Vidamar Resorts Hotel Madeira

“Acceptable rather than outstanding”

This was our 3rd visit, we found the staff were all very welcoming and customer focussed The hotel was very clean and everything worked. The spa while expensive did provide good quality treatments. lunches at the pool side restaurants were very good, and the main buffet restaurant was acceptable … more

This was our 3rd visit, we found the staff were all very welcoming and customer focussed The hotel was very clean and everything worked. The spa while expensive did provide good quality treatments. lunches at the pool side restaurants were very good, and the main buffet restaurant was acceptable Breakfast plates were much smaller than on previous visits so impossible to place more than 3 items on the plate Our meal at Madeiran Casa das Espetadas was very good. Generally the hotel is starting to look a little tired and would benefit from a face lift certainly in the accommodation areas overall its good value but not quite a 5 star experience

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“Felt let down”

Making our second visit, since we last visited in 2019, and we were surprised at how the hotel hasn’t aged well, with fixtures and fittings in the rooms looking old, with this also applying to some of the communal area’s. Then there is the dinning room, which I appreciate has to cater to a lot of… more

Making our second visit, since we last visited in 2019, and we were surprised at how the hotel hasn’t aged well, with fixtures and fittings in the rooms looking old, with this also applying to some of the communal area’s. Then there is the dinning room, which I appreciate has to cater to a lot of national pallets, but there is very little to suit a basic meat eating British pallet, unless you like things like Dark Pork Cheek or very over cooked stringy pieces of Veal is some strange sauce. Plus the hotel offers the choice at eating at their Italian restaurant at the front of the hotel grounds via an advance booking, but getting a booking is virtually impossible to suit your requirements, with only the slots seemingly being in the late evening if there are any available. So having returned with high hopes after our last visit, I doubt very much we’ll be returning to the VidaMar for a third visit.

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“It needs warming up with better interiors”

The hotel feels too large with no cosy warm and inviting spaces. The towers and routes to the pools are confusing and many of the staff aren’t hugely welcoming.

“Sadly the reviews are all right…”

Absolutely not a 5 star hotel sadly. It’s so vast and modern but scruffy round the edges and lacks any character or charm. Didn’t encounter any friendly staff during our visit, although no one was rude - there was just no holiday vibe at all. Breakfast was fine, but not impressive in any way an… more

Absolutely not a 5 star hotel sadly. It’s so vast and modern but scruffy round the edges and lacks any character or charm. Didn’t encounter any friendly staff during our visit, although no one was rude - there was just no holiday vibe at all. Breakfast was fine, but not impressive in any way and we didn’t eat anywhere else in the hotel. We booked a seaview room and were on the 10th floor and the view really was fantastic - probably the highlight of this hotel! Location is good for local attractions Pool area was spotlessly clean and lifeguards were helpful with getting beds out. Hotel is fine, but don’t expect 5 star wow factor or service…

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“It was okay to stay”

All in all, the hotel is okay. In my opinion, though, it hasn’t been a 5-star hotel for a long time. I was lucky enough to have a more modern room, but even that one was already quite worn in some places. The view of the sea, however, is very nice. At check-in, I was given hardly any explanation… more

All in all, the hotel is okay. In my opinion, though, it hasn’t been a 5-star hotel for a long time. I was lucky enough to have a more modern room, but even that one was already quite worn in some places. The view of the sea, however, is very nice. At check-in, I was given hardly any explanation. Just one or two things, but only because I asked myself. Breakfast and dinner are adequate and okay. The parking spaces in the garage are very tight and fill up by the afternoon. Housekeeping never vacuumed the floor and didn’t replace the used dishes but simply put them back “neatly” even though they were dirty. Also, the room doors slam very loudly if you don’t control them manually, which means that during housekeeping hours and in the evening, when everyone returns to their rooms, the doors are constantly slamming shut, and you can hear it very loudly inside the rooms. The gym, which was personally the main reason I booked this hotel, is adequate for doing strength training while on vacation. However, the weight machines could use an upgrade, as they are very old and one is broken. Additionally, the gym is also open to locals, which sometimes makes it very crowded. The gym is located outside and not directly inside the hotel. The pool facilities are large and adequate. The lounge chairs could be replaced and made more comfortable. The service at the bar was always great and friendly.

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