We’ve just arrived back from one week’s holiday at the Pestana Grand Hotel. We stayed for one week in a family members Time-Share apartment. Can’t fault the hotel in any way. The staff and aminities were excellent and unlike many of the other sea front hotels in Madeira this hotel only had a small promenade between it and the sea. Funchal itself is a different story we found it to be extremely built up and where it wasn’t built up something was being built, renovated or dug up and re-built. Then there are the time share sales people, you cant walk too far without someone asking you if they can ‘just ask you a few questions’ which leads to them trying to sell you a timeshare property. Most things are expensive and I don’t think this is because of the Euro against the Pound I just think its an expensive Island.

We went to Madeira expecting it to be beautiful and unspoilt, which it is once you get out of the concrete jungle, even our madeiran guide on one of our excursions said they were spoiling Funchal with all the building work. On the whole we had a relaxing holiday with the time spent in the hotel and the excursions to the other side of the island. But the timeshare sales people and built up ness of Funchal spoilt it a bit.

My girlfriend's mother has a timeshare in the Pestana group and we went out in May for her 70th birthday with her, her gentleman friend, my girlfriend, her two sisters, her brother-in-law, nephew, niece and niece's boyfriend. So a large group.
It was the second time my girlfriend and I had stayed at the hotel and were aware of the more 'senior' nature of most of the guests and indeed tourists to Madeira. Not that that is a problem!
The hotel itself is something of a modern monolith but is really spacious and very clean. The staff on the desk are incredibly friendly and helpful with a very high standard in numerous languages. I think they're actually pretty glad to talk to people under 50 sometimes; there's one lady on the desk (maybe Maria?) who's a hoot.
I always try to make my gratitude to hotel staff plain, and i think maybe more people should make an effort to engage the staff; the cleaning staff seem to do a very good job and they're probably not paid enough.
This being a five-star hotel it has a range of restaurants and some very nice food, but it is of course pricey. We had one meal there in the Moroccan-themed restaurant which was very nice. Its other amenities include an outdoor pool which was on the cool side, but very refreshing on a hot afternoon. Although we didn't use the spa or indoor pool, we did use the pool table which is free, albeit with a £10 cue deposit.
Its location right by the sea is great, but it is a long way from Funchal city centre. Luckily, the weather is usually good enough to walk if you still have intact knees. Otherwise, there's a free bus which journeys to-and-fro from the town centre in the mornings and afternoons. The area of the hotel is very tourist-orientated so to get a flavour of proper Madeira it is essential to get out of this western end.
The room we had on this stay was superb: it was huge, with two large beds pushed together to make a perfectly acceptable super kingsize. It's comfortable and the air condition hums away without being too loud. It had two great bathrooms, both very clean, and immaculate with black sparkling tiled floors. The balcony was huge, with wicker sunloungers, and table and chairs. It looked out over the sea and was great for sunsets.
If I have any foibles about the experience is that it is really a get-away for older people with a lot of money. But that is the nature of Madeira: there's not a lot for younger people on a budget. The hotel is designed carefully for an older, northern European, monied clientele. It does that job very well. Oh, and there's one thing which annoys me about not only this hotel but all the tourist-orientated / Pestana group, and that's the wine. The house wines are to be avoided at all costs. They do a great disservice to Portuguese wine are so bad they're comical. Also, don't be conned into buying Madeira wine, as it'll be mass-produced rubbish. Go to a backstreet wine bar in the old town and try some proper Madeira wine. The very best stuff, vintage Madeira, is pretty expensive though.

Been 5 times so obviously love the place. Location fantastic. Fab sea views, great walks along promenade and within easy reach of good restaurants (O Barqueiro and Papa Manuels) and cheap good coffee and cakes (Opan Forum). Accommodation beautiful, especially communal areas.

Water in indoor pool was pleasantly warm when we were there. The best of the jets in indoor and outdoor pools not switched on that often though).

We love this hotel in part because we are walkers who spend all day walking and relax our muscles in the jacuzzi in the evening. Sadly, the gym/pool has changed it's opening hours and now closes at 8pm instead of 9pm meaning that we cannot use it. This will be a major factor in determining whether we come again. We had told our friends that it was great because you could do a remote mountain walk in the day and be in a jacuzzi to chill out afterwards...Shame as we were hoping to take a group next year!

Good point to access sea 150 metres towards Lido. Small charge.

Breakfast plentiful and varied. But.....service in the hotel is still not as good as most average hotels in the UK. You pay for refills of tea sachets in the room!! We took our own. There is not much of a personal touch and although reception staff are friendly on welcome, most staff are efficient, but don't smile much. Odd bearing in mind we have been there 5 times. Pool/gym staff and one of the waiters were exceptions.

A bit of a problem with the air con in our room. When it got really hot during the day, the system just didn't cool it down enough at night. In the 5 times we have stayed, this is the second time we have had this problem. Other times air con was very efficient.

It is most definitely a fantastic place, but it needs someone to inject some spirit into it. Highly recommended and you may feel like royalty, but not like family.

After reading the reviews here we decided to book this hotel for our vecations in may.
The Hotel is great. Its on nice location so you can have nice walks in front of it.
The rooms are OK, only thing is that the stuff didnt fill our mini bar, there was only one drink in it and this didnt changed the whole time of our stay.
The Hotel stuff was realy frendly and heplfull all the time.
Food was great, everybody can find something for eat. You have also 2 restaurants in it :)
I recommend this Hotel to anyone.