 anniversary and the hotel left us a gift, drink and cakes etc, after the first week and wine and cakes on our actual anniversary. Thee receptionist gave good information regarding places to visit from either local buses to taxes etc. They organised a trip by mini bus for a tour of the east of the island.

The Hotel Next in Funchal on Madeira impresses with its excellent location right on the water. The rooms, although spacious, tend to create a somewhat subdued atmosphere due to their darkness. Nevertheless, the hotel scores with comfortable beds, modern furnishings and attractive bathrooms. Breakfast, served in a canteen style, has a limited selection and the quality could be improved. A highlight, however, is the beach club on the water, which, although without a beach, stands out positively with a pool and direct access to the sea via a jetty.