Reviews of Pestana Atlantic Bay Hotel, Funchal, Madeira

We chose this hotel because of...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2005

Tour Operator:

Atlantic

Submitted By:

Mrs S Brown

Comments:

We chose this hotel because of its location, it is remote from Funchal and the approach is not pretty (the petrol depot) but the hotel is lovely. The grounds very nice- pool etc. Rooms lovely. Funchal itself is a bit mad for us. Too many people in too small an area.



We watch whales and birds and this hotel provided both. From our balcony (all rooms over look the sea) we had sperm whale, fin whale and the star of the holiday- a blue whale! First time we had seen one. They are distant-off shore but they are there.



We also had petrels coming in at night. Looking to go back to this hotel this year -probably to the same room!

We had visited Madeira 11 years...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2005

Tour Operator:

Atlantic

Submitted By:

lovelyleo

Comments:

We had visited Madeira 11 years ago, and had been warned that a lot of building work and major roadways had been built, to the detriment of the Island, but on visiting again in September 2005, we were pleased to see that the “improvements” had not spoilt the island as much as we had anticipated – all the new hotels were “quality and tastefully designed”, and Madeira has certainly avoided the Spanish and Canary Island “tack” which we had anticipated.



We stayed at the Pestana Bay Hotel, which when we visited 11 years ago, would have been approximately 1 mile away from the furthest point of Funchal, the distance now having been fully built up with hotels such as Crowne Plaza Holiday Resort (previously a banana plantation), and many other hotels.



However, we had a very enjoyable week, and would give the Pestana Bay Hotel 9 out of 10.



Good points first:



1. Friendly and Helpful Staff – no-one could be faulted



2. Clean, comfortable room



3. All rooms have a sea view



4. We stayed bed and breakfast, – breakfast was slightly above average for a 4 star hotel – we have had better but have had worse – choice was the same each day. Some variation could have been made – but quality good.



5. Plenty of sunbeds round pool.



6. Room has a proper fridge- invaluable for chilled beer and wine from the supermarket! Quite unusual, even for a good quality hotel.



7. Unusually for Funchal, hotel has direct access to the sea through the swimming pool area, for sea swimming, although the "beach" is totally stones and pebbles. Madeira however is not known for beaches.



8. Views of sunset in evening are spectacular from hotel balcony - obviously facing the right way!! (See photo from Room 612)









Bad points:



1. Hotel says that it is 4 miles from Funchal. They are not kidding! We went to Madeira on an independent “walking holiday”, and the only blisters and sore feet we had were walking from the hotel to Funchal concrete there and back. The levada and mountain walks we did, one of which was 18 km, when we wore walking boots, proved no problem!



2. Hotel provides a courtesy bus into Funchal. Fine…. Except it doesn’t run after 6.30 pm or on a Sunday!!



3. I understand that the Atlantic Bay Apartments next door are under the same ownership. They are definitely “down market”, but as they share the same amenities, their clients seem to take over the breakfast tables, reserving vacant tables for absent friends, and guests of Atlantic Bay Hotel who go for breakfast after 8.30 am., find it difficult to obtain a free table as they seem to be all take by the guests of the next door Apartments.



4. This is the killer – (see photo) – next door but one (i.e. next door to Atlantic Bay Apartments), is the Shell Petrol/Diesel Depot. Very scenic.!! To be fair, when you are in the Hotel, you don’t see it, but it makes walking in that direction a no go area! Therefore, to walk, there is only one direction – towards Funchal – 4 miles away!



5. Evening meals in the hotel are expensive for what you get. Checked out evening meal before eating out - a basic salad. In the near vicinity there are 3 fish restaurants, all of which looked to be ok, but there is a very good Italian Pizza/Pasta Restaurant, where we ate each evening



6. There are no shops or bars in the vicinity - there is one

supermarket, which sells everything you need, but certainly no bars which are open during the day.





Don’t get me wrong, although my minus points exceed the plus points – you must appreciate that Madeira is very different from the Spanish/Canary Island/Balearic/Greece/ Turkey etc. hotspots. It is a quality destination, when for the majority of the visitors who know what to expect, my minus points mean nothing….. this Hotel I would recommend for value, situation, friendliness, and cleanliness – if you want night life, English bars, wide screen TV for football, or if you are one of those who go on holiday wearing a British Football shirt and want to eat burgers and chips, – forget Madeira, and forget this hotel – you don’t want them and they certainly won’t want you !!!



We will certainly visit Madeira again – but not this hotel – the only reason being that it is just to far out of Funchal to walk into for an Evening where we like to "people watch", and walk leisurely back to the hotel - there are other quality hotels nearer Funchal.



Incidentally, the courtesy Pestana bus calls in at the next Pestana Hotel which is nearer Funchal, (I believe the "Pestana "Grand". We were glad we were not staying there - considering it is a 5 star hotel and more expensive - heard of "building works next door"...... I will say no more!!





PS Anyone wanting to go on an independent walking holiday to Madeira (all the walks turned out to be easy compared to British standards), check out Madeira Explorers on line. They gave us 10% discount for booking on line, but paying in cash at their office in Funchal, which is in the Lido Shopping complex (can’t miss it). Walking boots are needed for the mountain walks, but trainers would be ok for the levada walks. They collected us from the hotel at 9 am, took us out on the walks, and then returned us to the hotel at approximately 5 pm. We had three great days with them.



Have a good holiday.

Spotted this hotel a couple of...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Mecury Direct

Submitted By:

romfty

Comments:

Spotted this hotel a couple of years ago on a previous visit, it sits just off the prom and the sea is easily accessible. It appears to have been just taken over by the Pestana group. Booked two weeks thro Mecury Direct, no problems, great flights on a Sunday afternoon (Heathrow) both ways. Flying with Tap air (Portugal’s own airline) was great, no hot meal (not missed either) but free drinks and a ham sandwich. Transfer by small mini bus and on return by taxi, great, and no queues for coaches and luggage. The hotel was tremendous, efficient (if slightly curt) reception staff, brilliant food and great rooms, all come with a sea view as the other side of the hotel faces a small cliff. Next day we met the rep, just us, no other Brits had travelled that day, she was great, very helpful and didn’t try to ram tours and trips down our throat! For people intent on self-catering, there is not much in the way of pots and pans and only a small two ring hotplate. But we asked one of the restaurant staff and came away with bowls and cups etc. The hotel has a freshwater pool, plenty of sun loungers, a small gym and games rooms for the kids. Towels are provided for the pool and beach and lifeguards carry out regular patrols on the sea front. Drinks in the hotel are a bit pricey, but a short walk (up hill) away is a supermarket which sells just about everything and it is great to stock up the fridge in your room, no air conditioning in the rooms, but there is a big ceiling fan which is very effective.


Funchal itself, is a fair walk away, some of it on a pleasant coastal path and some on the busy footpath leading past Reids Hotel next to the road, about four or five kilometres at a guess. But there is a courtesy bus and the local buses also run from near the hotel.


Great hotel, great holiday, great flights!.

Madeira is like every holiday...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2003

Tour Operator:

Lastminute

Submitted By:

Mrs EH Punter

Comments:

Madeira is like every holiday you’ve ever had rolled into one!



It really is a very beautiful island, full of contrasts and amazing scenery which is different at every turn.



We chose this hotel because it was cheaper than those in central Funchal. We were so glad we did. The road on the way to the hotel isn’t very pretty but don’t let that put you off. Once you get to the hotel itself, you’ll be greeted by helpful staff and a glass of Madeira wine.



The rooms are spacious and very comfortable, we had a bath and a shower, a kitchenette, a TV (limited English channels), ample wardrobes, huge patio doors leading out onto a balcony overlooking the bay.



The room was clean and tidy as was the entire hotel. The pool isn’t enormous but adequate and the tropical gardens are beautiful.



There was plenty of choice at breakfast and the hotel caters for all nationalities, tastes and diets.



We stayed on a B&B basis and had dinner in the hotel one night, it wasn’t too bad but we felt it was slightly overpriced. There aren’t that many places to eat within walking distance from the hotel but if you hire a car and venture a little further there are some absolute gems to be found (Mozart restaurant was AMAZING).



The evening entertainment was a bit naff, but all the more enjoyable for it!!



I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this hotel.



The walk along the seafront from the hotel is lovely and it’s made more special by the caves on the way.



We saw pretty much the whole of Madeira in a week, and loved every part of it. The cable car in Funchal is good followed by the basket ride down which is fantastic fun.



There is some spectacular scenery in Madeira as well as amazing plant life and great walking. We enjoyed our stay enormously and will certainly return one day.

We took pot luck with this one,...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2002

Tour Operator:

Atlantic Holidays

Submitted By:

Select J G Avis

Comments:

We took pot luck with this one, but really fell on our feet.

We were on a newspaper special offer, and took a 4 star, half board option. We were allocated the Atlantic Bay Hotel.

The appeal of the Atlantic Bay is that it is not in the main hotel area of Funchal, but is a short way outside the town, on its own. It is backed by cliffs, so it is not overlooked.

The Hotel is at the end of the coastal promenade walk, which is about a 3km walk back into Funchal, although the hotel does operate a courtesy bus into town. This walk passes through tunnels, which are beautifully lit and have classical music playing. One can also hear the sea in the caves below, Very atmospheric. One also passes the sea pools bathing area, a shopping mall, and the main lido.



But back to the hotel. Most of the rooms have sea view, but the downstairs basement room all open out into the beautiful sub-tropical gardens. These are a real delight with wonderful flowers and shrubs and trees, and make a pleasant change from the pool area for quiet sitting and reading.



The rooms are well appointed with a basic kitchenette.

The pool is attractive and well maintained. but the area around it gets a bit crowded. and the "beach" is just a pebbly bank, certainly not confortable for sitting on. Not reccommended.



The dining areas are spacious with well spaced tables. Tha staff are friendly and helpful, and once they knew we wanted a quiet table, would keep one free for us.

The evening entertainment tends to be a bit "holiday camp", but is usually finished by 8.00pm, so one can choose to eat later, and avoid the entertainment. The buffet style food is certainly adequate with plenty of choice, but is a bit expensive if you are on a B&B basis.



There is a good range of tours and excursions on offer from the hotel

We were delighted to find the Atlantic Bay Hotel and are going back this spring, with some friends.

J. Avis April 04