We arrived a day early from when the booking was made yet the staff were able to get us into a room. (They had two ongoing weddings in two different areas that day and it appeared that they were absolutely booked). The showers were also awesome - with noticeably good pressure. Being from North America and travelling through Europe, the lack of water pressure in showers are noticeable but this is place had awesome showers with great water pressure. The views are excellent. You get a sliver of sea view from the front of the hotel but you are staying here to be within the mountains and enjoy the beautiful mountain skies at night as well as the fresh air. It is convenient to stay here when hiking the famous Pico De Arieiro because the road up to this hotel connects to the road up the mountain.

Quite an interesting drive up the mountain - which may not be for everyone as it requires a relatively skilled and/or confident driver to get here safely.

The hotel offers beautiful views of the surroundings. The staff in the restaurant was very friendly and helped compensate for the poor food quality.

We got a 2-room apartment, including a baby crib beside our bed, although we booked a simple double room. Unfortunately, the dormitory was separated from the balcony by the second room, which we kept closed as it was not heated. So we had no window in our room - which we expected when we booked. One morning, we had breakfast at 09:30 and noticed almost all the food was gone. Nobody bothered to refill. I understand that refilling might lead to food waste when most of the hotel guests have already eaten, but they could have offered us some supplements from the kitchen. We asked for some veggies, but we were told there were none. The restaurant was disappointing.

The location is perfect, the views are stunning. The breakfast was good as well. We're definitely going back there next time we're in Madeira.

There is no AC which is necessary in August. Also, the lights in the room are quite dim, there was no strong main light in the room, so could be a challenge to read. Also, on our last day we wanted to use the pool area before checking out. It opens at 10 am, but when we arrived around 10:15 the pool was still covered and the jacuzzi was off with cold water inside. We waited for a couple of minutes, but no one showed up so we had to leave.

The view was great, it was just really nice to look out the windows and see the mountains close by. The hotel is in a pretty nice area with not much around which was a plus for me. Breakfast was good. The price was great for what it offered. I would definitely recommend staying here for a night or two if you want a bit more of a quiet place. Just know that there's not much to do around.

They had a wedding reception in the evening which was a bit loud for a while. There's not much else around in term of restaurants so you either have to drive for a while or you can eat dinner in the hotel's restaurant.

This is a wonderful place especially for the price. The location is stunning, the rooms are very well cleaned, staff is friendly, and the all around atmosphere is just very relaxing and special. Very nice dining room and swimming pool. The hotel is a bit older but efforts have been made to bring the room up to modern standards, such as a big tv and a lovely walk-in shower. I can think of some little things that could be improved (to really bring up the standard to top notch) but that would likely also bring the price up and out of my range.

Outside there is some unpleasant bathroom smell if the wind is the wrong way.

The room was incredibly spacious, we even had 2 extra beds. We had nice background music thanks to the wedding just next door (literally). :) Breakfast was also good, but veggie selection was not too abundant. In fact the view is incredible, but that's what you're really paying for here.

The spa section seemed rather a scam as others commented before, read the comments too late. :( It was a disappointment.

The View is the best! Night and day! We just couldn't get enough! The hotel has many facilities (it's also a spa after all). Beds were comfy, shower also nice. Breakfast was pretty good to start the day. The path going down to Curral das Freiras looks challenging, but it's entertaining and very much worth it (and back!).

The environment looks too formal, with dress code to enter the dining/breakfast room, and so many glasses and cutlery. It doesn't match the beautiful wilderness around it. It's contrasting to a point of being intimidating for people like us, who are there to hike, wearing hiking clothes. Anyway, this is a very personal perception. Maybe I'm just too unsophisticated.

The views from the room and dining areas are superb. The food that we had in the evening was excellent. The room itself was large and spacious and it had a balcony which afforded views over the valley below. When checking in the staff were pleasant and welcoming.

Firstly, it would have been helpful if the hotel provided milk that could be used with the tea or coffee provided. The tv stations are clearly set up for German guest as there is very limited English speaking channels. People may say that you don’t go on holiday to watch tv but when the weather is bad then there is little else to do in the evening. As the hotel has a ‘captive clientele’ there are very limited things to do in the evening. A long stay would be difficult.

Views from this location were excellent! Our room was great with a very large balcony, a spa bath and a large bed. Meals were superb.

This hotel is clearly designed for the use of walkers and hikers. It is located high up in the centre of the island and takes about 25 minutes to reach from Funchal on the coast. The road up winds tightly and is quite narrow in places. Meeting very large coaches on the way down was challenging to say the least. Excellent hotel but we would have to seriously consider whether we would use again due to access.

A feeling of being part of the mountains, at night enjoying the stars - no light pollution = many many stars! Take a torch and walk up to the viewing point - incredible! A very comfortable bed, good shower. We enjoyed the food, very good.

The hotel is a bit tired and in need of some attention. For example, where to charge a phone/tablet? We found 1 point in the bathroom, another by moving the fridge and unplugging the TV. Curtain was hanging off track, we easily put it back, damp patch on the ceiling. In the restaurant the salt and pepper pots were dirty, floors not swept - it's like staff have stopped seeing certain areas..... but they were all friendly and provided good service .