"Mixed Experience in Funchal, Madeira – Great Island, Disappointing Attitudes
On our recent visit to Funchal, Madeira, we stayed at The View Baía Hotel. On arrival, we were warmly greeted by a friendly receptionist named Patricia, who immediately made us feel welcome. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the male receptionist who was also on duty.
After going to our room, we noticed that we did not have the sea view we had specifically requested via email prior to our stay. We checked online and could clearly see that sea-view rooms were still available. When we returned to reception to query this, the male receptionist was dismissive, did not bother to check our email, and bluntly told us there were no rooms available. His attitude felt unprofessional and unwelcoming. When we also asked about booking the hotel’s restaurant (which features a Michelin-star chef) for my birthday, his response felt judgemental, as though he assumed we could not afford it. This interaction alone made us uncomfortable and disappointed.
The following day, Patricia was back on reception. We explained the situation again and showed her that multiple sea-view rooms were still available online. Although she initially said she thought there were none, she took the time to properly investigate, found that our email had never been replied to, and eventually arranged a room change, which we really appreciated. Thanks to her, this issue was resolved and we felt much happier. Most of the other hotel staff were friendly and professional, and the cocktail bar staff were particularly welcoming.
Outside of the hotel, however, our experience in Funchal and around the island was sadly mixed. While exploring the town and later visiting Monte Palace Botanical Gardens, Beautiful place but we experienced frequent staring, being looked up and down, and behaviour that made us feel extremely uncomfortable as Black women. At first, we tried to brush it off, but the behaviour continued throughout our stay. We observed clear differences in how white tourists were treated compared to us, and it became obvious that this was not just in our heads.
Because of this discomfort, we decided not to do the traditional toboggan ride, as the comments, staring, and general attitude made us feel unsafe and unwelcome.
For my birthday dinner, we chose Kampō’s instead of the hotel restaurant due to our earlier negative encounter with the male receptionist. While the food itself was okay, the service was disappointing. Tables that arrived well after us were served first, and we waited over an hour for our meal. We had to actively flag down staff just to order a second drink, while other tables were checked on every few minutes. A few staff members were lovely, including the front-of-house receptionist, one female server, and a friendly Brazilian waiter, but the rest of the staff felt dismissive and uninterested.
Later that evening, we returned to the hotel cocktail bar where we were warmly greeted by the Michelin-star chef himself, who was genuinely friendly and welcoming. Sadly, as the evening went on, some of the guests around us became visibly uncomfortable with our presence. There was noticeable staring, rude behaviour, and awkward interactions that once again made us feel unwelcome. Although the chef and his friend were kind, the atmosphere created by others was enough for us to leave early.
Overall, Madeira is a beautiful island with stunning scenery, and the hotel itself is comfortable with some wonderful staff. However, the repeated experiences of being stared at, judged, and treated differently because of our race left a lasting impression. There appears to be a strong class and racial bias from some locals, especially towards Black visitors, particularly if you dress well and carry yourself with confidence.
I will continue to travel and explore the world proudly as a Black woman, but I would advise other travellers of colour to be aware of their surroundings, especially in the evenings. Tourism is clearly important to the island, but respect and equal treatment should come with that.
I hope this feedback is taken seriously, as Madeira has so much potential to be truly welcoming to everyone."
