- Madeira Holidays
- Funchal
- Pestana Carlton Madeira Ocean Resort Hotel
This luxurious hotel is located in the lively city of Funchal on the mesmerising Portuguese island of Madeira. The hotel enjoys an idyllic slope setting overlooking the shimmering waters of the magnificent sea. Guests will find themselves just 10 minutes from the beach and in close proximity to a selection of colourful shops, exquisite restaurants, lively bars and nightclubs.
This upscale hotel offers a host of exemplary facilities, catering to the needs of discerning business and leisure travellers.
Guest rooms are styled with neutral tones, classically-beautiful furniture and an exhilarating sense of calm and tranquility. All rooms are equipped with a range of facilities to ensure a comfortable stay, facilities include a Flat screen TV, electric kettle, mini-bar, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and a balcony. Rooms with upgraded views eg. pool view, garden or sea view, are available at a supplement.
Guests will be impressed by the hotel's choice of exceptional leisure, recreational and dining amenities.
Relax at the full-service spa, where you can enjoy massages. If you're looking for recreational opportunities, you'll find an outdoor pool, an indoor pool and a hot tub. Additional features at this hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services and babysitting (surcharge).
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
Best service ever, very helpful staff and everybody very kind. 9th floor rooms that my yoga group got were very old an tired an no five star hotel has thick carpets on the floor in the rooms! But again very clean and the staff wonderful
Very disappointing experience;
Pro’s Great location Large rooms kept very clean by housekeeping Beautiful sea view USB bedside Comfortable beds with nice linen and pillows
Con’s Very dated decor Shower in Bath Poorly functioning aircon that didn’t go below 21* Smell of sewer in room in evening Very uncomfortable and old sunbeds without padding Layout in dining room means a lot of queueing and bumping into people as the tables are so close together Constantly having to find salt/pepper pots/cutlery/plates etc - so frustrating that by the time you’ve found everything, your breakfast has gone cold. Cappuccino selection gives you an odd concoction of chocolate and coffee. The pool towel system is that the towels are provided in your room-if you don’t time it properly TOUGH as they wont provide them by the pool. The 10% advertised as a discount if you’re a Pestana member (which I am)- you have to provide this EVERYTIME you order anything and charge it to your bill. Wouldn’t it just be easier to ask for this upon check in and add it to your room? Unfortunately they wouldn’t allow us to add it to our bill upon checking out so we lost out. The most disappointing thing was on the 2 occasions I asked for assistance (maintenance man re aircon and poolside asking for umbrella) both men were extremely rude.
This was our second visit to the Pestana Carlton. We first stayed in 2025 for an athletic event but didn’t have enough time to fully enjoy the hotel, so we returned this year — and we’re so glad we did! Travelling as two couples, we couldn’t have asked for a better stay. Every member of staff, from housekeeping to front of house, was exceptional. Nothing was too much trouble, and everyone went above and beyond to make our holiday special.
Breakfast was fantastic, with plenty of choice and freshly prepared food. Sitting on the outdoor terrace with the beautiful views was the perfect way to start the day.
Both pool areas were clean and well maintained, with plenty of sunbeds. We particularly loved the lower pool and the option to swim in the sea. The daily pool aerobics with Cissy was great fun — she really is an absolute star and such a funny lady! We also enjoyed the yoga classes. We wish Cissy a speedy recovery from her knee injury!
The location is excellent, with lots of restaurants within a short stroll and Funchal centre around a 15-minute walk away. We also used Uber to explore further afield, which was easy and very reasonably priced.
Madeira is a stunning island with so much to see and do, and the Pestana Carlton is a fantastic base for exploring it.
We will definitely return. A huge thank you to all the staff for making our holiday so enjoyable! Highly recommended.
Second time visiting Madeira and this hotel looked like the perfect location. However after reading some mixed reviews we were a little apprehensive about this hotel . Needless to say it turned out to be a great trip . From arrival at check in staff were so professional and explained everything Room was a bay view on 12 th floor which was perfect with stunning views of harbour and Funchal night lights . Food was great managed to get something most nights from buffet (dining staff could be a bit more pleasant) however not a big issue . Poolside was absolutely spotless and plenty of loungers available (didn’t experience any reserving which is a bonus . Would I return absolutely it’s a beautiful location. One issue to address please review your pool towel exchange policy it’s not acceptable having to wait till next day to exchange a towel . Had so many arguments with pool staff they wouldn’t change policy (very poor) but it could easily be fixed
We enjoyed this resort so much on our first visit in 2025 that we returned in 2026. The location is convenient - an easy walk to downtown or the waterfront with good transit options. Pick a view - they are all great: the pool & ocean, the Funchal waterfront or the city rising into the mountains to the north. We appreciated the option to relax at either of two pools, take a dip in the ocean, or shop and dine in an enjoyable city. Special thanks to Salome at reception, who provided excellent service.
