Quinta da Casa Branca

Beautiful hotel in fantastic gardens. We stayed in a garden room which was lovely, there are doors onto a private patio area which is sheltered from the room next door by a small hedge, you can also move your sun beds onto the grass to follow the sun. We used the adults pool area which is in beautifully kept gardens , towels were plentiful and re stocked often to ensure they were always available. We used the steam room and jacuzzi which were very nice , however there was a child, on his own , in the jacuzzi when we arrived, jumping in from the side which I didn’t think was very safe, as there are no staff in this area. Breakfasts were excellent, plenty of choice in the buffet and a freshly cooked selection available from a menu , cooked to order. We didn’t eat at the hotel in the evening or for lunch as the menu was quite expensive and the lunchtime menu was more proper meals with not much selection for smaller plates or sandwiches. There are plenty of good restaurants nearby, be sure to book in advance as many are always booked up . The staff at reception were very helpful, advising on the bus routes and printing a timetable for us. We did hire a car to see other parts of the island , but if you’re not confident driving here as it is very steep and winding roads everywhere you can get taxis nearly everywhere. I would recommend this hotel and I would stay again.

Our second visit to this wonderful hotel. As usual, you would have to be very picky to find fault. The location isn't great as there are no bars/restaurants within walking distance that aren't accessible without climbing a steep hill either on the way there or on the way back. However, staying half board, we only needed one trip to the supermarket for our midday meals and we didn't need much because the food at the hotel was plentiful enough and cooked to perfection at each meal. The staff, from the moment of registration at reception, housekeeping, restaurant staff, breakfast staff, maintenance staff and gardening staff could not do enough for us and always had a smile and a friendly welcome. We would like to single out staff members for special praise but it would not be fair to the other members who we had no interaction with, everyone was lovely. The room was comfortable and kept at the right temperature. We would have no hesitation in coming back for a third visit. Thank you Quinta da Casa Br5anca.

This hotel is overall very nice! It is surrounded by very big lush gardens, which makes you feel really away from everything. We booked a suite and got the pool house, which is separate from all the other rooms and suites next to the main swimming pool. This suite/house was just perfect, very big and very well maintained, colourful and nicely decorated , there were fresh flowers too. The staff is really helpful and friendly. There are two pools, one for adults only (which is quite small) and a big one for kids too (there was only one baby when we visited). The breakfast was amazing, with lots of options to choose from and good quality food. Nice outside seating too. A few things we liked less or could be improved: the food in the restaurant (lunch/dinner) on the site was not very impressive. The gardens need to be maintained obviously but this comes with quite a bit of noise (using machines for that) sometimes, so be aware of that. However, what we found a huge disappointment was the spa area. We had looked for a hotel with a nice spa, and came across this one and decided to book this partly because of this feature even though we found it quite expensive. Anyway, the spa area is in a building, of which the interior looks very outdated! I don't understand why one would have a jacuzzi in a boring building while there is so much space in the gardens to enjoy the views or sun. And then there is a steamroom and a dry sauna, but these are just so plain boring/not cosy and in such an uninspiring environment that you want to get out immediately. They are also quite small. So we ended up using this once just to check it out and then leave it as is. This is a huge missed opportunity if you ask me. It is for this reason alone that I would not return here and that I deducted one star. I think when you pay so much money for a room (we paid more than €500/night) you may expect this to be much better. Other than that, as I said, everything is very good!

Absolutely stunning gardens and plant collection, a must stay hotel for anyone that loves plants. Better selection of plants than some of the botanical gardens on the island. Friendly staff, great breakfasts, close enough to Funchal old town but not too close, so you get to have a nice walk. Make sure you try the bananas that grow on site!

Very good in all respects - great relaxing gardens and environment, good food and service. Swimming pools could be usefully upgraded.