Amy Adejokun
Section editor
This hotel was fully renovated in 2008 and is particularly well suited to couples, thanks to its good service, peaceful setting, and comfortable spaces. It is designed in a classic style and the decor in the rooms and suites is charming. The communal areas are no letdown either, especially the reception.
TUI Sensimar Savoy Gardens - © Igor Lubinetsky / EASYVOYAGE
TUI Sensimar Savoy Gardens - © Igor Lubinetsky / EASYVOYAGE
The Savoy Gardens is just over a mile from the centre of Funchal, a 5 minute walk from Estrade Monumental - the main avenue where most of Madeira's hotels are to be found - and 15 mi from the airport. Allow around 30 minutes by car.
Two of the hotel's 116 guest rooms are suites with a big terrace. All of the rooms have a light carpet, a large mirror, and dark wood furniture. Note the very practical lighting in the wardrobes, where you will also find 2 towels to take down to the pool. All of the rooms are equipped with a flat screen television and a kettle. The air conditioning stops automatically when the balcony window is opened. The rooms, which look out onto the mountains rather than the sea, have a pretty view over banana trees and some small houses. Those on the seventh floor, apart from the suites, have big picture windows instead of a balcony. The bathroom is well lit and everything in it - the bathtub, brown and beige tiled floor, and original rectangular wash basin - looks new.
The hotel was bought by the Savoy group in 1989, before which it was the Vila Ramos. Much has changed since then, largely thanks to 2 renovations in 1992 and 2008. The hall has been completely remodelled to let in more light, the restaurant has been expanded, and the rooms have been adapted to include more luxurious features. The rectangular outdoor swimming pool looks out over the sea and the road next to the hotel. It is surrounded by flowerbeds full of periwinkles, shrubs, and 2 palm trees, as well as 5 forged iron tables where you can enjoy a drink. On the eighth floor there is a big terrace that is unfurnished but that provides a great perch from which to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks for which Madeira is famous.
The restaurant, Laurisilva, serves lunch and dinner as a buffet. There is also a table d'hôte service. The cuisine is international but also boasts local specialities. The dining room can seat up to 150 guests upstairs, with the rest sitting downstairs near a bay window overlooking the swimming pool. The cheerful decor consists of parquet flooring, big lamps with red shades, and bamboo forming a partition between the room and the exit to the pool.
The Savoy Gardens belongs to the Madeiran group Savoy, which also has 2 other hotels on the island. The advantage of this is that guests can enjoy the facilities in the other hotels, for example, the tennis courts and miniature golf course...
massage, beauty salon, sauna, hammam, keep fit, spa
gym, bums and tums, water-polo, fitness
A simple, pleasant establishment, the Buganvilia is recommended for the complex that it forms with the Mimosa and the Estrelicia. A place offering a good variety of facilities at a very good price.
Located in the Funchal hotel area, the Girassol is suitable for families; it is near to the sea and also several shops. However, this location evidently means that there will be noise.
A very comfortable hotel in an exceptional location! Overlooking the ocean, the Cliff Bay will delight those looking for an elegant and refined holiday setting. This is one of our favourites in Madeira. Very large communal areas welcome the hotel's guests and, above all, a spa worthy of its name.
Located not far from the sea, in the Funchal hotel area, the Florasol is a hotel offers good value for money. There are no rooms here, but studios and flats, ideal for families or for groups of people. The communal areas are spacious enough to accommodate the majority of the hotel guests.
Families (with older children), groups of friends and couples will feel at home at the Palms. This moderately sized structure, ideally located by the sea, offers a nice relaxing setting as well as a diving centre for those who want to go on an underwater adventure.
A pleasant hotel providing a very beautiful setting in which to relax, the Quinta da Casa Branca is also a place to consider if you love good food. Give your taste buds a treat while you relax. This is the perfect place to stay if you are looking for peace and well-being. The hotel has a superb spa conducive to complete relaxation.
With a privileged location on the seafront, the CS Madeira, ex-Crowne Plaza, will appeal to those who like the international atmosphere of large hotels. Varied restaurants, comfortable bedrooms, attentive service ... There is even a children's club to cater for families as much as possible. The hotel has been completely renovated and reopened its doors on 4th May 2007.
The Melia Madeira Mare is certainly one of the best establishments in Madeira, but you would never have guessed it from its imposing exterior... Nevertheless, it boasts numerous details that make for a perfect place to spend your holiday. The hotel's concept was inspired by the five senses: smell, with the perfumed atmosphere, touch, with the soft and delicate fabrics, hearing, with the constant musical entertainment, sight, with the colour scheme used throughout the establishment, and taste, with the delicately prepared meals. The Melia Madeira Mare is a place you come to rest and enjoy high quality facilities, not forgetting the attentive service!
An internationally-renowned establishment, one of the "Leading Hotels of the World" and a member of the Orient-Express group, Reid's will attract a demanding clientele who expect a high level of service in a setting that exudes elegance, chic and tradition. Among all the whispering and murmuring, there is a certain rush to take your time to take your time... Between the sound of the waves, the clattering of porcelain and the sound of heels on the tiled floor, anything can happen in these bygone surroundings where, nevertheless, nothing is happening. Time, here, passes by somewhat hurriedly... The most recent work took place in 2006 and involved the swimming pool and the spa. The bedrooms, for their part, are also gradually being renovated.
A very comfortable hotel in an exceptional location! Overlooking the ocean, the Cliff Bay will delight those looking for an elegant and refined holiday setting. This is one of our favourites in Madeira. Very large communal areas welcome the hotel's guests and, above all, a spa worthy of its name.
The Melia Madeira Mare is certainly one of the best establishments in Madeira, but you would never have guessed it from its imposing exterior... Nevertheless, it boasts numerous details that make for a perfect place to spend your holiday. The hotel's concept was inspired by the five senses: smell, with the perfumed atmosphere, touch, with the soft and delicate fabrics, hearing, with the constant musical entertainment, sight, with the colour scheme used throughout the establishment, and taste, with the delicately prepared meals. The Melia Madeira Mare is a place you come to rest and enjoy high quality facilities, not forgetting the attentive service!
Located above Funchal, the Choupana Hills is a hotel that gives you the impression of being away from it all. Those who like peace will appreciate its bungalow accommodation, gourmets will treat themselves at the restaurant and all those wishing to relax in a Zen atmosphere will undoubtedly try the treatment centre. An exceptional place to stay!
This hotel located on the Funchal heights is the perfect place to stay if you are looking to relax in a luxury setting. The few rooms make it a quiet place with as much comfort as a palace.
Charm and elegance are the key words to sum up Jardins Do Lago. That would explain why half the guests come back regularly. Located high up in the city of Funchal, this ancient quinta (villa), which dates from 1750, has become a magnificent hotel which looks a little like a luxury cottage, surrounded by a breathtaking 6.4 acre garden. The garden has no less than 500 plant varieties. Jardins do Lago, a very beautiful hotel to be recommended to whoever enjoys peace and quiet and wishes to relax.
A pleasant hotel providing a very beautiful setting in which to relax, the Quinta da Casa Branca is also a place to consider if you love good food. Give your taste buds a treat while you relax. This is the perfect place to stay if you are looking for peace and well-being. The hotel has a superb spa conducive to complete relaxation.
A hotel of very good standing, the Madeira Palacio offers a particularly suitable setting for a relaxing vacation with a view of the ocean. This address is recommended especially for couples. You can enjoy a nice spa with a comforable leisure area.