West of the centre, the sea below or a pool on the roof. The Cliff Bay, from about €385 with breakfast, if you want a saltwater pool at sea level, a jetty with ladders into the Atlantic and Funchal Bay View balconies; Savoy Palace, from about €495 with breakfast, if you would rather have a heated adults-only skypool on the 17th floor, six restaurants and a 3,100 m² spa.
The viewA five-star resort on its own promontory in Funchal, with the bay in view from the Bay View balconies and a saltwater pool at the edge of the Atlantic.
€€€From about €385 a night
Choose The Cliff Bay if
The catch
Not in the centre: the Sé is a 33-minute walk along a busy road, uphill on the way back, or a bus or taxi
The grand oneFunchal's big modern palace: an adults-only rooftop infinity pool, a 3,100 m² spa and sea-view balconies over Funchal Bay.
€€€€From about €495 a night
Choose Savoy Palace if
The catch
The spa circuit costs €50 a day per guest unless you book a treatment of 60 minutes or more, and it is for over-16s only
| Best for | The Cliff Bay | Savoy Palace |
|---|---|---|
| Best beach hotels in Madeira | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best design hotels in Madeira | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best spa hotels in Madeira | On the list | On the list |
| Best hotels with a view in Madeira | On the list | Not on the list |
The Cliff BaySavoy Palace
The Cliff Bay
Savoy Palace
The verdict
West of the centre, the sea below or a pool on the roof. The Cliff Bay, from about €385 with breakfast, if you want a saltwater pool at sea level, a jetty with ladders into the Atlantic and Funchal Bay View balconies; Savoy Palace, from about €495 with breakfast, if you would rather have a heated adults-only skypool on the 17th floor, six restaurants and a 3,100 m² spa.
Hand-picked: only the best, one version of each, researched so you don’t have to.
The east, in comfortFrom €38.704.7(3,900)
The food and wineFrom €954.8(550)
The west, by jeepFrom €695(650)
Whales, on a big catamaranFrom €354.6(7,900)
Questions people ask
West of the centre, the sea below or a pool on the roof. The Cliff Bay, from about €385 with breakfast, if you want a saltwater pool at sea level, a jetty with ladders into the Atlantic and Funchal Bay View balconies; Savoy Palace, from about €495 with breakfast, if you would rather have a heated adults-only skypool on the 17th floor, six restaurants and a 3,100 m² spa.
The Funchal hotel for swimming in the Atlantic below the garden and looking at the bay from the balcony. Check availability for a Funchal Bay View room, and whether Il Gallo d'Oro has reopened for your dates. A large, polished, classic resort where the day is spent between the sea ladder, the saltwater pool and the spa, and a sea-facing balcony looks over the Atlantic or Funchal Bay. Funchal is a bus ride or a long walk away rather than on the doorstep.
It has indoor and outdoor pools. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
A big, polished city resort with a rooftop pool for adults and a spa of real size, a walk from the old centre of Funchal. Check availability for the Superior Ocean Room. A large, polished city resort where a 3,100 m² spa, a rooftop infinity pool and six restaurants make it easy to stay in. Funchal's old centre is a walk or a short taxi ride away.
It has a rooftop pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.