The “Golden Residence”:http://www.goldenresidencehotel.com.pt/en/hotel-overview.html Golden Residence was a large hotel and over three blocks rather uninterestingly named, A, B and C.
Block A – on the coast (although it’s a long way down) had the restaurant and main bar and some rooms. There was a relatively good sized outdoor swimming pool and loungers and an indoor pool although as the weather was so good we didn’t use it.
Blocks B and C – were across a road with bedrooms over 6 floors. Block C was the furthest and therefore involved quite a hike for breakfast although it did have an entrance which gave easy access to shops and restaurants.
Room B308 was HUGE with a lounge and bedroom (this seemed standard as others had similar rooms). There were lots of wooden cupboards and doors and on opening one, I found a pretty impressive kitchenette with sink, 2 hobs, kettle, pans, microwave, fridge and enough cutlery, crockery and glasses for four. The living room had two three-seater sofas, coffee table, TV and desk.
The air conditioning had helpful instructions on how to operate it and the lighting was easy to fathom out.
The two double beds didn’t look particularly inviting but I slept well.
The bathroom was huge (with wide door) with a walk-in shower and looked as though it would work well for someone with mobility issues. Towels were good quality but a slight gripe, the only toiletries were those horrid dispensers of industrial soap and shower gel (not very four star).
My good sized balcony had a table and four chairs and caught the afternoon sun and gave me a sea view.
Breakfast had a good selection of serve-yourself items including all the usual favourites: yoghurts, fruit, cheese and hams, cakes and a hot selection of bacon, eggs, sausages etc. There was both indoor and outdoor seating although at 8am in September, the early mornings were still quite chilly.
The hotel also had a couple of other bars in block C, a gym, library and spa but because it was only a short action packed trip, I didn’t use them. There was free wi-fi in all areas.
Although the hotel isn’t located right in the heart of Funchal, a bus stop right outside the hotel means it’s easy to get about (bearing in mind how hilly Madeira is, walking is not always straightforward).