Stayed here in November 2012. Hotel facilities good. Took a while to find our way around because its on different levels but once we got the hang of it no problem. The rooms are nicely finished with good views of Funchal. Don't know about the rear facing rooms. We found the staff to be very professional in their approach but not overly friendly. Maybe this was because it was end of season but not a great problem. The food is very good with a large selection for breakfast and evening meal. We didn't have lunch at the hotel as we were always out during the day. Quite a trek to Funchal itself but a pleasant walk down in the morning. Probably wise to book the hotel minibus back or get a taxi though. Overall a pleasant stay and we would recommend it as a good base to see the rest of Madeira.

The hotel is clean and well kept and we found all the staff friendly and extremely helpful. The view from our sea view room was well worth the extra charge. We were in the main reception area of the hotel which is further away from the road and therefore quiet. There was an excellent choice of food at the breakfast buffet, including freshly cooked eggs to order. There are two restaurants, one serving a buffet meal and a well appointed A La Carte which we found similar in value to local restaurants. There is a steep approach to the hotel which would be quite challenging for anyone with walking difficulties. There is a courtesy minibus into Funchal which must be pre-booked at reception. It takes about 45 minutes to walk into Funchal and about 20 minutes to walk to the Lido area where there is a variety of restaurants.

The service and reception people were very helpful. The free wifi was very sparodic around the hotel and only really available in the reception area. Be wary in the al a carte restaurant, they place bread on table when you get seated, it is charged at 1.75euro each person. I asked before touching it and told it chargable. I had it taken away for no charge, but was told it was on the menu, which it was not (lying worse than trying to do you out of money).
The free shuttle bus into town is only an 8 seater so best to book it the day before. Last shuttle back is 1815hrs again return trips have to be booked in advance (taxi is about 6 euro from town), but if room available they are very helpful and lenient.

This hotel is 4 Star and has all the attributes of what we expected from the accommodation. It is located up quite a steep drive which anything bigger than a minibus cannot access. The seaview rooms offer a stunning view across Funchal and the bay and it's worth paying the extra for a top floor room.
Breakfast is good quality with plenty of choice, hot food, continental and cereals and there is always lots left even at a later time. The a la carte restaurant is lovely if a little pricy compared to other restaurants in the area. There is also a pool bar serving tasty fast food.
The down side is the outdoor pool area is small and not overly inviting, the heated pool was not very warm and the gym area had 4 exercise bikes, 2 treadmills, one of which in my opinion was dangerous if you tried to run on it. There was a holistic treatment area as well.
The hotel itself is well kept, a little tricky to find your way around as its built on 3 levels with 3 different lift systems.
Free minibus service throughout the day to Funchal town centre was a bonus, but must be pre booked with reception. There is a steep cut through down to the Lido area with many local restaurants.
All in all a good quality hotel in a quiet location.