We were lucky enough to get an amazing deal to stay at this luxury five star hotel in early March and the experience was well, lovely. From the moment we stepped through the doors we were made very welcome, all the staff spoke english (apart from the courtesy bus driver but he understood more than he spoke) - even the chambermaids.

The luxury of clean sheets and towels every day was fantastic and everything was kept sparkling clean. The room was furnished in standard hotel furniture but the public rooms all had lovely antique furniture and paintings. The pool was clean and the pool bar menu reasonably priced.

So, only four rated? Well, the gardens are lovely but the trees have been allowed to grow so tall that they blocked out the light from the room we were given, which meant we had to put the lights on during the day. Also the food was excellent but I expected the set menu to be cheaper than a la carte and 42.50 euros was a bit steep for the 4 course set menu in my opinion.

I have chosen this hotel guided by the Tripadvisor website, and I have had no regrets; many people have liked it and a very few haven’t; and I decided to have a go.

Madeira is a very beautiful island in the middle of the Atlantic with a dramatic weather; strong winds all the time and occasional rain that may last for days; a gamble which was worth taking. Madeira is a place to relax and be pampered (and gain some weight); most visitors are “mature” and appreciative of “tender attention.” And the place delivers it!

The main point: the service; the staff was very friendly and helpful. We all know that the success of businesses depends heavily on the provision of personalised service; but at the Quinta da Bela Vista the service reaches another level: a genuine concern for your stay and wellbeing - from the reception to the pool bar. For instance, Ms Magda at the pool bar was particularly warm, helpful, attentive, and efficient. One may look at any hotel staff as part of the business, but very rarely staff can be so honestly concerned about helping people to have the best time.

The hotel is beautiful; a quite haven hosting a gallery of wonderful pieces of restored antique furniture surrounded by a sub-tropical collection of trees and shrubs. The restaurant is a delight: the old and gorgeous building makes people feel special, and so are most of the dishes on offer; and of course, the pristine service. Only one minor drawback: the breakfast, a minor disappointment during my visit. Portuguese cuisine is characterised by a rich variety of breads, cakes, ham and so on. This is a five star hotel with a relatively small number of customers (thanks God for that). Its breakfast might be improved by offering of a variety of freshly baked cakes (better than the few available at the moment) and bread (avoiding the hard, dry and over baked croissants – a proper recipe is required and there are produces in Portugal to produce it), poached eggs (not fried), omelettes cooked to order, high quality ham (Portugal is the place for it) as opposed to unappealing paled processed meat.

Overall, never mind the breakfast; this is a special place which I highly recommend.

It is very difficult to criticise this hotel. Everything is absolutely superb. The location, the rooms, the food, service, all are close to perfect.
Very highly recommended.
Set 10 minutes walk up the hill from most Funchal hotels the peace and quiet here is wonderful. Hotel minibus runs downtown regularly and is very punctual. If you want the noise and bustle of Funchal you just go downtown but up here all is peaceful !
Beautiful gardens, great restaurant, friendly staff.
What more could anyone ask for ?

We have just spent a lovely weekend at this wonderfull quinta-hotel, A friendly and helpfull staff ready to help whatever you need. Excellent food and a beatifull garden and facilites. We look forward to repeat soon