The hotel itself is very charming, with beautiful grounds that are well maintained. The staff were excellent throughout our stay. They are friendly, helpful and always accommodating. We also really enjoyed the breakfast, which had plenty of choice, and we ate at the pool bar several times, where the food was consistently good. The free parking was another big plus.
Our room felt a bit more dated than we were expecting from a 5-star hotel, but it was still very clean and had a fantastic view. We were kindly offered a different room, but it was in a very similar condition. I wouldn't have had any complaints if this was a 4-star hotel, but at 5 stars I expected more.
The gym was quite dirty, and when I took out an exercise mat to do some stretching, a number of bugs and what looked like insect eggs fell out. After that experience, I didn't feel comfortable using the gym again.
One thing worth noting is the location. One of our taxi drivers mentioned that the hotel is in the roughest neighbourhood in Funchal. While the surrounding streets are a little run-down in places, we personally never felt unsafe and had no issues walking around the area. There is a shuttle service from the hotel free of charge. There is also a big supermarket and petrol station only two minutes away.
Overall, the hotel has a lot going for it. However, the rooms and gym would benefit from some attention and refurbishment to better match the rest of the property's appeal.