Pestana Carlton Madeira Ocean Resort Hotel

“Lovely hotel in a lovely area. Highly recommended”

The Pestana Carlton is an absolutely lovely hotel and the location is perfect for transport around the island and into Funchal being 15-20 mins down the hill. The area is quiet at night and has numerous good restaurants and local supermarkets. The hotel itself provides 2 indoor and 2 outdoor pools … more

The Pestana Carlton is an absolutely lovely hotel and the location is perfect for transport around the island and into Funchal being 15-20 mins down the hill. The area is quiet at night and has numerous good restaurants and local supermarkets. The hotel itself provides 2 indoor and 2 outdoor pools as well as direct access to the beach. There are a number of indoor lounges, outdoor terraces, various bars and restaurants all with differing menus. The breakfasts were lovely with a vast and changing menu with outdoor seating available. There is also entertainment provided and various themed evenings with meals - we experienced the Madeira Night with food & drink which was really lovely. We had a Seaview Suite as there were 3 of us and we were delighted to find that we had 2 balconies, 2 bathrooms, a kitchenette with microwave and lovely views, table and chairs, settee and outdoor seating. The rooms were very clean and the beds really comfortable. We were also given swimming towels, dressingown & slippers and an area to dry wet costumes. The staff were all very helpful & friendly and we were able to get into our accomodation 3 hours before check in and stay 1 hour later after checkout All in all the Pestana Carlton exceeded our expectations and we have no trouble in recommending it and we will certainly go back and look for another Pestana if we travel elsewhere.

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“RECOMMENDED FOR COMFORT AND CONVENIENT LOCATION”

Very nice 5* hotel. Staff very friendly and helpful. A special word of praise for Gabriel, who was brilliant in doing his job, in charge of the bars and restaurants, and made our experience most enjoyable. The hotel is in a very good location, just a short walk to the centre of Funchal, with severa… more

Very nice 5* hotel. Staff very friendly and helpful. A special word of praise for Gabriel, who was brilliant in doing his job, in charge of the bars and restaurants, and made our experience most enjoyable. The hotel is in a very good location, just a short walk to the centre of Funchal, with several great restaurants nearby if you want to eat away from the hotel.

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“Nice but not 5 star”

Overview We had a "suite" on the 7th floor - two rooms together. Nice to have two bathrooms and plenty of space, but the fixtures and fittings very much showing their age - bathrooms probably not updated since the 70's. Narrow bath and flimsy shower curtain. Carpets showing wear and stains in the … more

Overview We had a "suite" on the 7th floor - two rooms together. Nice to have two bathrooms and plenty of space, but the fixtures and fittings very much showing their age - bathrooms probably not updated since the 70's. Narrow bath and flimsy shower curtain. Carpets showing wear and stains in the rooms. Kitchen area had kettle and microwave, but no cutlery or plates! Not sure what the point of the dining table was. Icebox in fridge so ice bound the door didn't shut. Not suited if you have mobility problems - three main buildings due to being built into the cliff, and from the main building to the Atlantic level you took 3 separate lifts and there were often queues - we mainly used the stairs. Some of the staircases were slippy and a bit scary. Positives: Hotel location is brilliant, walkable into Funchal centre and to the restaurants to the West (worth the walk). Reception staff, friendly, multi lingual and do their best for customers Direct access to the sea - unusual as Madeira is a volcano with steep cliffs Fantastic pools for swimming lengths - especially the 25m indoor pool on the Atlantic level - usually I had this to myself. Plenty of loungers Breakfast buffet food good Stylish interiors - look for the leather handrails on the staircases Plenty of exterior space, for bars, restaurants or by pools Less positive: Breakfast coffee is horrible! Evening restaurant meal not very nice (we only ate in once) Bathrooms Housekeeping patchy. Towels not exchanged as advised, and sometimes damp towels taken and not replaced, incovenient for pool towels which anyway would be better provided at the pools rather than hit and miss provision in the bedrooms. Apparently the newly refurbished rooms are lovely, but only availalbe to book directly with the hotel - they're actively marketing this option.

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