We were "sold" this hotel by the glowing tripadvisor reports so our expectations were high! We would concur with the positive reports about the decor, staff, food and rooms. We particularly liked the public areas which are tastefully furnished with antique and reproduction furniture, pictures and wallhangings, and fresh flowers too! However it does come with a couple of caveats. Firstly, we did not find the location of this hotel to our liking. We were on B & B, and the nearest cluster of tourist restaurants and bars is over half a mile away down urban streets, part of which have no pavements. We like to walk, but if you have spent the day walking the levadas or tourist attractions it becomes a bit tedious setting off on a lengthy walk again in the evening. We ate in one evening and the meal was very good, so I would recommend QSJ to anyone wishing for half board. Secondly, only the top floor has any sort of view past the high-rises and through the trees. The hotel does not advertise its views, but given that 90% of Madeiran hotel rooms take advantage of the magnificent sea and mountain views, we have to mark QSJ down. The hotel faces east, so don't expect to see a sunset. Thirdly, the facilities, while appropriate to a small hotel, are lacking compared with larger hotels. No tennis court, jacuzzi, small (though lovely and warm) pool for instance. So yes, a great little hotel for HB, but be aware of its limitations before deciding!
Room Tip: Top floor for any view, north end to be away from noisy road.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
3 February 2012
Thank you very much for taking the time to review the Quintinha de São João on TripAdvisor.
We are sorry that you didn’t find our location to your liking. It is true that we are away from the tourist area of Funchal but this has mostly proved an advantage to our guests who wish to get away from the “hotel zone” and sample the true Madeira in a residential area. We are 1.5 kms from the centre of town and are served by an excellent and reasonably priced taxi service to the old town and other areas where there are many restaurants. There is also the local bus which stops close by and goes into the centre. We are, however, encouraged to hear that you enjoyed your meals in our restaurant. We do our utmost to vary our table d’hôte menu in keeping with the tastes of our guests and are glad that our restaurant came up to your expectations.
We only ever advertise our rooms as having “garden views”. Our grounds, in keeping with the tradition of the product “Quintas of Madeira” are full of centenary trees and sub-tropical plants – these are the views our rooms enjoy. Guests requiring a sea view would be disappointed but we do have some magnificent views of the mountains – especially from our rooftop indoor pool. Once again, as far as our facilities are concerned, we do not advertise a tennis court but do have a jacuzzi in our Spa. At the Quintinha, the emphasis is on providing a personal and excellent service, rest and relaxation and enjoying all that is from Madeira - we don’t pretend to be anything like some of the large and often more impersonal hotels.
Yours sincerely
André Barreto
General Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
