Pestana Royal All Inclusive Ocean & Spa Hotel

“Great stay, totally recommend!”

We stayed at this hotel for 5 days and honestly cannot fault it! We stayed as one parent and two teens. The location is great with a shuttle bus to the main town of Funchal and it feels safe and secure. The atmosphere is fantastic with different entertainment each night and activities during the da… more

We stayed at this hotel for 5 days and honestly cannot fault it! We stayed as one parent and two teens. The location is great with a shuttle bus to the main town of Funchal and it feels safe and secure. The atmosphere is fantastic with different entertainment each night and activities during the day. It is a calm place to relax and enjoy the stunning views. The rooms were a good size with good facilities, they are a bit dated but that isn’t something that bothers us. The holiday was great value for money with all the facilities on offer. The food was good and had lots of variety. The best thing about the hotel is the staff, they are all very friendly and welcoming and on hand to help you with anything you need. Fantastic stay, thank you!!

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“Excellent”

Beautiful location. Grounds/gardens are meticulously kept. Lovely relaxing vibe and although busy- never felt overcrowded. Lots of food choices. Hotel rooms a little dated but didn’t take away from overall experience. Had to change rooms when we arrived as room we were allocated was not suitable bu… more

Beautiful location. Grounds/gardens are meticulously kept. Lovely relaxing vibe and although busy- never felt overcrowded. Lots of food choices. Hotel rooms a little dated but didn’t take away from overall experience. Had to change rooms when we arrived as room we were allocated was not suitable but staff very promptly and speedily addressed this. Very helpful reception staff - Helder Freitas and Faria Sousa - both made sure we were happy with the room swap. All staff - helpful. Would def recommend

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“⭐️ A “5-Star” Hotel in Name and Price Only”

We almost never write reviews this negative, but our experience at Pestana Royal All Inclusive was so disappointing—especially given the price and its advertised 5-star status—that other travelers should know what to expect. The problems began before we arrived. Our reservation was originally book… more

We almost never write reviews this negative, but our experience at Pestana Royal All Inclusive was so disappointing—especially given the price and its advertised 5-star status—that other travelers should know what to expect. The problems began before we arrived. Our reservation was originally booked incorrectly for dates one month after our actual trip. After a lengthy email exchange, the hotel still failed to correct it properly and omitted our fifth night. Eventually, they stopped responding. Upon arrival, the front desk offered to add the missing night—but at the newer, higher rate to correct their own error. We declined. We booked a Premium Room advertised with an ocean view. In reality, our primary view was of a dilapidated neighboring building and construction debris, with only a small glimpse of ocean off to the side. Our Premium Room had a king bed, queen-sized pull-out sofa and kitchenette, yet we were told it could accommodate only three people. Our family of four was therefore required to book a second room for our daughters, ages 11 and 14. Cleanliness was nowhere near a five-star standard. Our daughters had a hairball beside their bedside table that was not theirs and remained there throughout the stay. Our room had stained furniture and carpet, soap remnants in the shower upon arrival, residue on the shower tile and a sticky toilet seat. The sofa, chairs and carpeting appeared badly in need of a deep cleaning. See the accompanying photos. The property feels old, tired and poorly maintained. The eighth floor had a persistent foul odor reminiscent of sewage. The pool did not feel particularly clean, and towel service was surprisingly poor: essentially one towel per person, exchangeable through housekeeping when the room was cleaned. Beach access was another unpleasant surprise. The lift and surrounding area felt sketchy, with people frequently hanging around outside and a strong smell of urine. It was nothing like the resort-style beach access we expected. The “all-inclusive” experience was equally disappointing. Dining choices are extremely limited, with most meals consisting of a repetitive buffet that we found consistently poor in quality. The resort advertises two specialty restaurants, although one was only open on the weekend during our stay. Over four nights, we were permitted one specialty reservation. The only available time was 9:00 p.m. When we arrived, we discovered it was essentially another buffet. We were then told the restaurant closed at 9:30 and that we needed to finish within 30 minutes before the food was cleared. The wine and cocktails were also remarkably poor quality and, for us, practically undrinkable. We tried to give the hotel an opportunity to address our concerns. Their website recommends contacting the property via WhatsApp, so I messaged them twice and received no response. Someone from the hotel contacted us only after we completed a guest survey and rated our experience poorly. We specifically requested contact by email because we did not want to spend our vacation on the phone or repeatedly discussing complaints in person. That request was ignored, and we received a phone call instead. The hotel room phone connection was so poor that we could barely communicate, and we were ultimately asked to come downstairs anyway. I do want to recognize Karina, the concierge manager, who was gracious, professional and listened to our concerns with understanding. Unfortunately, there was little she could do beyond telling us our complaints would be reported. The biggest issue is the enormous disconnect between how this hotel is marketed and what it delivers. If Pestana Royal were advertised and priced as a 3-star hotel, our expectations would have been very different. Instead, it prominently presents itself as a 5-star property and charges accordingly. For what we paid, the condition of the rooms, cleanliness, food, amenities and overall experience were unacceptable. For our final night in Madeira, we moved to NEXT Hotel Madeira, where we booked a suite for less than we were paying at Pestana Royal. The difference was extraordinary—the room, cleanliness, property, atmosphere and overall experience were dramatically better. Madeira itself was wonderful. Pestana Royal was unquestionably the low point of our trip. Visit Madeira—but stay somewhere else.

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“Indifferent views”

Let me start by saying we all enjoyed our holiday and Madeira is a beautiful place. This hotel has many good points but also not so good. The pool scene was really vibrant and fun and plenty of room to sit and drink cocktails etc. Loved the position of the hotel and great they had lift to promenade… more

Let me start by saying we all enjoyed our holiday and Madeira is a beautiful place. This hotel has many good points but also not so good. The pool scene was really vibrant and fun and plenty of room to sit and drink cocktails etc. Loved the position of the hotel and great they had lift to promenade.the gardens were beautiful and well kept . A spacious hotel. However I didn’t think there was enough for older children aged 10 and over to do. The cleaning of the rooms were awful bins not emptied etc also the pool towel change is ridiculous you can only get one when cleaners come but you never know when they are coming 🤷🏼‍♀️. The worst thing for us was the food not much choice and very much the same each meal apart from breakfast. We’ve done many AI but this has been the worst. However the desserts were very good. We’ve never been to an AI before and come back weighing less . Bar menu was very good and quick service. Another gripe was there was no indoor bar or entertainment it was all outside it would’ve been nice to have an option to sit indoors. Overall I’m having indifferent views about this hotel wouldn’t come back again but will definitely go back to Madeira a beautiful place

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