1. Castanheiro Boutique Hotel 4* – Hotels Near Madeira Christmas Market

Offering an outdoor pool and spa centre, Castanheiro Boutique Hotel is set in Funchal, 500 m from Marina do Funchal. The hotel has a year-round outdoor pool and hot tub, and guests can enjoy a meal at the restaurant or a drink at the bar.

Each room is equipped with a flat-screen TV with cable channels. A terrace or balcony are featured in certain rooms. The rooms include a private bathroom. For your comfort, you will find bathrobes, slippers and free toiletries.

Castanheiro Boutique Hotel features a SPA with hydrotherapy pool, sauna, turkish bath,massage rooms and a relaxing area. You will also find a hairdresser’s at the property.

Occupying elegant historic buildings across from the Universidade da Madeira, this upmarket hotel is 2 km from the VR1 highway, and an 11-minute walk from local history exhibits at the Madeira Story Centre.

Polished rooms with chic furnishings feature minibars, free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs; some have coffeemakers, balconies and/or kitchenettes. Upgraded rooms add sitting areas, and suites have separate living rooms. Room service is available.

There’s a Mediterranean restaurant and a cozy cafe/bar, plus a rooftop terrace with a lap pool and a snack bar. Other amenities include a gym and a spa.

n the heart of an historic zone, just a few steps away from the City Hall, this four star hotel arose from an innovative concept blending design, detailed architectural restoration and a welcoming atmosphere. With 81 rooms it boasts a lap pool where guests will enjoy panoramic views overlooking the Bay of Funchal and panoramic jacuzzi, two steps away from the main shops, museums, restaurants and bars in the city.

The welcome on arrival was warm and friendly and we appreciated being able to check in early. Our room was comfortable. We had a small balcony looking out over the street. We spent a couple of hours by the rooftop pool which has stunning views across the city. We also had lunch at the pool bar and again the hospitality of the man behind the bar was fabulous – the half pizza of shrimp and pineapple with salad was lovely! The area is quite small and was beginning to get busy when we left.
We didn’t have dinner in the restaurant as it was the night of the Christmas market so we ate street food. Breakfast next morning was very good with a choice of buffet and inclusive items to order from the menu.

It was nice to start Christmas Eve with a Buck’s Fizz at breakfast! That same friendly welcome again that seems to be a trademark of this hotel from the lady in charge at breakfast.

Spacious room, very comfortable bed, lovely pool / bar on the roof and staff went our of their way to provide great service.
Location of the hotel is excellent, walking distance to the sea/harbour and also close to several restaurants and bars in the main town.
Christmas lights were switched on throughout Funchal on the 1st December and it would be well worth a visit just to see them and the Christmas market which started the same day.

Fabulous weekend and would recommend the hotel.

The hotel breakfasts were amazing and most evenings there was some special meal or music to enjoy or you can walk to many restaurants nearby – we split between eating in and restaurants out. The hotel is well placed in the old town making walking the lovely streets and the quayside easy and close enough to return for a session on the roof top sun beds, Jacuzzi and small pool before another walk.

We were lucky to be there on 1st December for the Christmas lights switch on with almost every street beautifully decorated, a fun fair on part of the quay and Christmas market huts and religious figures and settings as well as a stage for local music and choirs to perform.

We will definitely go back to Funchal and the Castanheiro.

2. Sé Boutique Hotel 4* – Hotels Near Avenida Arriaga Funchal

Boasting a bar, shared lounge and views of city, Sé Boutique Hotel is set in Funchal, 1.4 km from Marina do Funchal. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk and room service, along with free WiFi throughout the property. The hotel has a fax machine and photocopier and an ATM machine that guests can use.

All guest rooms come with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a coffee machine, a bidet, a hairdryer and a wardrobe. All rooms feature a private bathroom with a shower and free toiletries.

Guests at the hotel can enjoy a gluten-free breakfast.

Set along a traditional tiled street, this stylish hotel is a 2-minute walk from the Cathedral of Funchal, 2 km from the Madeira Botanical Garden, and 24 km from Madeira Airport.

Featuring wood floors and replica tiles from the Cathedral, the relaxed rooms with a contemporary vibe offer free Wi-Fi and flat-screens, as well as minibars, and tea and coffeemakers. Upgraded rooms add loaner smartphones and 24/7 room service.

Breakfast is complimentary. There’s also a funky rooftop bar with a tiled terrace and panoramic city views, plus 2 casual restaurants, a relaxed lobby cafe with a patio, and an art gallery. Excursions are available (fee).

3. Pestana Casino Park Hotel & Casino 3* – Hotels Near Madeira Christmas Market

Overlooking the Bay of Funchal, this well designed hotel provides luxury accommodation within Santa Caterina Park. There is a spa with pools for relaxation and a casino and discotheque for entertainment.

Featuring private balconies, all rooms at the Pestana Casino Park Hotel & Casino come with seating areas and satellite LCD TVs. Many guest rooms provide a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean.

Pestana’s 6 dining venues include the Panoramic Restaurant with far-reaching views of the Bay and pool area. The Aqua overlooks the hotel’s gardens and casino, while the sunset Restaurant offers a varied menu and a cocktail bar.

Offering views of the North Atlantic Ocean, this understated hotel is 2 km from the Madeira Story Centre museum and 5 km from Monte Palace Tropical Garden.

Casual rooms and suites offer free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and minibars, plus balconies. Some have living areas and/or whirlpool tubs. Room service is available 24/7.

Breakfast is complimentary. Dining options consist of 4 restaurants and 2 bars (1 is poolside). Other amenities include a casino, a nightclub and a gym, plus lush gardens, an infinity pool and a tennis court. There’s also a game room, and a spa with an indoor pool, a hammam and a sauna.

The Pestana Casino Park is a 5-star hotel in Funchal, Madeira, surrounded by 15,000 m² of private gardens. Designed by world-renowned master architect Óscar Niemeyer, this hotel is adjacent to the Funchal bay cruise port. Plus, it is only 5 minutes on foot from the city centre and the epicentre of the city’s social and cultural life.

Its privileged location on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean makes it one of the most famous hotels on the island of Madeira. It features an infinity swimming pool, gardens with peaceful alcoves.

The rooms are standard size with a balcony to relax and drink your morning coffee watching the sunrise or watch the evening fall over the city with a nice glass of wine. The Christmas lights are magical as the sun sets.

The rooms lack storage space with a tiny bedside table drawer on only one side of the bed. There is a drawer under the TV but It is too small to fit in a sheet of foolscap paper unfolded and is only 1 inch deep.

The breakfasts are excellent with many choices and omelettes can be made for you in the kitchen if you speak to one of the staff.

You get 1 free bottle of water,a few sachets of coffee,sugar,milk and tea, but if you need to refill them there is a charge of 5 euros a day. We brought our own supplies from home. A kettle is supplied free on request as are 2 cups and saucers and teaspoons.

Water is quite safe to drink, but we bought bottled from the little supermarket at the side of the hotel so we could cool them in the fridge.

The Christmas market and the lights make it a wonderland with music, dancing and artistic exhibitions. The Madeirans are very creative and art loving.

During the Christmas period, the city centre had lots of Christmas markets, concerts, dancers etc and lovely lights. Great atmosphere with temperatures around 20 degrees in December!

The rooms were very comfortable. All rooms had a good view. Our party had 3 different rooms, one with a sea view, one with a garden view and one with a mountain view. All were excellent, it just depends whether paying the extra for a side sea view is worth it to you.

It was fantastic though, particularly with the Christmas lights across the town. You can see all the cruise liners in the harbour with both the side sea and garden views.