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4.5
#1 of 7 inns in Funchal
Location
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Value
Welcome to Hotel Escola, your Funchal “home away from home.” Hotel Escola aims to make your visit as relaxing and enjoyable as possible, which is why so many guests continue to come back year after year.
Given the close proximity of popular landmarks, such as Holy Trinity Church (2.0 mi) and Miradouro Pico Dos Barcelos (2.1 mi), guests of Hotel Escola can easily experience some of Funchal's most well known attractions.
You’ll enjoy relaxing rooms that offer a refrigerator and air conditioning, and you can stay connected during your stay as Hotel Escola offers guests free wifi.
The inn features room service. Plus, Hotel Escola offers a pool and free breakfast, providing a pleasant respite from your busy day. For guests with a vehicle, free parking is available.
If you’re looking for a seafood restaurant, consider a visit to Taberna Madeira, Casal Da Penha, or Regional Flavours, which are all conveniently located a short distance from Hotel Escola.
Should time allow, Praia Formosa Beach Madeira is a popular attraction that is within walking distance.
Hotel Escola puts the best of Funchal at your fingertips, making your stay both relaxing and enjoyable.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Classic
Location
Trav. Piornais, 33, Funchal, Madeira 9000-246 Portugal
Name/address in local language
Escola Hoteleira
176 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Our holiday at the Hotel Escola Funchal in November was amazing in every way. Staff were amazing, housekeeping looked after us every day, the reception staff were full of information and extremely helpful. Dinner was limited choice but was excellent quality so much that we ate most nights. The restaurant was quiet at night but it gave us a chance to speak with staff and find more information about the island and its attractions. All staff spoke a variety of languages which is a great asset to the hotel. Rooms were fine, clean and had good internet connection throughout the hotel. The air condition in our room was first class. We had lovely balcony where we sat most evenings looking out to sea. Hotel is at the end of one of the bus routes from the city centre, depending on traffic congestion it took 15-25 minutes. The service was very regular & dry reasonably priced, a single fare into the city was €1.95 however, one, three,five & seven day tickets were available. We purchased 2 five day tickets at €16.50 each . This ticket allowed you to use any of the city bus routes and these were numerous. All being well we will back to Hotel Escola as it has left us with so many memories.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have just returned from a lovely week at this hotel. It was exceptionally clean, all the staff were friendly and welcoming. The room was large with a beautiful balcony overlooking the sea and sunset. The beds were comfortable, towels changes daily, bathrobes and daily room service. The breakfast was delightful. The pool and gardens were well manicured. Although a little away from the centre of Funchal and typically for Madeira located up a steep hill you are close to public transport and can walk to good bars and restaurants. There are only 20 rooms in the hotel do the service feels very personal. For three times the price you will not find a better hotel in Madeira.
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Date of stay: February 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Try to get a top floor room.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a gem of a hotel, run by and part of the hotel school which is part of the building. Most of the staff in the kitchen and in the hotel are students learning the hospitality trade. They are wonderful, helpful and keen to please. We chanced upon the hotel during a long walk and were so impressed by the student receptionist that we booked for an evening meal. The receptionist had recommended a restaurant for lunch which was excellent. The dinner a couple of nights later was great. We started with a glass of Madeira wine in the lounge area and progressed on to the set three course meal which included bread, water and house wine. The starter was a small plate of mussel, salmon and vinegar fom, beautifully presented, well cooked and seasoned, delicious. The main was a choice of Grouper of Sirloin. The sirloin was grilled to perfection, exactly as requested (medium rare) and I noted that my wife had asked for medium and they were exactly correctly cooked. The steaks were accompanied by sweet potato chips and a macédoine of vegetables and a beautifully reduced wine sauce. Dessert was a choice of different desserts, creamy and flavoursome. Coffee ant tea were included and the price was surprisingly competitive.
We did not stay at the hotel but we understand that it is a high standard. We pan to return to stay at the hotel next time.
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Date of stay: February 2015
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Only 20 rooms so request a sea view when you book.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a ten day holiday in Madeira and booked on the strength of the good reviews on here. However, the only really standout thing about this hotel are the room cleaners who do a very good job. The rest of it is average at best.
Food was adequate, but choices severely limited with no vegetarian option and no information on allergies provided. Service was perfunctory. One meal we had was a tuna steak which was cooked very badly, the result was more like tuna cardboard and our complaint was not taken seriously by the waiting staff.
Sauna was closed, bar was closed, the pool had tiles missing all over and we did not use it. The room seemed dated and the air conditioning did not work.
Comparing prices we could have stayed in a far better hotel nearer to Funchal for the same price which was disappointing to discover.
Funchal really isn’t walkable from this hotel unless you are a keen walker, so taxis are necessary. It costs around 12 euros to get a taxi to Funchal if it’s a yellow cab, however they have just got Uber on this island which reduces the cost to about 8 euros.
This hotel really does need updating and since it’s a school I doubt it will receive the investment it needs to bring it up to date, not even the pillows are comfortable being stuffed with foam chips!!
There are many hotels nearer Funchal that are much, much nicer and are priced around the same - I would say avoid this place.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Everything was bad! I only booked due to the good reviews. DO NOT listen to the review rating.
It was the worst hotel ever! There wasn't any Aircon. Outside was cooler than our room. We complained and they said there's nothing they can do.
I told them we would leave on the first day and wanted our money back. They only then gave us an extra fan. The fans only blew the hot air around the room. Our body's were constantly covered in sweat. We were bitten a lot due to the huge vents and creatures coming out of the vent.
I tried to book other hotels and was happy to pay more but they didn't have any rooms. We ended up spending the whole day out and only went there to try and get an hour sleep.
The last night really was the icing on the cake. A lizard was running around our room and it came from the vents. They tried to catch it but couldn't. That was another night were we didn't sleep. They tried to make out it's because we left the doors open. We never even opened it due to the amount of bugs that were already in the room.
There was no point even eating the breakfast due to nothing being covered. Flys were all over it.
The trip went from bad to hell really quick.
DO NOT BOOK THIS HOTEL.
I need a holiday to recover from the nightmare.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just returned from a week in this lovely budget boutique hotel on the outskirts of Funchal. My room [308] on the top floor was good sized with balcony having a seaview but a little to the side of the hotel. All rooms now have wifi and pretty good in my room. The location was a bit from the centre of Funchal - about a 45 minute walk altho the local buses stopped quite close and took barely 10 minutes to get to the centre [Madeiran bus drivers think the are F1 drivers!]. Quite close to local mall [The Forum]. Breakfast buffet was good altho a bit repetitive. Had one evening meal [wine included!] which was good and value for money at 16.5 Euros. Staff were very friendly and the hotel was spotlessly clean. Enjoyed my stay and will return!
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Date of stay: August 2014
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Best views from rooms 304 - 307. Use the Aero bus to get to and from the airport [8 euros return]...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow. I did not expect excellence it being a hotel training school but excellent it was. Unusually the rooms are fully carpetted and immaculately cleaned every day. The rooms all have a fantastic sea view. Serice is what you would expect from a top London Hotel. The brekfast buffet included, fresh fruits, meats cereals, scrambled egg (which was always very good), bacon, breads, yogurts, cakes, cheeses etc etc. Now for the evening meals, I was blown away. There are 2 menus, one which is for half board customers which has a little more choice and some more expensive starters - Smoked salmon with Blueberry Chutney and asparagus, seafood Volavent and the best Tortolini I have ever tasted - to name a few. Main courses - beef Wellington, platted Salmon and Monkfish, Perch, veal fillet with Fois Gras and Honey sauce, roast beef with bernaise sauce (the beef was filltet!,, Marsaille fish stew - you get the picture - absolutely fantastic food. The deserts were very well presented with the passion fruit mouse standing out as my favourite. The lesser menu consisted of 2 of the entres from the main menu, an amusee de bouche to start and the same desert choice. The lesser menu was 14.50 euros and included bottled water, wine and coffee. the main menu did not include drinks and was 20 Euros, however with house wine at 7 euros a bottle and very palletable this did not break the bank. I would recommend not booking half board - just check the menus each day and make your choice then. The service was exceptional and attentive and the full time staff always guided and instructed the students so every meal was a very enjoable ocassion - we stayed for 13 nights and ate in the restaurant every night. The reception staff were very helpful and professional. All in all this hotel costs less than £100 a night for 2 with the top menu and copious amounts of wine and a very good breakfast - lunch looked very good but we just could not have ate dinner if we had it and I do not have a sparrows appetite!
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Date of stay: September 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:All rooms are good with a seaview - we had a top floor room.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is in no way a luxury hotel and it is west of the centre of Funchal. That said, we were comfortable overall, and very impressed with the staff, whether qualified or in training: their attitude was consistently pleasant and helpful. The breakfast was vary varied and there was a lot of it, from eggs to meats to delicious fresh fruits to cereal, as well as rolls and bread. Our room was large and sea facing and thoroughly cleaned daily. The ensuite bathroom was a little tired, but functional, and it was tidied and cleaned daily. One thing that I would have preferred in the bedroom was a duvet rather than sheets and blankets, but the beds were comfortable enough. There was a sea facing balcony. Generally we tended to eat dinner out, but we actually had Christmas dinner in the hotel, and this was good and festive with unlimited wine. Transport links to the centre of Funchal are good, with a regular bus within walking distance of the hotel.
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Date of stay: December 2013Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hotel is situated on the outskirts of Funchal in a quiet area. The centre of the city is only a short bus ride away. Food is excellent and rooms basic but very clean. Not a lot to do in the hotel itself.
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Date of stay: June 2018Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This hotel was recommended to me by my son' school principal so I knew I should expect good service. But we got a lot more than that! This hotel is run by a professional hotel school and therefore the students are in training. But their level of service and professionalism is better than what we've seen in many 4 or 5 star hotels. Room was nice and large enough, dinner was superb and breakfast!! Gorgeous display, plenty to choose from and the very best hotel coffee I have ever been served, anywhere in the world! And then to think that all of this was so incredibly unexpensive... This hotel is a well kept secret but I will brag about it to anyone that I know. Just one minor thing: the rooms do not have air conditioning. They have a fan and large windows. It can get a bit warm in Madeira at times, just so you know...
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Date of stay: June 2015
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
i can't answer regarding the depth of the pool because we didn't use it but I'm sure If you ask the hotel they will answer. All bedrooms, as far as I know, have a balcony where you can smoke.
Dear Amanda,
You will find the aerobus right outside the terminal. The airport is quite small so you cant't miss it. The stop for this hotel is no. 23 but... the bus doesn't stop anywhere near! In fact, we had to climb quite a steep road, carrying our suitcases, and were knackered by the time we arrived. We had to take several breaks during the climb. I suggest you take the bus and ask the driver to drop you off and the Forum Mall (I think it is stop 22) where there are always lots of taxis. From there you take a cab right to the door of the hotel. I think this short ride won't cost more than 5 euros.
I hope this was helpful, have a great vacation. We loved this hotel.
There are more places to choose from in the Funchal area.
PRICE RANGE
₹6,614 - ₹10,213 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
PortugalMadeira IslandsMadeiraFunchal
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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