Eden Mar Hotel

The receptionist here on check-in was probably the most helpful person we have come across in all our travels, nothing was too much trouble. Our room was perfect, a sort of mini suite with a separate living area and the balcony had a perfect westerly view so we got the evening sun and the greatest sunsets. (Try and get a room high up on the eastern wing to get the views of the sea, the pools and the sunsets!) We were on room only basis so didn't eat in but there were plenty of restaurants in the area from pizza/curry through to high end cusine so there is enough to choose from. The hotel shares facilities with two others- it is a large complex so you can dip in any of three outdoor pools and one indoor pool as well as go for the spa treatments which were in abundance. It was never too crowded and so never a problem to get a sun lounger or a seat at the outdoor bar. The majority of the clientele are (probably) over 60 so everything is quiet and leisurely. If a bit more lively 'action' is required then funchal is only a twenty minute walk away! When we travel we tend to go somewhere once and then on to the next place on a long list of places we want to see. This time however, we definitely want to come back here! Interesting point, the (different) receptionist on duty when we checked out was a dreadful miserable thing. Good job she wasn't on duty when we checked in or our first impressions would have been very different! (Ps free internet use for residents too!) Highly recommended!

Booked direct with Santa Maria. On arrival we had been double booked. Offered us a drink and explained the situation. They offered us a transfer to Eden Mar with a discount, room upgrade to a junior suite and upgrade from b&b to half board. Paid for taxi up to Eden Mar. Was very pleased with hotel, room was clean and a good size. Sparkling wine and flowers on arrival as it was our honeymoon. Food was lovely, gardens are gorgeous. Glad of the move really seemed to be more going on here than at Santa Maria, only difference was the distance from the centre, for us it wasn't a problem, took approx 20 mins walk which involves quite a steep hill. Although hotel have a shuttle bus to and from the centre free of charge. Evening entertainment we enjoyed. Staff were brilliant. Would recommend.

Stayed here in Sept 2006 and we were delighted with our choice. Eden Mar is part of the Porto Mare hotel group and is part of a complex containing another hotel & self catering apartments. This is ideal as it means you can use all the facilities on offer - great swimming pools, gym, etc There is a handy little kitchenette in the rooms - we tended to use this for making ourselves sandwiches for lunch, and it was great having a fridge in the room to chill your water bottles and madeira wine! There is a also really good supermarket just beside the hotel. All rooms have a balcony looking out to the sea with table & chairs on them. Breakfasts were buffet style & fantastic - have never seen such a variety of fresh fruit on offer as well as hot foods. The selection of different breads were also amazing. In the evening - lots of good local restaurants to eat in and the hotel food was also very good. Found all the facilities excellent - we used the gym & pools a lot and also did some of the free exercise classes on offer including aquafit & yoga. The service of all the hotel staff was excellent - hotel receptionists were particulary good at organising anything you required. Free internet access is also provided in the reception areas which my partner used every day - you go all the way to madeira and you still cannot escape the football scores! This is not a hotel for those wanting a crazy party holiday - it is for those who want to relax and enjoy a nice quiet peaceful time and enjoy all that madeira has to offer. Funchal is a good 35 minute walk away but the hotel does provide a free bus service in & out. We would generally walk into Funchal then get the bus back later. We did some island tours and we loved porto moniz - def worth a visit. We also did a 3hr boat trip which was one of the highlights for us - we saw whales & dolphins, enjoyed a light lunch on board and then got to swim off the boat later on. All in all we would thoroughly reccomend this hotel & Madeira and would return ourselves.

I am greatful to TripAdvisor for its help in my making the right choice of a hotel for our stay on Madeira. Eden Mar lived up to my expectations even though things in life usually differ from what you see on photos or in imagination. I would stay at that hotel again after I have seen most of the hotels of Funchal I had read about. Good location, good price, wonderful pools and reception staff. I could have called it a perfect place but for some trifles which blurred the overall impression of the hotel. The saddest thing is that it requires almost nothing to get rid of them. So I would address this information to the hotel managers rather than to those who are making a choice of a hotel. It's all about room cleaning. On the first day we found some litter left bypeople who stayed in our room before. There were 3 bins in the room and we have never seen all of them clean after room-cleaning. We gathered impression that the maid was wating for them to get full of litter. The maid was polite and smiling but we constatntly missed towels, shampoos and shower-gels. No tips helped (I for one would try my best for 10 Euros). As one of the gowns got unclean we left it with our used towels for change. We got nothing in return. Trie the same with the second gown - it was gon the same day. It was only after we turned to the receiption that we found two crispy white gowns on our bed. It is thanks to the relaxing atmosphere of the island that we didn't pay too much attention to these nuisances. The other annoying thing was the music from the bar. They seemed to be short of recordings and played same disk everyday. As we would come to the balcony to enjoy the night breeze, a nasal voice would sing same songs in same order - Wind of Change by Scorpions appeared their favorate. It was neither loud nor disturbing, but you can't help wondering after 3 days. Other things to note: palm-trees are kept high at Eden Mar (unlike those at Porto Mar) and may hide the ocean view from some rooms. To people with different stages of insomnia I would also recommend to shut balconi doors for the night and use air-conditioning. Every morning at about 6 am the buffet staff started preparing the tables for breakfast. It happens that the cuttlery and dishes sideboards are placed outside in the garden terrace where the breakfast takes place (there're some ten tables outside while twice or thrice more are inside). So the preparation was accompanied by clattering and jingling. I wondered - why not keep the sideboards inside? Overall, the staff did not seem to try and make as little noise as was possible. Bearing all the above-mentioned in mind, the hotel is great.

Based on other reviews, I decided upon the Eden Mar. Overall things were good, however, because I have a bad back and because the bed was absolutely the hardest thing I've ever slept on other than the floor, the stay wasn't as great as it could have been. Also, a few other annoying things: 1. There seemed to be a real shortage of staff at the breakfast buffet. We eventually gave up waiting for anyone to bring coffee and simply took the caraffes ourselves 2. The hair dryer in the room was a joke. I think my husband could fan my hair with a magazine and dry it faster 3. The beds, in addition to being rock hard, were simply two twins pushed together. We constantly re-made them into one unit each night and each day the maid would undo our handy work 4. Everything was extra. Parasols were €1, Foozbal was €2.50, Ping Pong was another charge, etc. 5. Flattest pillows on the planet. We stuffed them with the sofa cushions in order to give them any substance 6. No toaster or microwave in the kitchenette. Good things: clean, lots of high pressure hot water, nice balconey, great location, good front desk staff, reasonable price, nice pools, good gym If your back can take it, and you don't mind the other annoying things, stay here.

I and my wife spent one week at this hotel in September 2006 and enjoyed our stay very much. Eden Mar is located in the Funchal hotel zone, about 30 minutes of slow walking (about 2km) from the city centre. There is a free full size bus running from the hotel to the centre of Funchal almost every hour during the day. The hotel is about 250 meters from the ocean (steep downhill) and does not have a beach of its own. There are, however, two pebble beaches (or rather places where one can enter the water, since the seashore is very rocky and steep) just in front of the hotel. One beach is free, the other is not (2.8 euro entrance fee). Never used the latter since were quite satisfied with the free one. Our room was a very spacious double with a small open kitchen equipped with a two-burner electric stove, small fridge, dishware, and cutlery (knifes are very dull, so bring your own if you plan to cook). No microwave, but everything clean and in good order. The room had a big balcony with a nice view of the hotel garden in foreground and the ocean in the background – a pleasant place to enjoy ice-cream after a day full of activities. The room had air-conditioning and the bathroom was clean and spacious. The hotel is a part of a big complex (Vila Porto Mare Resort) comprising also hotel Porto Mare and time share Residence. Guests of all three properties can use the facilities of the complex which includes four swimming pools, a spa center, a gym, several restaurants, etc. The resort’s garden is stunningly beautiful (like a botanical garden) and was awarded as the most beautiful hotel garden last year. Swimming pools were never overcrowded, rather they were empty most of the time. We didn’t use swimming pools preferring to swim in the ocean. The gym is well equipped with machines for aerobic training like tread mills, bicycles, etc, but also has several machines for anaerobic (muscles) training. Breakfast was served in two restaurants: Alfama (formally belonging to Eden Mar) and Atlantida (belonging to Porto Mare). We preferred to go to Atlantida since it is bigger, has larger selection of food and a possibility to dine on the terrace with an ocean view. The assortment included eggs, omelets, yogurts, cheese, hams, vegetables, about 10 types of bread, good selection of fruits like plums, nectarines, watermelons, melons, kiwi, bananas, etc., juices, spackling wine, milk, mineral water, sweet pastries. They were also making omelets to order with cheese, mushrooms or ham. Food selection was excellent for a hotel of this level, wide selection of fresh fruits was a delight. Hotel clientele was rather mature (we are 26), mostly British and German in their 40s and 50s. No kids and almost no young people which contributes to peaceful and quiet atmosphere of the resort. Since we are not into partying all night and were rather looking for a relaxing vacation, the resort’s ambience was very much to our taste. In the evenings from our balcony we could enjoy quiet life music that was played in the bar down in the garden. Hotel personnel was always courteous, friendly and willing to help. Negative points: -small ants living in the kitchen (don’t leave any food open) -some fruits at breakfast were barely washed (quite dirty actually) -some glasses and dishes at breakfast were not properly washed We were on self-catering , so some details on buying food. There is a big supermarket just outside the hotel (or rather under it, about 100 meters down the road to the ocean). There are also two others nearby (in the hotel zone) but they all belong to the same chain (Pingo Doce), so the range and the prices are identical. In Funchal centre, there is another very big Pingo Doce supermarket and an SA supermarket. In general, we found that supermarkets are good for buying any food except fruits and vegetables which are better and cheaper on the central market (Mercado dos Lavradores, head to the upper floor which is less touristy and caters for locals). Wine can be bought at supermarkets, but the best choice is probably in dedicated wine shops (one is just outside Eden Mar). Since we cooked for ourselves, we didn’t tried resort’s restaurants, but at least their prices seem to be on par with those of restaurants in Funchal. But we tried ice-cream café “Dolce Lima” (also belongs to the resort, but the access is only from the ocean promenade) and were very satisfied by the quality of their ice-cream (the best gelato we found on Madeira). Sweet-teeth should definitely pay a visit. As for us – we were usually buying a big box (about 1 kilo) to enjoy it later on our balcony. Among various activities available on the island we tried the following: hiked up the cape Cabo Girao (recommended, views are unbelievable), visited the Funcal botanical garden (were slightly disappointed, since the garden is more like a tropical forest, not a well-groomed garden), went for a 4 hours sailing trip on catamaran to see dolphins, whales and turtles (the trip was pleasant, even with some real sailing under sails, but no dolphins or turtles for us, only a lonely whale; at the end the catamaran stopped and it was possible to swim a little; 45 euro for two), visited Santana and Nun’s Valley by bus and did some hiking there (recommended, especially Nun’s Valley). In general, we were very satisfied with our stay and can recommend the hotel.

Returned earlier today after spending a week at the Eden Mar - knew we should have gone for ten days after reading the other Trip-Advisor reviews !! My wife and I rate this hotel very highly.- room and facilities are excellent. We were a little surpised at the steep hills in many parts of Funchal but the complex itself which comprises the Eden Mar, Porto Mar and the Residence(timeshare) is level, mostly and well served by lifts. The gym is good and air conditioned and we were impressed by the four swimming pools - even though we heard that the hotel was full we were often the only ones in the pool. Very few young children made our stay most enjoyable. Also we seldom saw any groups of young people around - most were either honeymooners or middle aged. We stayed B & B - the breakfast in on a par with the Hilton, in England , and ate in the hotel only once during the evening, which was fine- there are numerous eating places around - Try the TOKUS nearby in the direction of the marina, for an intimate and friendly welcome. The coastal walk is not too difficult- just a few sharp hills. Staff at the hotel were most helpful - sunbeds free, parasol - one euro. Tour reps provide the usual over-priced trips - try the Strawberry Travel Agents near the hotel for more modestly priced opportunities. Half-day catamaran trip was great value at 25 euros. Overall, a relaxing and enjoyable week's holiday

We have just returned from a week at the Eden Mar Hotel, part of the Porto Bay complex. This was our first visit to Madeira and we definately intend to return, staying here again. The hotel is conveniently located (near the Lido), with a supermarket, shops, bars and restaurants all nearby. Upon arrival, we wern't entirely happy with our room - on the ground floor - as this offered little or know sea view. We were offered a different room - on the third floor - without any fuss. Both rooms were exceptionally clean, well decorated and modern, with good facilities. The kitchennette was useful although we couldn't understand why there was no electricity socket for the kettle - we had to plug in elsewhere in the room). The breakfasts were substantial, buffet style. There is a varied entertainment programme at the hotel - the folklore show is recommended (although the drinks service in Bar Lido is not). The hotel offers a courtsesy bus service to the City Centre (a mile or so away), which takes you right to the the Old Town / Bus Station / Cable Car / Market. We used this several times for onward bus journeys. There is also public bus stop a few minutes walk away from the hotel. At all times the staff were friendly and helpful, especially at reception with a wide range of local information. Overall, this is one of the best hotels that we have stayed at and is highly recommended.

We've just returned from our 2 week stay at the Eden Mar in Funchal,Madeira(31/7/06-15/8/06). We have to say that we were very, very satisfied with the accomodation, service, and staff at the hotel. On arrival we were immediately upgraded to a junior suite (from a superior room), which was a pleasant suprise! The room was spacious, clean and had a good view over the pool and gardens towards the sea. The only thing that slightly let the bedroom down, were the pillows.....they were small and "limp". The breakfasts were a buffet style and there was plenty of choice to satisfy anybody. The Eden Mar has 3 swimming pools, and along with the adjoining Porto Mare which had another outdoor pool, were more than adequate. There were plenty of sunbeds and sun parasols,although it was 1 euro each day for parasol hire. It was disappointing to see the English in particular, resorting to leaving towels on the sunbeds first thing in the morning. There was no need. The evening entertainment was low key. This suited us just fine. You will not hear any loud disco's here. The hotel runs a courtesy bus into Funchal everyday but it wasn't too far to walk. It took about 20-30 mins to walk each way. There was some uphill walking coming back,but not too much. A couple of things we did find incovenient was that it was difficult to cash travellers cheques in Madiera. The hotel doesn't do this and the first bank we tried wanted 26% commission! Go to Joe's wineshop just up the road from the Eden Mar if you do take travellers cheques. Also, there was a little difficulty in finding hire cars at this time of year. I would suggest you book one via the internet before you go if you want one. Another suggestion to anyone planning on going to Porto Santo.Book it straight away as you might find (like us) that you've left it too late as the boat does get fully booked. Would we go to the Eden Mar again?... Yes,definately.

We found the Eden Mar to be one of the best we have stayed in. Rooms 1st class pools really nice and the breakfasts and dinners superb. would recommend to my best friends.