"THE VIEWS BAIA hotel, like the whole of Madeira, left a mixed impression. The best thing was the view from the pool deck, the worst was the location on top of a hill, especially since taxis cost the same as in Scandinavia. The taxi charged 10 euros for the 4-minute ride up the hill from the beach to the hotel! The hotel had its own minibus shuttle but it worked so poorly that it was of no use. The schedules were crazy and you even had to let them know in advance if you wanted to get a ride!
The room with a sea view really offered a great view, but the ridiculously small balcony didn't allow for enjoying it really. The room was of high quality and the bed was the most comfortable we've ever had in a hotel. Unlike in the Canary Islands, they used proper duvets and not wool blankets. It was heavily advertised that towels were not changed for nothing, but they were changed every day. When we arrived at the hotel, the floor of the room was quite dusty and there was even small pieces of rubbish under the bed, so that's about the level of cleaning. Special mention for the atmospheric lighting in the room, which was sufficiently adjustable. A rare treat was also the bathrobe, which was included in the price and made moving around the hotel much easier.
One of the world's most significant inventions has been made in Finland, the hand shower or bidet shower. I have traveled the world a lot and only in Finland and the United Arab Emirates have I encountered one in most toilets. I was very surprised when there was one in this hotel room next to the toilet seat. Its operation was so strange that I wondered if it was even intended for washing the lower part of the body or just cleaning the toilet seat? Water came out of this bidet shower for only three seconds at a time. Very strange!
For once, there are enough elevators in a hotel! Especially since the staircases were hidden behind several doors and didn't even have windows, so practically no one used them.
The pool area had a great view but the water was shockingly cold. Many people didn't swim at all due to the temperature. The spa pool was warmer but the water was full of small particles, meaning it was quite dirty. In the evenings the spa was too lit and you couldn't see out properly, even though there was a view. The sauna was set too hot. The steam of the steam sauna burned your feet.
The breakfast was ok and the eggs provided protein even for a vegetarian, as vegetarian food seems to be an unknown thing in Madeira. Not to mention tofu or soy patties or vegetarian proteins. Luckily we found a few Asian restaurants, although tofu was not known in them, unlike in other parts of the world.
Due to the coldness of the pool and the difficult walking connection, it is difficult to think that we would go back to this otherwise great hotel.
However, the same must be considered for the whole of Madeira because the price level is the same as in Scandinavian countries, except for alcohol and tobacco. The price of restaurants and coffee cups was as high as in Scandinavia, as were taxis, so it does make you wonder why. Especially when you can't get anywhere without hills and the airport is the most dangerous in Europe and levada walks have been made so difficult by the paid schedules that they are not an incentive to return to the island. Ridiculous half hour window where you have to be at the gate to start hiking. Too complicated."
