The catch at The Cliff Bay

The hotel stands on Estrada Monumental in Funchal's Hotel Zone, about 2 km west of the Sé, with its drive and gardens between the rooms and the road. The walk into the centre takes 33 minutes along Estrada Monumental and Avenida do Infante, a busy road for most of its length. The entrance sits about 18 m above the Sé, and the road rises to about 60 m on the way, so the walk back is uphill at the end of an evening. The Mercado dos Lavradores and the cable car base for Monte are 39 minutes on foot. The easy walk is west to the Lido promenade, 11 minutes away.

Below the garden, at sea level, are a saltwater pool kept at about 21°C, a children's pool, an outdoor hot tub and the Blue Lagoon for lunch, and from a concrete jetty steel ladders lead down into the Atlantic. Access to the sea depends on the weather and can change without notice, so a week with a swell can be a week of pools only. The sea runs from about 17 to 22°C through the year. The nearest beach is the pebbles of Praia Formosa, a 9-minute drive west, and the Lido bathing complex, with its own pools, is 11 minutes on foot. There is no sand within walking distance.

Il Gallo d'Oro, where Benoît Sinthon has cooked since 2004 and which has held two MICHELIN stars since 2017, is temporarily closed for renovation, and no reopening date has been published. While it is shut, dinner in the hotel means the Rose Garden, which serves a different à la carte menu every evening from 18:30 to 22:00, asks guests to book a table and expects smart casual dress. Half board is taken there, or as a credit of €36 a person a day at the hotel's other restaurants. The Blue Lagoon, by the saltwater pool, serves lunch only, and the Cliff Bar has snacks until 21:00.

Every room below the suites, bar the 42 m² Family Rooms, is the same 30 to 36 m², carpeted, with a balcony, so the price ladder is really a choice of direction. The Standard rooms, on the 4th to 7th floors, look over the gardens at the hotel entrance, not the sea. The Side Sea View rooms, on the 1st to 3rd floors, have a partial view over a balcony wall 1 m high, and most are reached by a ramp. For a June night in 2027, with breakfast for two, the Standard was €383, the Sea View €473 and the Funchal Bay View €499. Bathrooms have a shower tray; a walk-in shower comes only in the fully adapted rooms.

In February the lowest rate for two is €319 to €349 a night, and most nights from late November to 22 December are €299 to €339. Over the holidays it climbs: €1,099 on 24 December, €849 on 30 December and €1,659 on New Year's Eve 2026. Christmas and New Year bookings in Madeira are charged in full if cancelled less than 21 days before arrival. On top of the room, Funchal's tourist tax is €2 per guest aged 13 and over per night, for up to 7 nights, paid at the hotel (the council has voted to raise it to €4 from 2027), and parking is €15 a day in the garage or €10 outside, booked in advance.