The hotel's grounds are extremely beautiful, well maintained, and with very lush planting-- a plantswoman's paradise! This would (normally) be a very relaxing and peaceful place to stay. Sadly, there was construction work going on when we were staying there.

All the hotel's apartments and studios have their own balcony or small garden area. The apartments available to RCI members are grouped around the swimming pool and therefore lack a view. We were allocated a ground floor, one-bedroom apartment. Possibly in an attempt to ensure privacy, there was dense planting of banana trees immediately outside our windows. This was beautifully exotic, but made the apartment very dark and meant that we had to keep our lights on at all times. The accommodation was very quiet at night and we overslept on several occasions, as daylight cannot penetrate to the rooms.

Practical tips:

I would recommend taking your own hairdryer. Theirs is one fixed to the wall in the bathroom, but it's the strangest design I've ever come across and hopelessly inefficient.

The ventilation in the bathroom is very poor, so if, like mine, your partner uses an electric razor, it's worthwhile taking an adaptor so he can shave in the bedroom, as the bathroom steam takes ages to clear.

The hotel does not offer a welcome pack of tea, coffee, etc., but this is not a problem as there are two very well stocked supermarkets in the village, just a few minutes walk away. You do get a freebie bowl of fruit and a half bottle of delicious Madeira wine, though . . . they have their priorities right, these Madeirans!

The bottom line: if you enjoy nightlife, this isn't the hotel or location for you. But if you value peace and quiet, above all if you're a keen gardener, then I recommend the Quinta Splendida.