we stayed here for a week. we had booked with first choice and were allocated on arrival. it wasn't in their brochure so that caught us out a bit. first impressions were mixed. it was clean,welcoming but the room was only average size and looked over busy road. looking around there was a superb pool area with a lovely indoor pool as well. at night the road quietened down and we slept well. the food was ok, not wonderful but perfectly palatable. the waiting staff very attentive and friendly. it was clear that the vast majority of guests in the hotel were german and had best rooms. there were at least 5 coach parties. the main part of hotel seems to consist of suites but there s a later wing of rooms only which all the british guests were in. a tip is to get a room with an odd number as they look onto pool. there is a courtesy bus which is very useful as the hotel is not close to town but there are also buses just a few yards away. the big shopping centre next door is a bonus too. there are some beautiful walks to be had along the cliff. to use internet you are directed to a nearby shop.
after 3rd day we looked up reviews on tripadvisor and what a mixed bag. however next day i had to agree with the correspondent on the food hygiene. the milk was off at breakfast as was fruit cocktail ! to be fair they were swiftly replaced. at the end of the day i suspect the pool brings the 4 stars and if you were in a suite it would be a bonus, lucky person who got upgraded. we had excellent weather which helped a lot. i think you could have a perfectly good holiday at this hotel, but you might have a better one at a different 4 star establishment. the fact is we only paid £500 for 2 of us with flights. at that sort of price it's difficult to be critical.

Spent 3 weeks at hotel on half-board basis. Our room on Floor 5 overlooking pool and gardens, was a suite containing good size bedroom, bathroom, hallway with large wardrobe, safe etc and large lounge with t.v. comfortable furniture table + chairs, kitchenette with hob (2 rings) crockery,cutlery fridge. Balcony the length of both rooms. We paid for room so were pleased to be given this unexpected upgrade. Restaurant was good as far as we were concerned, breakfast was normal buffet of hot and cold dishes. Dinner soup, salad choice of fish or meat hot meal and really scrummy puddings. The reason we booked this hotel was the indoor pool, sauna and steam room which I used daily. We also used the courtesy bus to and from Funchal which was a very useful service. The rooms were cleaned daily and towels changed daily too.
Everywhere spotless, and people we met all very happy,most staying for a month or more, several returning from previous stays at this hotel. Forum shopping Mall a two minute walk away, only opened last year so nice shops and worth a visit.

i can only agree with the people who thought that this place was not worthy of being called a hotel we only stayed 1 night that was enough all the things stated we can vouch for with the exception of the cockroaches this was probaly due to the fact that our central heating didnt work and there were 1" gaps in the veranda doors so the poor old roaches abandond us for somewhere warmer probaly the canteen.
we had to travel down unlit corridors to our tiny room some 200yds from the reception we were told there was no porterage in the hotel? we have been coming to maderia at christmas for 12 years andh have never had this treatment. we checked out the next morning with another couple who were as discusted as us with this hotel and upgraded to the 5 star maderian palacio an exellant hotel. we travelled with Mercury Direct I shall be writing to the Maderian Tourist board to ask why this time share hotel is allowed to call itselve a 4 star establishment 1 star woild be more suitable

We totally agree with the comment placed in February. We had booked and paid for 2 weeks using Airtours hotel upon arrival. We were allocated to the Suite Jardins d'Ajuda. The first room we had allocated was on level 1. The "balcony" faced a brick wall about 3 foot from the balcony doors. The reception staff were unhelpful and we suspect this is a common complaint from people allocated to this floor. We moved 3 days later into a suite on level 3 which faced the main road but at least it had a kitchenette and small fridge. The trade off between the noise and kitchen against the brick wall, no kitchenette and cockroaches was a clear winner.

The food served in the "canteen", sorry restuarant was poor. No refrigeration for salads and the main buffet consisted of either a fish or meat course only. We only a had a bowl of soup on our first night inthe hotel and eat out the rest of our stay despite being on half board basis. The breakfasts were of a similar variety. However again the cold meats and cheeses avalible for breakfast were not "on ice" but left exposed in the warm restaurant. The cooked breakfast was poor but we survived on a boiled egg and roll. We only used the "canteen " for 4 breakfasts, during our planned stay Again we eat out or used our kitchenette for coffee and locally bought pastries. Thank goodness for the Forum shopping centre which is a few minutes walk from the hotel. It has a large supermarket in the lower level.
The pool area and gardens are fine. However we have never stayed in a hotel where the lounge bar does not open until 9pm!

After 10 days we walked out of this establishment and booked into the Savoy Hotel for the remainder of our holiday. It was an oasis and completely at the opposite end of the spectrum for hospitality, food and accommodation. If we had booked this independently we would have been better served as the cost was relatively the same.
The Jardins Ajuda hotel claims to be a four star. In 25 years of travel to the med and staying in over 75 hotels we can honestly say this hotel is little better then 2/3 star.