The Vine Hotel

“Very pleasant stay in well-run and well-situated hotel which suited our needs.”

Lovely spacious (superior double as it was described) room with air-conditioning, very comfortable good-sized bed, fridge and kettle. Housekeeping was excellent.We were happy with view over the rooftops and surrounding hills of Funchal. Excellent breakfasts with good buffet of cereals, toast, eggs… more

Lovely spacious (superior double as it was described) room with air-conditioning, very comfortable good-sized bed, fridge and kettle. Housekeeping was excellent.We were happy with view over the rooftops and surrounding hills of Funchal. Excellent breakfasts with good buffet of cereals, toast, eggs mushrooms etc. Coffee and tea were served in pots if requested and good coffee also available from machines if you preferred to make your own. Excellent omelettes were also prepared if requested. Good location near centre of Funchal within easy reach of our favourite restaurants in the old town. We did not make use of the small pool area on the roof nor try the dinners available at the hotel nor use the TV in our room. Staff were pleasant and service in the breakfast restaurant (in so far as required) was excellent. Would be happy to visit again.

less

“Stayed in May 2024, returning December 2024!”

We have visited Madeira for "short" 4 nights due to some flight schedule in May while visiting Azores "next door" but I had a feeling that we will be back, didn't know that it will be this fast as we are already scheduled for this December :) needless to say we are returning to this exact hotel and… more

We have visited Madeira for "short" 4 nights due to some flight schedule in May while visiting Azores "next door" but I had a feeling that we will be back, didn't know that it will be this fast as we are already scheduled for this December :) needless to say we are returning to this exact hotel and I will try to leave some useful info why, and also mention some things we didn't necessarily love - overall it's an excellent place, with its own parking garage, walking distance to plenty amazing places (3 wineries, CR museum, ferry to Porto Santo etc.). Location: you are located in the heart of everything easy 25m drive from the airport (if you don't hit any traffic coming into Funchal - we did...) and super easy especially on the way to the airport the day you are leaving. From here you can either easily drive to anywhere or you can walk to many amazing places - it combines the best of both worlds - yes there are some outstanding properties I wanted also to stay during our visit that provide excellent views, are in more slower areas of the island, and I normally stay away from the "downtown" areas when traveling but here it's just a combo of price to quality to functionality ratio you cannot beat! Car is not a must here but definitely you want to explore Madeira so I would recommend one, especially since the hotel comes with a garage spot for you. Room: we have had one of the deluxe rooms and the room itself was superb, I have actually for the first time ever during so many tropical island travels took a bath while chilling after a busy day of driving and exploring :) bed is big and comfy, overall can't fault the room at all expect for the morning noise - we had a room literally above the restaurant so every morning we could hear the silverware being setup etc., definitely something we will try to avoid during our December trip, especially since this time we are coming for 8 nights and brining my parents along for a ride as well - which somewhat speaks to the great experience we had that despite this noise we are still coming back and for longer, and in bigger group, so don't let that discourage you! Hotel Grounds: this is another small flaw, I believe it's a temporary one, and applies only if you have a car rental - the elevator from the garage takes you to the main street level and then you have to walk around the building to enter it from the mall area so you can take another dedicated elevator for the hotel only - no big deal really except it's not fun with the luggage on the arrival and departure day - I believe this is due to some remodeling they do, but even if they don't... again we are returning in December as this is another small flaw that overall can't overshadow how amazing of a value this place is! The lobby with the breakfast restaurant is also some lounge areas, but then the top floor has the "typical" lounge area with another restaurant - definitely nice to have so Madeira wine and enjoy an evening with some views. I am leaving some info and pictures on the parking garage as that was confusing for us at first where to park but you want to look for spots that show the hotel's logo (as on the picture) hanging from the ceiling. Also, an amazing thing at this hotel was the free water machine in the hallway - it actually had also free sparking / carbonated water function to - I found it unique and outstanding, especially in warm summer time :) Pool: I am not sure if I would call that a swimming pool and I honestly didn't see people in the water but it definitely has some loungers/sunchairs and for that it's great. I can't really speak more to it as we didn't use it - maybe will explore it more in December :) Food & restaurant options: breakfast included in the rate of the room was very good quality and plenty of choices, many dishes changed daily and there is always something new and interesting, very good coffee and super kudos to hotel for making it earlier for us the day of the departure since we needed to leave as early as 5 or 6AM I believe and the actual breakfast didn't open I believe until 7AM or so - it was a very nice and appreciated gesture on the hotel's end! Things to do: wineries!!! you have 3 within walking distance - Blandy's, HM Borges, and Pereira d'Oliveira - I appreciate wine but rum and whiskey are my choice of poison, but Madeira is my fav type of wine for certain - it's so flavorful and so elegant, it's my favorite replacement for a "lighter poison" to sip - all 3 places are an absolute must, especially Blandy's as it's a venue in itself to visit, even if you dont care for wine, whereas HM Borges will absolute hypnotize you with the fragrance of Madeira wine upon entry :) if wine isnt your thing (still if it's not I insist you visit the Madeira wineries, it's a very nice experience and part of the heritage and culture of this island!) CR7 is super short distance and the pretty boardwalks both waterfront and one away from the water (the one they dress up with flower in May and from what I was told with Christmas decoration in December). Otherwise everything else is a short drive with a car or taxi - botanical gardens/Monte Palace etc. - driving in Madeira is fun, both scenic but very "edgy" :D so it's definitely not for everyone but it pays of with brilliant destinations waiting for you at the end of your drive! Overall: I was sceptic coming here, again we skipped Sao Miguel downtown stay in Azores prior to coming to Madeira, but the wineries in Funchal plus other things within walking distance lured us into The Vine Hotel - I am super glad they did as this was an outstanding place to stay, again quality to price is superb, add that parking to it and it takes it over the top every other hotel in the area! Can't wait for our return in December!

less

“The best”

Always a great place as a base when visiting this beautiful island , lovely rooms fantastic views, breakfast to die for. No hassle getting a sun lounger or using the pool. Friendly staff and easy checkin and out. We will be back in the winter as usual.

“Noisy area, not cosy, avoid lunch and dinner”

Unfortunately, the hôtel doesn't deserve the 5 stars. It's in a noisy area. I was wake up every morning at 6h30 by the fruits and vegetables merchant. Couldn't sleep any longer. At breakfast, we didn't get local bananas ! The most grown fruit in the island that you can get every single day of the y… more

Unfortunately, the hôtel doesn't deserve the 5 stars. It's in a noisy area. I was wake up every morning at 6h30 by the fruits and vegetables merchant. Couldn't sleep any longer. At breakfast, we didn't get local bananas ! The most grown fruit in the island that you can get every single day of the year at the market. But we did get imported fruits...😭 The menu has 4 plain local fish filets from 25 to 40 euros, but in fact they never had those fishes, in one week time... Instead, they give you 3 small filets of defrozen fish that you can buy in any supermarket : avoid the food ! Too many temporary staff which don't have a single clue about the food served. Don't ask ! I suspect the management to be bossy. The mattress of my bed was not firm enough. I didn't get a single good nap during my stay. Not enough sunbeds around the swimming pool. If you want one, wake-up early... The housekeeper got inside my room with her key card without knocking at the door while I was naked... Be prepared ! Apart from these disagreements, it was ok.

less