"Hotel has 3 buildings, A,B,C. A is the closest to the main road Estran Monumental, across the street there's a building under construction what might cause (more) noise.
B is in the middle and holds the reception. You can get a towel for the pool and exchange it ones a day, so you don't have to bring your own.
From B you can walk indoor and take the elevator to Estran Monumental street above, what saves you a walk up, and ofcourse down, very nice!
C is the closest to the sea and you can hardly hear any noise coming from the street above. C is also where the restaurant and pool is and has a great view over the sea.
I recommend building C and have sea side view on level 1. Than you can see the sea very well. Or one of the 2 rooms which have front sea view. The lower level does not have much view, for what i saw, and the ones on the poolside are just right across the pool, I think not much privacy on your balcony.
Between B and C is a road, and a busstop next to the entre of the hotel, left and right. From here it's about 25 minutes to Funchal. The price now is €2,05, single ride, pay in cash!
Check Google maps for the right bus to take and the time. I found the directions at the busstop a bit unclear. With Google maps I found it very easy to check which I had to take.
The hotel is very close to shopping center Forum Madeira, 5 minute walk, which has a lot of nice stores and cafes/diners and a big supermarket.
The pool has a nice watertempertur and enough sunbeds and parasols around. There's no "handdoekje leggen", like people dropping towels on the sunbeds and don't stay there.
Breakfast is good and plenty to choose from. The restaurant serves buffet and a la carte for dinner. I had a la carte and there was enough choice and the food was good.
All the staff I've met, was really friendly and helpful😄
The room in level 1 i had was nice and comfortable and had a shared balcony with the room next door. Ofcourse diveded with a, non see trough, glassscreen between them. But when you sit outside on the balcony, you're neighbors are quite close 😉
I found the bed very nice, but ofcourse that is, like all, a personal thing.
The direct surrounding of the hotel is really nice and when you go down to the promenade there are 3 restaurants. A Mexican steak, Seafood and a Italian. I visited the Mexican, great T-Bone steak, and the Seafood restaurant. Food was great and service very friendly and good. Lot's of people of Madeira come here too, so that means it's good 😋.
I recommend Golden Residence because I found it to be a very nice, comfortable and easy/relaxed hotel at a good location where you can shop, eat, walk around and travel from."
