Pestana Village Garden Resort Aparthotel, Madeira – 31st August 2018 – 10 nights
I won’t pretend to tell you a fib and tell you that this is the first time we have been to Madeira, in fact I lost count after the 10th time. Madeira was always the venue for our family holidays since me and my sister were little girls. My mum and dad just felt at home going back and I guess this has just followed on.
Obviously I am able to review the various hotels we have stayed at. These will be on the website – so feel free to use my reviews to choose the right hotel for you. Madeira has a lot to offer families and couples, however if you are beach lovers then white sandy beaches isn’t something Madeira is famous for.
The Pestana Village is a 4-star hotel located in central Madeira, Funchal. Surrounded by over 5,000 m² of gardens which are well kept and a lovely feature of this hotel. You can wonder round at your leisure and witness fresh ingredients being grown used by the chefs within the hotel. It is an easy 15 minutes walk on foot from the centre of Funchal getting there is easy as it’s downhill, coming back is not so much! I will cover Funchal and what it has to offer later in this review. The hotel offers a relaxing health club with a sauna, jacuzzi and a small games room. There are four restaurants and three bars on offer – the only point to note really is that the bars costs are typical to that within a four star hotel. You have two fantastic outdoor swimming pools which you have access two and a heated indoor swimming pool located at the linked hotel Pestana Miramar. We like the fact that there are two hotels and you can use both facilities, so if one pool is busy you have access to the other one.
The room we had consisted of a small (basic) kitchenette, TV, wi-fi throughout the hotel and a nice balcony. Layout is typical of a hotel room abroad – bathroom with bath and overhead shower, double bed, fridge, dressing table and mirror as well as a balcony (obviously various views). Rooms were comfortable and had enough room for the two of us, and kept spotless throughout our stay.
We only stayed on a bed and breakfast basis, breakfast could be busy at peak times however we never experienced a queue as you were allocated a table when you arrived. Breakfast consisted of the usual hot or cold selection and again couldn’t be faulted. You could choose whether you wanted to sit outside or inside which we feel is always a nice touch. Overall the hotel is rated 30th out of 94 hotels in Funchal, and I would certainly agree.
Drawbacks of the Pestana Village –
- No air conditioning in your room, an overhead fan is in place in your room though
- If self catering no microwave or a toaster – there is a small fridge
- Drinks and snacks in line with a typical 4 star hotel
- Lack of plugs – trivial really, but worth noting
Positives of the Pestana Village –
- Perfect location, ideal for walking in to Funchal and walking to the Lido area. Surrounded by restaurants, supermarket and shops
- Lovely garden surroundings to be located within
- Friendly staff and brilliant service, all were very polite and helpful
- Plenty of sunbeds and choice of where you wanted to be
- 20 minutes from the airport – this for me is the worst part of holiday travel so 20 minutes is perfect!
The island of Madeira provides warm comfortable summers and mild winters which for us makes it the perfect destination even in peak season. The island is located about 700km from Africa, 450 km from the Canary Islands, 800 km from the Azores and 900 km from mainland Portugal (I must admit, I googled this!). Famous for its Madeira wine, vineyards are a plenty. Personally we enjoy eating out on an evening and trying the dishes that Madeira is well known for these include, Tomato and Onion Soup. Tuna steak with fried maize. Black Scabbard fish fillet with Banana. Espetada and Bolo do caco (garlic like bread), Wine and Garlic Pork and Passion Fruit Pudding to name just a few. All the restaurants are clean and friendly and the decision of where to choose each night is one of the hardest decisions of the holiday. A walk to Funchal allows you the opportunity to shop in both local boutique shops and well known high street brands – Zara, H and M. Walking around Funchal also allows for you to visit the ‘Old’ town, with its port and promenade, quaint and narrow winding streets, shops, cafés, bars and restaurants, is ideal for idle wandering. One could spend a whole holiday here and not get bored, or hungry! Points of interest include the Cathedral, Theatre, Town Hall and waterfront. The cable-car just opposite provides a panoramic ride to Monte, in the cool mountains.
If this sounds like what you would enjoy from a holiday – you won’t be disappointed.