The hotel was probably very luxurious in its day, but now all the public areas are very jaded and could do with updating.
The superior room we stayed in was fine, but not what I would class as 5 star.
The views from our room rom were lovely, (request floor 9 or above) reception is on floor 7, restaurant and bar on 6.
The breakfast was your standard buffett type and was ok, we didn't eat in the hotel in the evening as we prefer to have a wander and choose something different every night. However the drinks in the bar were very expensive 11-12 euros for a beer and a vodka, anywhere else was around half this.
The pools were lovely with plenty of sunbeds, there is a lift to the sea and a pebble beach.
The staff were generally pleasant and the maids cleaned the rooms every day with fresh towels and bedding.
I would recommend using the courtesy bus or public transport to go to Funchal as there are lots of shops and restaurants there and the lovely marina. Bus 1 and 2 run frequently around the hotels into Funchal and are easy to use.
All in all enjoyable holiday but certainly not 5 star and very expensive bar!!
