We had booked the Eden Mar (we had stayed previously at the Eden Mar and the Porto Mare hotel) upon arrival we were informed that our accomodation had been changed to the Residence as parts of the Eden Mar were undergoing renovation work.The receptionist advised us that if we were unhappy with the apartment we had only to tell them and they would would look at alternatives for us.The apartment we were allocated was lovely with two bedrooms and two bathrooms we also had a private garden area with sunloungers and two patio areas.The apartment was well equipped and had a coffee maker,microwave and oven etc.We were very happy with all the staff who were friendly,helpful and efficient.The gardens in this complex are beautiful and the pools lovely one of the reasons we returned and we were pleased to see the cleanliness and standards maintained.The weather was sunny every day with a couple of overcast afternoons and we could sunbathe during the day great for December.The christmas lights were impressive and Funchal had a lively atmostphere down in the town.We had a fantastic week enhanced by the lovely apartment allocated to us which was a bonus,so thanks once again to the staff and manager for making us feel welcome and maintaining excellent standards.

Many thanks for yet another wonderful stay in our timeshare apartment. We were back for our 3rd year.........so many more still to come. Although our room faces the road, I can honestly say that once the door is closed we don't hear any noise. Not a problem as far as I'm concerned. The staff are all excellent and realy helpful. The weather was wonderful - altogether a brilliant holiday and we're already counting down the weeks until next November.
This year I travelled with a friend from USA. She liked The Residence and Madeira so much that she is planning to return with her husband and meet up with us there next year.

Just returned from 7 night stay at The Residence - we'd booked the hotel but on arrival we were "up graded" to The Residence (still not sure of the reason for this but no worries). We had room 3008 and it was wonderful. Lounge area, small kitchen (some dishwasher tablets would have been nice), fab bathroom arrangment with bath & shower and a seperate shower! Impressive moves towards being more eco - towel changes etc. Huge Bed. Fab baloncy that faced south so sun most of the day.
Great view of the wonderful gardens that were a joy to walk thro to breakfast and the rest of the hotel complex.
We had not planned on staying in this bit of Funchal - we wanted the other hotel in the town but a mix up on our part caused us to book this instead - so the 30min walk into town had not been expected - however if you stick to the main road it's fine with lots of shade along the way.
The upgrade made up for the distance of walking!
Lots of off complex places to eat & drink so we only used the hotel for Breakfast and as we had kettle, fridge & coffee machine we were sorted the rest of the time too.
Some great local restaurants to go to - Maderia Grill over the road is well worth a visit - very good local food and very good prices.
The downsides to our stay - the large breakfast arrangment with all 3 hotels using 1 restaurant so it was a bit busy between 8 and 9, also the fact that it is a Time Share - yes they did send us an invite for a complementary drink which we avoided and managed to avoid the sales talk - although we saw quite a few folk being shown round. Also the chairs in the lounge area needed replacement and we noticed a sign on reception when we left indicating that some furniture was being upgraded the following week.
Great wifi reception in the reception areas - faster at The Residence.
Cleaning staff work very hard and do a wonderful job. Gardens and Bird Collection fab, Hotel cat very friendly. Never used the pools so cannot comment.

We have been staying here for 6 years now, twice a year for a fortnight each time, so obviously love the place. We always look forward to coming back. Porto Bay offer very good facilities and everything is maintained to a very high standard. All the staff are friendly and helpful and it is good to see the same faces each time we come. There is good evening entertainment, restaurants to suit most tastes and pockets, and immaculate kitchens, and the award-winning gardens are a plant-lovers delight.