My stay was for 8 days back in 2018, so perhaps a bit too dated for your request. The posts above seem reasonable to me, and I think they capture the spirit of the place fairly well. Overall, I think my wife and I enjoyed Reid's Palace a bit more than the posters above did. I rather like that there are still some “old school” places left. The grounds and view from our room were fabulous. We enjoyed the breakfast service and venue by the pool. We also had room service on our balcony and enjoyed our meal and service at Cipriani. Also had afternoon tea. The venue and view were great, but the service and food were just ok (many non-hotel guests partake).

We had a deluxe sea view room in the old part of the hotel with a small balcony. View great. Room had old school charm, but I can see where many might just find it small and dated. The room AC was a bit weak and not very good at removing humidity.

We usually took the hotel shuttle into town, and either walked or taxied back to the hotel. Took Hotel limo to and from airport (very reasonable with good service and car).

My wife had a medical issue during our stay and the front desk handled it very well (getting doctor, prescriptions, etc.) In fact, we had to cancel a hotel organized tour the next day and they did not charge us a cancellation fee… so I appreciated their thoughtfulness and good service when it was really needed. I had no billing issues.

I have very positive memories of my stay but can agree it might be underwhelming for many on this forum who expect perfection. If I were to return to Madeira, I would most likely stay at Reid’s Palace again. I would almost, but not quite return to Madeira just to stay there again.

Few photos:


View from Room


Main pool and breakfast area

Saltwater pool at base of cliff

Pool

Some of the "old school" stuff

Some of the "old school" stuff


Bathroom

Room