Casa Velha do Palheiro Relais & Chateaux

As soon as we walked onto the grounds we were welcomed by the reception staff at the hotel. They were incredibly kind and understanding that our flight was earlier than the check-in time, and we were able to go to our room after checking in. We felt as though we could ask for anything, especially with the ability to contact the team through WhatsApp. Even small things, like us forgetting to close our window before we left, they sorted for us, it was really amazing service. The hotel itself is in a lovely area of Madeira, with the nature on your doorstep. We are so sad we only visited the botanical gardens on our last day, as they really are beautiful. The dinner at Oxalis, was amazing. The love and effort the chefs put into the meals there is felt, and we really enjoyed every meal there. All of the staff are amazing, and when we asked for help they did their best to assist us. When travelling cleanliness is a very important factor for me, and I have very high standards for hotels that I travel to. Casa Velha do Palheiro was very clean, the room was turned over very well, with the floor being dustless, no staining on the bedding, and minimal residue on the surfaces around the room. The grounds were maintained every single day we were there and we saw how much love and care was put into the surrounding area. The communal areas were tidy and clean, and we felt very comfortable there. This was an incredible introduction to Madeira, and we are so glad we picked it!

Everything about our stay was fantastic. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Location was perfect, up in the hills but close to Funchal. You are surrounded by nature with access to the Palheiro Gardens which are beautiful. A shuttle bus is provided to drop and collect from Funchal town centre every day and also to the Vista Balancal Restaurant which is onsite at the golf house. The views of the bay from here are stunning and the food is exceptional. Breakfast - fabulous choice with the option to enjoy on the terrace. Pool was really nice and the overall atmosphere in this country estate is very relaxing and quiet. A very memorable stay.

Wonderful locally sourced food at breakfast and dinner - light, creative and great quality. Excellent wines through links with the Blandys wine estate. Helpful and knowledgable staff with deep knowledge of local attractions, who could help book a taxi for us when we were stranded and even gave accurate estimates of how long it would take us to walk to the pickup point. Large and well equipped rooms with air conditioning and Molton Brown toiletries. Excellent location near Funchal, located on a large and beautiful estate that is wonderful for walks. Tea house (linked to the related botanic gardens) on site, along with a wonderful restaurant and second restaurant at the golf course clubhouse.

Exceptional customer service from all the staff - who were always very friendly and nothing was too much trouble for them. We would particularly like to thank Sergio, Louis and Tatiana - who all went out of there way to make our stay an incredible experience. The hotel and gardens are beautiful. The breakfasts were amazing , a wonderful array of fruit, fresh pastries, cheeses, hams and hot choices - plus eggs anyway you like. The evening dining experience was superb - clearly they have a very talented chef, again the service was excellent.

Fantastic garden and great breakfast. Lovely Gourmet diner. Big clean room. Friendly staff.