Enotel Quinta do Sol

This was our first time in Madeira and we had a fantastic week. The hotel is in a great position for walking into Funchal or to the Lido area. The tour buses cannot get down to the front of the hotel but, it is only a 50 metre walk from the drop off point. The reception is open and very spacious, check-in posed no dramas and we were soon in the lift up to our room (216). On entering the room you could sense the cleanliness, everything neat and tidy. We were pleasantly surprised that we had a sea view and a small balcony. The room was on the corner of the hotel second floor and was twin-bedded. There is plenty of wardrobe and drawer space. In the wardrobe there is a small fridge and a safe. You are charged for the safe, at the time of writing, 10 Euros for the week. You have to pay a 40 Euro deposit for the key which, is returned if you return the key. There is no kettle or tea/coffee making materials, we had brought our own equipment. We found the beds very comfortable and the air-conditioning worked well. Downstairs in the main hotel you have spacious areas for sitting and relaxing, the bar area a spa area and the sun terrace with an outdoor pool. Through the bar area there is the Spa/wellness centre which, includes a gym. The real gem is the undercover spa bath/infinity pool which, is heated and has power jets; it is also heated to 34 deg C. It is long enough to get some swimming strokes in and only one metre deep. The Magnolia Restaurant is up a flight of stairs off the Spa area, there is a lift for those unable to use stairs. Like the rest of the hotel, the restaurant is spacious with colourful seating. At the far end is the buffet/show cooking area. Breakfast is extensive having a choice of cereals, continental and fully cooked. You can also have omelettes and fried eggs cooked to order, the 'batch' fried eggs in hotels are never cooked well enough for me. The coffee is dispensed from two available machines and, for a change, quite a good blend. The hotel caters for tour parties so in the morning at around 8 am, it can be quite busy, we found 9 am a better time to go for breakfast. The evening meal is normally themed and in two sittings, 6-7:30 pm and 8-9:30 pm, you are given an allocated table and eating time when you first check in. The late eating shift was too late for us so, we asked at reception and got it changed to the 'early shift', this more suited our evening pattern. Again, the food was very good and there was a large variety. There should be something for all palates unless you are very 'picky'. You order your wine/beer etc from one of the waiting staff and the cost goes onto your room bill. One thing to note, iced still water is served from a jug and there is no charge, this makes change from most hotels we have stayed in on the Continent. A bottle of house red, which is perfectly 'quaffable' was 13 Euros at the time of writing, a pint of local beer (Coral) was 3.70 Euros. There is nightly entertainment in the bar in the form of singing duos or the like. We did not listen to them as we normally went out after dinner so, I cannot comment on their quality. In the immediate vicinity there are a number of bars and small supermarkets to satisfy your personal needs. The hotel is at the junction of two major roads which, from the room were in, can be quite noisy early in the morning. For us it did not detract from our enjoyment but, I believe some people did change rooms. One advantage of the hotel's position is, that it is on two major bus routes into town, bus just outside the hotel grounds. Reception will give you the details of times etc and you can buy travel cards if you plan to use the buses frequently. The fare into town was 1.95 Euros for adults and you can pay the driver if you haven't got a travel card. The hotel staff are very friendly and most helpful. I cannot single one out because, they all worked very hard to make sure you were having a good time.

Spent a week in this hotel in February. Great location, easy walk to promenade. Spotlessly clean hotel. Excellent choice at breakfast. We were b & b, but had a few evening meals in the hotel. Buffet style with a good variety of dishes, bottle of wine included in the price! We stayed on the fifth floor. Great views. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Jhonny the barman was outstanding.

Very good hotel , very nice service Restauration is very good with many dishes different Swimming pool at 34 degrees very agreable The environment is quiet and beautiful It is not far from the center of th city of Funchal