Pestana Palms

Peter Leupold

We spent 5 days at Vila Pestana Lido Hotel in Madeira. The check-in staff was efficient and helpful. Christian the front desk steward explained everything we needed to know about the hotel, local tours and restaurants. Christian is certainly an asset to this hotel. Our room was a balcony room on the 8th floor facing “sunrise” and on the ocean. - The room and balcony were extremely spacious compared to most we’ve stayed in. - Views were picturesque. - The beds may be more firm than some prefer. - The included breakfast in the “Flor do Mar” restaurant was just OK, however, the view was spectacular! - One major issue was that there was a “rancid odor” in the bathroom that the maintenance staff could not remedy during our stay. - “Housekeeping” was not great either. In hotel of this caliber we expect glasses and coffee cups to be replaced daily and all surfaces to be properly cleaned … this did not occur. One evening we dined in the Pastana Lido’s “A La Carte” dining room. The menu, cuisine and service were all excellent! The hotel is nice but not 5 star and feels a bit dated. Some services require tuning.

Stephen Allan

This is rated a five star hotel. I respectfully disagree. Its priced like a four. Its service rooms and food os also a solid four at best. Rooms are very dated. Ours smelled musty. Breakfast was standard buffet and if it's rain be prepared to wait 15 mins for entry. The pool was avrage but jumping into the ocean was fun. Think of it as a four star hotel and you will be very happy for the price.

Seungwon Nam

We stayed here for 4 nights during our visit. We had the worst service experience. They advertise themselves as a 5-star. Our experience was disappointing and did not reflect their so called 5 stars. I would give a zero star if I can for our experience. First of all, the room we got 101 was not up to the standard that they advertised. We managed to upgrade our room to 111. They somehow forgot to mark in their system that we paid for the parking (with card first day when we checked in) and for the upgrade (with cash the next say). When we tried to check out, they tried to charge us again for additional 60 euros for things they were already paid for. The whole issue came from the fact that they made a mistake in the system. They tried to make their problems about our issue, blamed us for not paying (and front staff couldn’t even figure out whether they were blaming us for not paying for parking or additional upgrade fee because they were exactly the same amount), and demanded receipts for the payments we made. I’m sorry. You are running a hotel chain, and you expect your own customers to behave like accountants? They should be the one meticulous documenting every transactions in an electronic system, not based on pen and paper receipts. The general attitude from the front desk staff was extremely rude and poor with zero sense of hospitality and problem solving. One of the staff finally had to call the person who upgraded us to discover the mistake they made. I have never in my life used services and not pay for them. It was my first time getting blamed for not paying. The front staff members completely ruined the perception of Pestana for us today. The whole experience left a very negative perception of Pestana. We will go out of our ways to avoid this hotel chain from now on. I do not recommend this hotel. Not a great value and service quality overall for the price you pay.

Y.B.

We had an amazing and relaxing stay at this hotel in Madeira and couldn’t be more pleased with the experience. The amenities were top-notch, and the service was truly impeccable—staff were attentive, friendly, and always willing to help. A special mention to Lizbeth at the breakfast buffet, who greeted everyone by name each morning and even remembered birthdays to offer a warm “Happy Birthday.” The food selection at breakfast was excellent, with plenty of variety to start the day. The front desk staff were also very helpful, and the manager went above and beyond to assist us in resolving an issue with a tour company. Our room was spotless throughout our stay, thanks to the excellent housekeeping team, and the balcony offered spectacular views that made every morning and evening feel special. The pool area was especially comfortable and clean, with plenty of loungers and umbrellas, making it easy to relax at any time of day. Being able to swim directly in the ocean by going down the stairs was another highlight that made the stay unforgettable. Overall, everything about our time here was wonderful, and we would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Madeira.

Sarah Egerton

The room was beautiful, very clean, with modern funky décor and the most amazing ocean view. My husband mentioned the trip was for our 20th wedding anniversary and we found a complementary bottle of fizz on our arrival! The staff were super friendly and attentive and the breakfast buffet was gorgeous – just one downside, the semi skimmed milk for our tea often had an off-putting goaty taste, not sure why. The ultimate highlight was the direct access to the Atlantic Ocean on your doorstep! We enjoyed a daily exhilarating bounce around on the waves and the snorkelling was incredible – beautiful fish including the odd shoal to swim in however, not for inexperienced swimmers! We greatly enjoyed our stay at this hotel and would heartily recommend. Lots of love and salty best wishes, Sarah & Graham😊