Welcoming staff; Nice bedrooms with a big balcony Very good buffet; With good weather beautiful view; Nice and warm jacuzzi; The purpose of staying was a wedding party and it was very nice experience. We had a wonderful service from beginning to end.
When I saw the 9.0 rating on Booking.com I had certain expectations. There have been dozens of World-class hotels in my history that could not get their rating above 8.6 so getting a grade like that is an achievement. Unfortunately, now that I'll be leaving beautiful Madeira in a couple of days and head back home I have to say that I am very disappointed with the hotel and I will leave a couple of main points here for reference. 1) My room was on the 4th floor with the restaurant being on the 5th. The neverending screaching of chairs drove me insane and I would go outside for 10-15 minutes to get some peace and quiet.. only to come back to my room and find out that it's still going on. It takes them almost an hour to do whatever it is that involves moving them back and forth (most likely cleaning after meals) 2) I filtered my hotel results by "room service" and this hotel came up. I asked reception about it and was pointed to the restaurant. When I asked about being able to call to place an order I was told to go in, sit down and order something and eat there. I don't think they even understood what I meant. 3)The check-in process took about 20 minutes (without queues, dealing just with myself). there was no "excuse me for taking the time" or "thank you for your patience", no, the entire 20 minutes we stood in silence with the exception of "show me your voucher" request followed by "I can't find it.. no, I found it, ok" and another 5 minutes of silence before being handed the keys and told where to go. 4) The room only had 4 plug outlets and 3 of them were used by the tv, fridge and kettle. I unplugged the kettle to charge my phone and computer. Not having a plug by the bed is very inconvenient to say the least 5) All the above things would probably be easier to resolve if I had an open personality kind of character and would talk about my feelings and about what could be done to make my stay better, etc... but if you are like me and prefer to just have things done to an acceptable level without having to make the effort of working it out after you settled into the room after a long journey.. well, you understand that it has to get worse before you will go and make a big deal out of it 6) there is absolutely no noise isolation - people walking in the corridors are heard as if they are walking and talking about their spa experience right there in your room ___ I am an experienced traveller staying on average 2 out of 7 nights in a hotel throughout the last 12 years of my life. I've seen a lot of bad hotels pretending to be better than they are. This is not quite the case here - with a little extra care about the comfort of guests (like asking if they want a quieter area and giving some more in-room drink options) it would be a solid 3* hotel. It's not quite there. and it's absolutely not a 4* hotel as they position themselves. just.. no…
Like many things in life, this hotel has pros and cons. We enjoyed staying there, but there were aspects that underwhelmed us. Compared to the two hotels we had in Lisbon, both rated 5 stars, this is two levels below them. The hotel is very quiet, so sleep won't be disturbed by rowdy bar patrons or traffic. The room was very clean, with bed and bath linens that looked, smelled, and felt clean and fresh. We liked the small enclosed balcony/sitting area that is separated from the main part of the room by French doors, but we saw no heating/cooling for it. The views cannot be beat as the hotel is perched atop a mountain with gorgeous scenic vistas on both sides. The reception employee was friendly, welcoming, informative, and helpful. Parking is free and readily available. The wifi worked reliably and easily. If you're looking for one hotel where you can spend all your vacation time, this might be a place to consider. If you intend to drive around the island and discover small restaurants or bars, this is possibly not the right place for you. It is a short but potentially dangerous drive from Funchal center. We had a rental car and don't drink much, no more than 2 glasses of wine each (tops), but if you tend to consume a bit more (or something stronger) you may want to rethink staying here and driving yourself around. The road is winding and unforgiving, with a dangerously steep side. The breakfast buffet was unremarkable. We tend to eat breakfast early and prefer muesli, yogurts, breads, and fruits for breakfasts instead of typical hot American fare. Our second morning, there was only one spoonful of muesli, and no attendant in sight. Their croissants were nothing like the real pastries and you'll buy better ones at Walmart. The coffee comes only from a machine. The hotel's pool is probably safe to use due to a strong stench of chlorine that permeated the lobby and hallways. If you like to charge your devices next to your bed at night, you won't be able to do that here. Outlets were on the other side of the room. Bottom line: this hotel was okay, but if we are ever fortunate enough to return to Madeira, we will stay somewhere else.…
I have lived on the island for many years and for some unknown reason, have missed a "getaway from it all" at this hotel in the past. This all changed last Monday... The hotel staged a fantastic Valentine Dinner - the food was divine and the decoration too. The weather patterns and dispersion of clouds looking over Curral das Freiras - the village down below was magical! Pure peace and quiet and waking up in the morning it was like being in a cauldron looking down into the Nun's Valley! Rooms very comfortable, breakfasts excellent and all the staff really lovely... thank you for being a great Ambassador for the hotel Rui on Reception. First visit but most certainly not the last. Great value for money too!
This was our first foreign holiday since the Covid-19 global pandemic struck. We chose Madeira because it was on the UK 'Green List' and we chose Eira Do Serrada because we had not visited this area on our previous trip, when we stayed in Funchal. This is a lovely hotel, situated at altitude (1095m which is actually higher than Mount Snowdon in Wales) with commanding views of Curral das Freiras, this I believe translates as "Valley of the Nuns" We arrived early, in our hire car and took the opportunity to have a coffee on the front terrace where there is a comprehensive gift shop and cafe. The Eira do Serrada has a spectacular "Miradouro" (viewpoint) which is well worth the walk - follow the block paving and signed disabled ramp access. Although it is signed 'disabled access' you will eventually encounter steps as you trek to the final Miradouro - its worth persevering if you can because the final view is quite simply breathtaking. Due to the popularity of the view, parking can sometimes be difficult. This is also the case when functions, such as weddings, take place at the hotel. We only struggled to park on one occasion and to give credit, the reception did offer to move our car when some wedding party guests departed. Hotel rooms have spectacular views (see photo) of the valley. This sight never failed to amaze throughout our stay. We stayed in September 2021 and some covid restrictions were still in force. The swimming pool was open, but the jacuzzi, sauna etc were closed. This was restricted by government and when this is relaxed the holiday 'feel good factor' will be enhanced. This is currently the case for all establishments on the island. Masks were worn in public areas apart from the swimming pool when swimming and the dining room when eating and drinking. Breakfast is quite good with a nice selection of local, continental and British options. If you cannot see what you want, asking staff often yields great results. All staff that we dealt with were polite and efficient. Some 'hot' options weren't always hot however and this detracted from an otherwise good meal. Our room was lovely. We didn't have a bath, but instead there was a large luxury double shower. We had a super king sized bed with an adjoining room that had two singles - I think this was a family room. A small balcony overlooked the valley with an awesome view. The hotel is big on 'green' credentials and encourages you to report dripping taps etc. There were plenty of spare bedcovers in the wardrobe area and pillows were plentiful. The hotel is disabled friendly with a lift to all levels, wide doors and corridors. The hotel is fully compliant with covid guidelines, enforcing mask wearing by guests and fully observing this by staff. Alcohol rub was available at all entrances. We would come here again. If you are using public transport the number 81 bus does come here - although only at selected times. If you walk down to the village its an hour on the, steep, footpath or two around the road and through the tunnel. Once there, there are a range of walks to suit varying abilities, all of which are very well signposted and maintained. If you want a base in the hills from which to explore then this is perfect. If however you want a beach holiday then this hotel is not for you. Beautiful scenery. Fresh, crisp, air. Breathtaking views. Recommended…
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing