Best Things Nearby:
Within a 5 minute walking distance is a fabulous fish restaurant which is moulded into the side of the cliff. If you reserve a table you can choose to have a window seat which overlooks the highest point in Madiera. If you like seafood then this is the restaurant to go to.
Also nearby is the Lido; you just follow the sea front for about 15 minutes and you will get to this local and tourist attraction. There are inflatables in the sea which you can rest on and they also have slides attached to them for the more adventurous.
Also within the complex are tennis courts and football pitches which will keep you occupied if you tire of relaxing by the pools.
A 10 minute bus ride away is the City of Funchal and the harbour. We went in to this area every evening for our meals as we found the Old Town delightful and during the day we wandered the many shops. Also near the Old town is the local market which is a delight to walk round. You will be approached by most of the stall owners to try some of their fruits; there is no pressure though so take them up on their offer.
Best Things About the Resort:
Pestana Grand was by far one of the most luxurious hotels I have been to and at the end of a hard day's sunbathing there was nothing nicer than visiting the hotel spa. All the water contains minerals and you can just relax in the pool and be massaged by the high power jets. You are provided with a towel and most people wander down to the spa in the dressing gowns that are provided in your room.
Our Studio apartment was also fantastic; we were lucky enough to have a balcony overlooking the sea and on the hot evenings it was nice to sit out and watch the locals walk along the promenade.
Resort Experience:
Fantastic! Luxurious! Relaxing! All these words sum up the way I felt about this resort. I would certainly return and hopefully next time It will be for 2 weeks.
Our hotel room had 2 twin beds pushed together and a separate living area with TV. If you cook quite a bit on holiday then you may find the kitchen too small, but it was certainly ample enough for our usage. Our bathroom was marble tiled and had a large sink area. On the balcony were 2 wicker relaxing chairs that overlooked the sea.
There are 3 restaurants in the hotel: Morroccan, local cuisine and a la carte. All of these were relatively expensive but the food was delicious. Breakfast is served every morning in the buffet area and costs approximate 14 Euros.
In the hotel grounds contain the largest seawater pool on the island with more than enough sun loungers for everyone. If you find the sun too hot you just need to call one of the pool attendants to set up an umbrella for you. There is also bar service around the pool and an outdoor eating area which serves lunchtime snacks.
My only negative comment would be about the evening entertainment. 4 out of 7 nights there was a pianist. Although the pianist was very good, this did get slightly boring after a while. I would have preferred to have had more local entertainers. However, the service was fantastic: all the waiters and waitresses were very polite and could not have been more helpful. You could ask them anything and they would go out of their way to help.
Within the complex there is also a small shop that sells Newspapers, snacks etc but if you wish to do a grocery shop there is a large store about 5 minutes walk away.
I would recommend this hotel to anyone, any age. You will not be disappointed.... promise.
- Unit Type: Studio
- Activities: Excellent
- Amenities: Excellent
- Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
- Family Friendliness: Excellent
- Service: Excellent