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- Pestana Carlton Madeira Ocean Resort Hotel
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Pestana Carlton Madeira Ocean Resort Hotel
Portugal, Europe
Funchal
This luxurious hotel is located in the lively city of Funchal on the mesmerising Portuguese island of Madeira. The hotel enjoys an idyllic slope setting overlooking the shimmering waters of the magnificent sea. Guests will find themselves just 10 minutes from the beach and in close proximity to a selection of colourful shops, exquisite restaurants, lively bars and nightclubs.
This upscale hotel offers a host of exemplary facilities, catering to the needs of discerning business and leisure travellers.
Guest rooms are styled with neutral tones, classically-beautiful furniture and an exhilarating sense of calm and tranquility. All rooms are equipped with a range of facilities to ensure a comfortable stay, facilities include a Flat screen TV, electric kettle, mini-bar, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and a balcony. Rooms with upgraded views eg. pool view, garden or sea view, are available at a supplement.
Guests will be impressed by the hotel's choice of exceptional leisure, recreational and dining amenities.
Hotel Information
Relax at the full-service spa, where you can enjoy massages. If you're looking for recreational opportunities, you'll find an outdoor pool, an indoor pool and a hot tub. Additional features at this hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services and babysitting (surcharge).
Facilities
- Fitness centre
- 24-hour reception
- Mobile phone coverage
- Wired Internet
- Wi-fi
- Room service*
- Laundry service*
- Medical service
- Bicycle hire service
- Air conditioning in public areas
- *Some facilities may incur an additional fee
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
The Local Area
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.5 Excellent5,278 reviews
Excellent
55%
Very Good
29%
Average
11%
Poor
4%
Terrible
2%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Enjoyable stay, but a few cons!
Lovely clean hotel, me and my mum stayed on the 18th floor which was the top floor and the view from our balcony was stunning. The room was so clean and spotless and we got lots of complimentary hot and cold beverages. The only downsides to the room was that the shower was a little slippery and the pillows weren’t very comfortable so I spent my 10 day holiday a little sleep deprived.
The man at reception told us that the hotel was at full capacity when we checked in so it’s a popular choice. I can see why it’s a popular choice as the location is fantastic as the hotel is surrounded by a lot of restaurants and bars.
As I mentioned we were on the 18th floor so we had to go to floor 5 for breakfast. The people on the lower floors go to a lower level for breakfast. Breakfast was lovely, but it did feel like a busy train station in there. We usually went to breakfast at 8:30am, but a few times we went at 9am and it was chaotic. Because it was sometimes so chaotic staff didn’t have time to clear tables and put down new place mats, napkins and cutlery which made it hard to find a clean table. On the day that we were due to leave there were no coffee cups available for the time that we were at breakfast so we couldn’t have a coffee which was disappointing.
The pool area on level 1 was very nice the only thing I didn’t like was that if you wanted an umbrella you had to ask for one as there weren’t any by the sun loungers like there are in other hotels I’ve stayed at in Funchal. We got to the pool area between 9am to 9:30an and the staff weren’t available until around 10am so I did burn a little because I had to wait for the umbrella.
Lunch at the pool bar was good, however the toasties were enormous and came with chips. I had to ask for no chips as I usually don’t eat that much at lunch. If you’re a Pestana club member you can get a 10% discount on lunch which is great.
The lifts were quite small, when we got in with our suitcases there was no room for others.
The spa area is lovely, but unfortunately when we went there were lots of kids in there jumping in and out of the pool making so much noise. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience as I couldn’t relax. Kids shouldn’t be allowed in the spa area in my opinion.
Overall our stay was pleasant, I would have rated 5 stars if it wasn’t for the few things I mentioned that I didn’t like.
A lovely visit
We stayed in Pestana Carlton last month and I like waiting a while before posting a review. We still feel the same way, Pestana Carlton is a wonderful Hotel in every way. Its spotlessly clean. Staff are so polite and professional right from reception to pool area. Location is superb. We stayed on floor 16 with a sea view. Just stunning. The breakfast genuinely is up there with the best. Its a huge complex and in my experience not a broken or cracked tile in any area. Very clean and well maintained. We attended the abba experience on our first night. A great start to our holiday. Very good entertainment, 3 course meal was of a high standard and my word so generous with topping up your drinks. Having a drink at happy hour on the terrace bar was just a great experience. A cold Coral Beer with my wife looking out to sea , Madeira is so beautiful. To sum up , go to this Hotel and 100% you will go back. We can't wait to visit again next year. Bravo to all at Pestano Carlton
Review by boets2020 Limerick, Ireland
Great location and amenities
The Pestana Carlton has a picturesque seaside location, between Reid's Palace and the Savoy Palace. I stayed here in October, so there were few families or young people - mostly older adults from the UK and Germany. The two outdoor pools are beautiful, the rooms are large and well-appointed, and the breakfast buffet is huge. In North America, this would be rated a 4 star hotel in terms of luxury.
Review by Z2998CSkarend Toronto, Canada
Ocean views and walkable to town.
Location is excellent: a large premium ocean front hotel within walking distance (about 20 mins) to the centre of Funchal. Beware the steep hill on the way back though! Luckily there were plenty of taxis around if we didn’t fancy the walk back! We didn’t actually need to go into the main town to find good dinners though, as the immediate area around the hotel is spoilt for choice with nice restaurants and friendly service. We ate once in the cosy hotel “pub” and several times in the pool bar: and enjoyed both. They have an “à la carte” and a buffet restaurant too but we wanted to explore local eateries. We loved the pool areas in this hotel - lots of choice and several sunbeds in various locations to choose from, and plenty of shade from either the trees or poolside brollies. Water in the pool was freezing though (in October) so we didn’t swim much. If you wanted to brave the cold water of the Atlantic ocean there’s direct access via steps from the hotel’s lower level. We also had really wonderful relaxing massages at the hotel spa. I highly recommend this. Service in general was welcoming , polite and attentive as you’d expect from a 5 star property. Breakfast was a bit chaotic and always so busy (they could do with at least double the amount of self serve hot drink machines) but the hotel staff do their best to clear tables promptly and replenish everything when it inevitably runs out! The terrace at breakfast and the terrace bar for sundowners came with a great view of the pool and ocean beyond. It’s worth paying the extra for a sea view room in this hotel rather than face the road. We were in the highest floor and the view from our bedroom balcony was 5 star , unfortunately the bathroom was more like 3 star and could do with an upgrade, with a shower head that insisted on turning itself to spray the jet of water directly onto the bathroom floor. We did report this, and even though they sent maintenance to look at it, there was no improvement. It’s a minor niggle, but things like this can become annoying …as can the constant playing of ABBA songs in reception - obviously promoting their ABBA themed night… I like an ABBA song as much as the next person, but some variety of music would have been appreciated! All in all, we really enjoyed the stay here, and would recommend as a great base from which to both explore Madeira and to relax and enjoy the facilities.
Review by Cruiser34360264378 Surrey, United Kingdom
Love this place!
My mother and I had the BEST time staying here. It's about a 15 minute walk from the town which was so convenient for us to get to dinner every night. The staff is extremely helpful and so kind. They made our experience 10x better. There's ocean access for the hotel as well which was a plus.
Highly recommend staying here.
