"Overheard at the 'Quinta': "our 17th visit in 12 years", "We've stayed here 9 times". Repeat visitors are very evident from the TripAdvisor reviews as well. It is easy to see why, because or a certain type of traveller, this place is absolute perfection. The history of the old building, the quiet setting, the beautiful gardens, the all year sunny climate, the classical food, the homely bar, the brilliant staff.
Whilst the accommodation is not the sort of 'modern luxury' you might get from other 5 star hotels, I'm not sure you will get this level of service many places elsewhere - you are genuinely not just a number here, it is truly personal. We visited reception a few hours after checking in - we were recognised, our names were known.
We arrived at 1pm and were shown to the pool bar/restaurant as our room was not quite ready. After lunch we were given the tour of the room (our bags had been taken to the room as you'd expect). We stayed in one of the junior suites which are in the old building. It was a very large room with a four poster bed, large bathroom with twin basins, separate bath and separate freestanding shower. But the real reason for the tour was to show the private roof terrace - entirely unique to room 201 across the entire hotel and in addition to another private balcony.
The room was kept clean and the evening turndown service included chocolate truffles which was a nice touch. The service staff were always plentiful and efficient, and the reception staff were so welcoming and friendly. Nothing was too much to ask.
The gardens are extensive and luscious - they must be rivalled locally only by the Monte Palace - but these are yours alone to savour throughout your stay. The setting is all geared up for ultimate relaxation, and it seemed as though this setting and the service were what draws people back. Well that and Columbo the tortoise that roams part of the grounds. Most guests were much older than my wife and I but from our perspective this ensured the calm and serene surroundings remained unspoilt!
There are no true negatives here, nothing that merited losing a 5 rating. There are some minor things I thought that were worth sharing for first time guests:
- A by-product of the rooms in the old house having very high ceilings is that the quiet, integrated air-conditioning struggles to get the room genuinely cold. A fan was brought to the room without question to better move the air at night and we kept the hotel room card in it's power slot 24/7. But if you need a 'fridge' to sleep in at night then consider one of the rooms in the new building.
- Dinner is a formal affair of several courses, cycling daily across 14 menu variations. Choice on the day is limited to one of two mains if you choose the half-board supplement, though we discovered over time that an a la carte menu was available if you had stuck with a B&B board option. There is a vegetarian menu available when requested, typically variants of the regular half-board. Minor variations were made when requested, though we would probably forego the half-board discount on a future visit and just eat a la carte for nights that we chose. Got most guests this would not be any issue. There is also a separate evening bar menu (or via room service) which is like a smaller version of the excellent pool lunch menu, so there are further choices for those seeking peace of mind food-wise.
- The pool is kept at 25C - we found it a bit chilly to be in for a prolonged period (the same temperature as the ocean in September). The adjoining hot tub is 34C (and very warm) by comparison.
These are 'nit-picks', mainly to inform decisions about staying in old or new building, and whether to opt for the half-board supplement for some or all nights.
We have a lot of places to visit on our bucket list, but our experience at this hotel would attract us back to Madeira again sooner than even the beautiful island itself might have done otherwise."
