Belmond Reid's Palace

Another memorable stay at Reid’s with absolutely wonderful staff for whom nothing is ever too much trouble. A magnificent inclusive breakfast kick starts the day (why don’t ALL hotels offer this?) the pool areas, loungers and parasols are fabulous and every corner of the hotel is spotless. Complimentary soft drinks from the fridge in the room is a lovely touch. Only one complaint: children in the cocktail bar after 7pm!

We enjoyed most aspects of our visit to Reid's. The service by the staff at all points was excellent, the breakfast restaurant in particular. We had timed our visit to avoid school holidays but were surprised by the large number of young children in the hotel, especially noticeable in the pool area. We ate twice at Cipriani, one meal very good and the other average. The meal we had at the William Restaurant was completely underwhelming and expensive. We took the tour of the gardens which was fascinating and the guide outstanding. The history tour was worth doing and informative. We hoped there would be more cultural events at the hotel as it has many large spaces empty most of the time. Our room was comfortable and spacious but in dire need of an upgrade. The lack of a walk-in shower becomes an issue with declining mobility, something which we had not even considered could be an issue in this standard of hotel. Our only other experience of Belmond Hotels is the Manoir near Oxford. Reid's does not compare favourably.

Outstanding hotel. I cannot fault it. Cuisine outside was disappointing but maybe we just didn't find the right places to go.

Though Funchal has grown to surround Reid’s with some not so beautiful big hotels nearby, entering Reid’s still have that feeling of stepping into the old world filled with subtle luxury.

A really special hotel that we hope to revisit again soon. We stayed 8 days in October 2025 From the moment you arrive the staff are all friendly and helpful . The pool team, doormen, cleaners, turn down are all fabulous staff. Every area of the hotel is nice, with seating areas to enjoy each vista this hotel has to offer - Our balcony was a perfect spot to watch the sunrise before heading for a long and leisurely breakfast. We were so lucky with our room - 840 You can order eggs and other bespoke options - the fruit at breakfast is delightful. We ate at the italian - villa cipriani - it was a bit expensive, but a lovely experience - we did it twice - but there are equally good eateries in town. We also had the reids afternoon tea - we have a few whinges about this… Not everybody engaged with the dress code- we had people in t shirts, shorts and baseball hats ( american). I think reids need to say “ would sir like a jacket”’.! This behaviour by so many guests who were clearly not staying at the hotel dramatically cheapened the experience. But so did the upsell in the afternoon tea experience - “would sir like champagne?” “No… its ok… we dont drink” was my reply… “well if you change your mind” was the answer… At what point am i likely to suddenly take up alcohol! I think reids needs to prioritise those paying $1000 a night over those paying $100 for afternoon tea…. Or have a separate area for guests. We did the Reids garden tour with Grace - which was brilliant - very knowledgeable You can borrow kayaks and SUP for free from the pool team Swim in the sea, dive from the high board at low tide, but watch for the current if you arent used to sea swimming. All in all - one of the best hotels we have stayed in, and we are super grateful to the team for an incredible room allocation which really made our stay!