Royal Savoy Hotel

Jenny and myself have just had a splendid week at the Royal Savoy in Funchal. We contacted the hotel directly who connected us to their agents in the UK for flights and accommodation; Strawberry World. Our requirements in Funchal were a room with balcony, seaview, and peace and quiet. The Royal Savoy supplied each of these needs and was directly on the Atlantic. Although the weather in Madeira was not 'brilliant' in late January we did manage four meals on the open terrace next to the pool . Madeira is a lovely island of mountains, gardens, sea, and ethical standards of times gone by. We saw nothing of the 'lager lout'. Rather we visited excellent bars and restaurants. The grand Bar in central Funchal has been restored to its nineteenth century glory and does super meals along with live jazz. But there are loads of other establishments to enjoy including several fish restaurants at the harbour. Walking and touring is easily available although for the first time for decades we did not rent a car. The roads in the hinterland are decidedly twisty and require great concentration for the newcomer we reckon. If anyone is thinking about Funchal in a top class hotel then the Royal Savoy should suffice. Its older sister, the Classic Savoy, is a possibility although one should look carefully at needs. We were told that the Classic Savoy was going to be drastically changed and therefore we questioned the ongoing investment into that hotel's facilities and service; perhaps wrongly? So we plumped for the newer sister right on the ocean. Regards, Paul Clark.

This is a very very nice hotel. Rooms are absolutely lovely with very nice views. What else can I say but an extremely beautiful hotel in a good location near the centre of Funchal. Would definitely recommend.

We have a timeshare here. Great hotel and facilities. Easy walk to Funchal centre (approx 15minutes walk but uphill coming back - shorter route via dock area but less scenic. Bus service to Classic Savoy and walk through to sister - Royal Savoy -hotel). Difficult to criticise anything about the place. Full sea view from rooms and also grounds / pool area. A number of good restaurants within very easy reach of the hotel give a good choice between eating in and out.

My husband and I just returned from a one week heavenly vacation at the Royal Savoy. It was our first time in Portugal and we were surprised to discover that there were no Americans there other than ourselves (very unusual). Most of the guests were friendly and genteel English who returned each year to their timeshares. After relaxing there, I can well understand the desire to come back! The hotel is gorgeous; it is immaculate and beautifully decorated in a contemporary Asian/South African motif. The three swimming pools (two are sea water) are delightful and there was never a problem getting seating by the pools. Most iimportant, the junior suite was well-equipped with a fine kitchenette and a furnished terrace overlooking the ocean. The Vacation Club which welcomed us was much nicer than the hotel staff at the front desk who had a tendency to be brusk and even rude (our arrival was hardly welcoming) The Interval Vacation Club staff was very accommodating and were helpful throughout the week in terms of sightseeing, restaurant accommodations, etc. Be sure to take a tour of Western Madeira in a shuttle bus as it is reminiscent of Hawaii. If you choose to eat out, the restaurants through the back garden gate are all fine; the Quinta Palmiera is outstanding in terms of quality of food and service (there price-fixed menu is a real find!). A word of advice: leave yourselves plenty of time between connecting flights on the way home from Funchal to Lisbon as the flights from Funchal are most always delayed. But do stay at the Royal Savoy for a vacation filled with delightful weather and beautiful surroundings.

My family and I stayed at the Royal Savoy in late June/early July 2006. The hotel is well placed (about 20 mins walk from Funchal Old Town, with one steep but short hill) and overlooks the Atlantic. We had a Junior Suite, with another for our twenty-something sons. The rooms, and indeed the entire hotel, are kept spotlessly clean by cheerful maids. There are two fine swimming pools, plus sea bathing for masochists. The public rooms are handsome and there is even a library. The 'fitness section' is actually half a dozen machines and nothing more, but there are relatively better facilities in the Savoy Hotel, which is linked to the RS by a bridge. (Guests can use both, as they wish.) It's not really a hotel for sportspeople though. Breakfasts are comprehensively excellent and there is a light meal service in the pool area. We ate only once at the RS Armada Restaurant and were not impressed, but the Fleur de Lys Restaurant at the Savoy is much better: good food served in the old style. Standards of service in every department in the hotel were as near perfect as one gets: professional, courteous, warm and unfailingly efficient. We ate in Funchal Town, the best economical restaurant by far being the O Jango. Terasso and Casa de Pena were OK. Up up upmarket is Reid's Palace, where the Villa Cipriani restaurant is excellent and good value at it's (high) price level. One can go from the hotel by minibus to walk the levadas on the mountains. Take warm and waterproof clothing and good walking boots, no matter what the weather may be in Funchal. I will be visiting Madeira and staying at the Royal Savoy as often as possible in the future.

I travelled with my husband and my 8 month old baby for an extended weekend vacation. Staff was very friendly. Breakfast was great - we ate by the pool every morning. We were lucky to be upgraded to a superior suite - very big room, wonderfully decorated and huge terrace overlooking the sea also very nicely decorated. Never got the chance to see the junior suite we had booked. The outside salt water heated pool was great (28ºC). We were the few portuguese people there - mostly english, some french and fewer east european people. It was our third visit to Madeira island and we liked so much the Royal Savoy that we are actually considering returning for our summer vacations.

Stayed at the Royal Savoy for one week and whilst the facilities are good we found that following a minor complaint that management were distinctly remote and non-responsive to the point of rudeness. We have had much better holidays elsewhere in Madeira and would not return to the Royal Savoy.

We stayed at The Royal Savoy in Funchal for two nights before joining a cruise - the hotel was everything all the other reviewers had said - it was excellent - wonderful helpful and friendly door-men - fabulous professional and friendly check in - beautiful rooms, lovely heated outside pool area - superb indoor swimming pool complex, fabulous buffet breakfast, gorgeous evening bar and entertainment area where they service the nicest liquor coffees. The hotel is superbly located in walking distance of the centre of Funchal and many fine restaurants. Well worth the money to stay here - much much nicer than the old traditional savoy and much nicer than many of the other 5 star hotels in the area

We have recently returned from a stay at the Royal Savoy, after celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary. The hotel is fabulous, we had a junior suite that overlooked the pool and sea. We could not fault the room and the bathroom was super. The staff were very friendly and the food was very good. We had breakfast each morning (once in our room) and we ate there on two occasions of an evening and it was very nice indeed. The cocktail bar (go in happy hour, two for the price of one) was very relaxed and friendly. The whole holiday was excellent. I think we picked the better out of the two hotels and I am glad that we did not stay in the Savoy as I believe it is being renovated and possibly changed into timeshare partments. If you want to eat out, try O'Baqueiro, a fabulous fish restaurant, in Ponta da Cruz, a short taxi drive about 5 euros. Or, at the back of the Royal Savoy go through the back gate and turn right and first right again, to find the Casa de Penha, also very good. Try Arsenios, in the old town on Rua de Santa Maria, live Fado singing while you dine, lovely. Funchal is very hilly, but because of the good location of the Royal Savoy, you only have one steepish slope to walk up and down to the promenade and old town, but you could always jump a cab. There does appear to be a lot of retirement folk there, it's not really a young resort, but very beautiful and relaxing. I'd definitely go back to the Royal Savoy.

We stayed there in family with a 2 year baby and 6 years old child. The service was perfect , every body very nice with children. We enjoyed the in door swimming pool and all the outdoor swimming (you can access to all pools of the resort - savoy and royal savoy ) The rooms were spacious , cleaning perfect. Special award to the breakfast fresh fruits and eggs , everything delicious . The buffet dinners were excellent : fish ,... Quick opinion from a french fellow (please apologize my english!)