Hotels & accommodation

Reid's Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Madeira

Belmond · Clifftop palace hotel above Funchal Bay, opened in 1891 by the Reid family

Reid's Palace stands on a clifftop west of Funchal Bay, wrapped in subtropical gardens above the Atlantic Ocean. Opened by the Reid family in 1891, the pink palace has been Madeira's best-known hotel address for well over a century, and today it is part of Belmond.

The hotel has 126 rooms and suites, many opening onto balconies facing the bay and the harbour lights of Funchal. Interiors pair a traditional grand-hotel feel with island touches, and the largest Signature Suites start at 105 square metres.

Dining is a large part of the rhythm here: the Michelin-starred William Restaurant cooks with Madeiran produce, Ristorante Villa Cipriani serves Italian food on a sea-view terrace, Brisa do Mar sits by the water, and the hotel's traditional afternoon tea — 24 blends served overlooking the ocean — is a Funchal institution in its own right. There is also a gelateria, San Giorgio, in the gardens.

Outside, three outdoor swimming pools step down the cliff towards a sea-level bathing platform, and the gardens give the hotel a resort calm minutes from the city. As a scouting base it works well: Funchal's old town, market and marina are close by, and the island's levada walks, viewpoints and west-coast villages are easy day trips while you test whether Madeira life fits.

• Belmond — part of the Belmond collection (LVMH)
• Estrada Monumental 139, 9000-098 Funchal, Madeira
• 126 rooms and suites, per the hotel's own site
• Michelin-starred William Restaurant and a traditional afternoon-tea terrace
• Three outdoor pools, subtropical gardens and a sea-level bathing platform

Visit the property — Belmond belmond.com

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