Madeira Regency Palace Reviews

This hotel is rated five stars, but sadly doesn't offer a five star experience. The rooms are extremely outdated and the furnishings are very worn, especially in common areas. It is not particularly convenient to any of the prime sights of Funchal, so plan on some long walks (on top of the levada walks that you should definitely take) or some extra cab costs. Breakfasts were mediocre at best, and downright horrid at worst (avoid the scrambled eggs). The staff was friendly, but provided nothing "above and beyond" that would justify a five star rating. All said, if you can find a 2- to 3- star hotel in the Lido area, you'd be wise to choose it over the Regency Palace.

I should have paid more attention to some of the reviews on here.The pool was freezing but OK if you only go in up to your knees. The indoor pool was warm. The room was OK but not 5 star. Toilet seat was worn and there was no vent in the sealing so if you don't smell like roses then neither will your room. Breakfast is the same everyday & nothing special just bulk cooked buffet style full English with cereals and breads. There was a constant lack of tea spoons. Just irritating small details ruin this hotel. We were glad we did not go all inclusive here as we had dinner in the restaurant only once and sent both of our meals back that we ordered off the a la carte menu. Horrible. We also notified the hotel that people would come and visit us who we know in Madeira and they wanted to charge us 15 euros per person just so sit and have a drink with us by the pool. They made it uncomfortable at the time but didn't apply to the bill in the end. Unnecessary more than anything. Staff were generally nice and they were good with our 2 year old. Also the taxi we booked through the hotel wasn't at the airport when we arrived so that wasted an hour until they sorted that out but our departure was fine. Generally our holiday was OK but for a "5 star" it was disappointing. There is an easy walk to some nice restaurants and the free shuttle bus into town is handy but the local buses are easy to use as well.

Had an excellent stay at the hotel everyone was very nice dinner was a little expensive but excellent bus service from the hotel into town. I would recommend a back and neck massage

We found every one very helpful and friendly and we would come again

My girlfriend and I stayed for 4 nights in Oct 2013. The rooms are big and clean with everything you expect. The hotel is looking a bit dated (TVs are not flat screens, carpets look very worn) but very comfortable. I'm not sure how the rating system works but I would say this hotel was a good 4* rather than a 5*. Breakfast buffet was pretty average but did last a long time 7.30 - 10.30. wifi was only in the lobby and even then pretty average (not good enough for streaming TV). make sure you discover the yacht bar - the view is great, the prices are half that of the pool restaurant and the wifi is good enough for streaming/skype. We were a 29 y/o couple and the hotel/resort/island is definitely geared towards an older generation. We found the leavada walks good but not challenging enough to be interesting (e.g. 10km walk on the flat). It might be just the right thing for a 60 y/o couple - the views are good from up there and it did tickle my vertigo at times! You are not walking distance from town at this hotel but there are regular public buses that get you into town in less than 15 minutes for EUR1.90 each way, we didn't bother using the courtesy bus. We also found the levada walking tours a bit of a rip off, you can easily get public buses there and back and we didn't find we needed a guide (we did have a compass and a map though).

The rooms are light and airy, although some of the carpets are starting to look a bit shabby and the balcony is a bit small. All the staff are very friendly and helpful. It helps to have a courtesy bus to travel between the hotel and Funchal, with hotel being about 4 miles from town.

Rooms are NOT 5* as mentioned in their web site. I was staying at level 0. This room can be maximum of 3* rating. I had booked 2 rooms 5 months in advance. One with a double bed for me & my wife and the other room with twin beds for my 2 kids and I had also requested the rooms to be next to each other, but sadly I was given a room with 2 single beds put next to each other( their meaning of a double bed) with a dip at the joint line. Very uncomfortable during sleeping and the complaint I made was not solved until I had left. Moreover the room for my kids were very far away from our room. There was no kettle and no wifi in the room - you had to go all the way up to level 7, where the reception was, to get internet connection, and even then the connection wasn't working frequently during our stay. However, breakfast is very good - there is various food to eat ranging from hot meals and cakes to fruits, cereals and yoghurts.

Positive: - Big room - Facilities are good (swimming pool, sauna, Turkish bath) - Yacht Club Negative - Overpriced restaurant. Hidden away is the Yacht Club which offers value for money. Find the outside elevator (room key needed to operate it) and walk to the ocean. - 20 min bus ride to town (bus leaves once per hour up through 18:00) - WiFi only in the lobby, not in the room

a beautiful hotel, great staff who couldnt do enough to please. The only difficulty we had was that it is a little out of town and although there is a courtesy bus every hour we would have just prefered to be nearer funchal.

This hotel was not as good as other 5 star options on the island. Everything was just average and there was no memorable service or feature. The gym is terrible and the machines do not work but the pool is nice and the spa is good. This is a 10 min cab ride from the centre of Funchal which can become pricey but the hotel does provide free coach transfers every hour if you can get a seat!