Pestana Casino Park Ocean and SPA Hotel

Great stay

N/a

Overall, the hotel wasn’t a 5 star hotel experience by any stretch. Parking in the hotel isn’t convenient and isn’t included. For a five star hotel I would expect this to be included. The showers are ridiculously small, there are no hooks to hang your towels and the dinner buffet wasn’t great. I would rate this hotel a 3 to 4 star. The only good thing is its convenient location and breakfast. The staff were friendly at least. I would also expect more fun activities that wouldn’t include a 8 euro charge for an hour game of pool. Overall, I would not recommend it if you are expecting a 5 star experience.

Location

Good location and very clean.

Great location but a little tired in places, particularly the room. The room smelt musty upon first entry, my wife said it smelt of smoke. Bath plug was missing and there was hair on our floor and in our bathroom which was definitely not ours. I think housecleaning can do with an upgrade. Also towels were not always replaced. On the service side, staff were polite but not always helpful. As it was our first time, we asked for directions only to be given a map and told to look on that. Bar prices were a bit expensive. €6.50 for a lager an lime, €4 down the road. Buffet breakfast was ok. Had much better elsewhere. But overall it was good and the location was very good. We particularly like the Prince Albert pub 3 mins walk away.

The staff were helpful and friendly throughout our stay . The room was probably in need of an update but cannot fault the cleanliness . It has a lovely bar area inside and out and both the outdoor pools were clean and tidy . The indoor spa and pool were an added bonus . We were B&B and the breakfast was more than acceptable. We did eat in the restaurant on one of the evenings and found the food lacking in choice but this would be my only negative. The hotel is a 20min walk into the town centre and very handy for bus stops/taxis and lots of restaurants in walking distance . We found it an excellent base to explore Funchal from .

Great location and beautiful pool with a great view. Unfortunately that's where it ends. We stayed in this hotel twice, once before the cruise and once after. If my second booking was refundable then I wouldn't have gone back. Staff at the front desk are completely incompetent and not properly trained. The gym equipment has not been serviced in years. I complained about this on the first visit hoping that at least one of the cardio machines would work a week later, but nothing was done about it. What makes is worse is the staff seems annoyed when you bring this up. Loved Madeira but won't go back to this hotel.

Location! - the Casino Park is without a doubt the best located hotel in Funchal - you get out and walk to all major sights. That comes with a curse - NOISE, LOUD INCESSANT NOISE ALL NIGHT LONG - which is not their fault but rather the municipality of Funchal, that somehow believes that absolutely insultingly and preposterously loud concerts of horrendously mediocre bands and music is what tourists that stay in 5 star hotels want.... in any case, the Casino Park - which 40 years ago was the Grand Dame of Funchal is clearly dated, not a 5 star hotel, at best a 4 star - needs renovations/dire improvements in a few areas: there are no coffee/ tea machines in the room, the breakfast buffett is a disgraceful display of bad, processed, garbage food, they have four coffee machines for 200 people: it takes 15-20 minutes in a line to get a cup of coffee for breakfast. There are 3 very small elevators for the entire hotel - so in a busy period, it is impossible to get one, prepare to go up and down 5 or 6 flights of stairs - which is not that bad after you ate that horrendous breakfast food... now let me mention some great things - the staff is awesome, truly concerned about the clients well being - the problem is that Grupo Pestana, who has bought all the largest hotels in Madeira, is not up to international standards, they are a cost cutting, accounting driven corporation from stingy owners who will replace 20 humans with one bad coffee machine in a heartbeat. SHAME ON PESTANA

6th visit to Madeira, 4th stay in the hotel. The rooms are comfortable and all have a balcony. Breakfast is outstanding and the evening bar is quite peaceful and fairly priced. Excellent