On arrival Joel arranged a restaurant reservation, transport to and from the restaurant. He and his Son could not have been more helpful throughout our stay even loaning us a brand new book on walks. The room had lovely sea views, fruit. flowers and beautiful fresh rolls for breakfast. When we left we were given a bottle of madeira wine and a box of exotic flowers which Joel had ensured could be taken on to the plane as hand luggage. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would not hesitate to recommend it.

I booked Vila Marta a few months ago based on the positive reviews on Trip Advisor, it was everything that was said and more. The apartments are excellent value and as a seasoned traveller it offers fantastic value for money. Joel and Bruno - the owner and his son could not be more helpful, they were charming, friendly and their customer service was second to none. The apartment was spotless, cleaned every day. The fresh bread every morning was a great touch. I cannot recommend Vila Marta enough, in a nutshell excellent service at an excellent price.

We found Vila Marta through Tripadvisor and booked it several months ahead. Shortly after the reservation we received a phone call from Sr. Joel (the owner) confirming the reservation and e-mails with all the details. It was already a pleasant surprise and it only got better. The morning of our departure Bruno (son of Sr. Joel) called us to tell that the taxi driver will be waiting for us with our name sign (we asked for a taxi ) and to wish us a pleasant trip. Upon arrival Sr. Joel gave us the most exhaustive tour and explained all the small details about the hotel and the logistics in the surrounding area. He especially emphasized that his hotel is our home for this week, and we felt nothing less. He and Bruno were always ready to help with anything we needed from restaurant recommendation to even giving us a ride to the city or a shopping center (there are plenty of stores in the area) and the way they did that left no doubts that they were not just “doing their job”, but genuinely wanted to help with anything they could. We both extensively traveled in our lives and can tell that this type of hospitality is oh so rare. The hotel is slightly outside of the city, but those who appreciate quiet and more personal touch will enjoy this fact. The ride to the city is easy with a couple of busses (1.80 Euro in the bus or even cheaper with the Giro bus pass) stopping nearby or a taxi (about 6 Euro). All the companies that we booked guided tours with perfectly knew were Vila Marta was and came to pick us up in the morning without any questions. The city tour Hop On Hop Off bus stop is just down the street and one of the levadas you can see from your window. Sr. Joel even went the extra mile to prepare something for us that we just mentioned in passing in one of the conversations, when the other day he sat us down to one of the tables and gave us a full-blown tasting of his homemade digestive and Madeira wines. Unbelievable. Seems like this family just really likes what they do for living, and man they do it well. The rooms are totally fit for a multi-star hotel—mattresses are super comfortable, bathroom is equipped with anything you might need, towels are changed every day, sheets—every second day. Everything is spotless. And in the kitchen we found milk, butter, spread cheese, coffee, tea, sugar, water, beer … oh, and every morning on the door they put fresh delicious bread that was enough for breakfast and for making sandwiches to take with us on the hikes. And there is a library of books and magazines in 4 or 5 languages by the entrance… We seriously could not be happier with our choice. We can definitely confirm—yes, Vila Marta is #1 and we want to thank this wonderful family—Joel, Marta and Bruno—for making our stay in Madeira even more magical and unforgettable.

Vila Marta is a great aparthotel, the owner and his son are really good hosts, and thanks to them we found the best restaurants in the island. The room is clean and with a view to the sea, we had fruits and flowers on our arrival. We recomend to hire a car, not only because of the hotel but also because it is the best way to get to know this beautiful island. When we left we even got as a present a box with the most beautiful Madeira flowers, we are still enjoying them back in Germany. Thanks a lot for everything!!