Stayed here from 17th to 26th September 2005. The rooms are very clean and the maid service is excellent. They dont hassle you to clean room but always manage to do an efficient job.

The Pool is fantastic - very clean, spacious and what a fantastic view overlooking the atlantic ocean. Drinks are also very reasonable and not a rip off. (I also thought very reasonable in the bar at night too).

We ate at the Moroccan and Italian and both meals were excellent. They were more expensive than in town but not overly so and a real treat!

Breakfast buffet was included in our deal and was also excellent - A choice of pancakes, eggs, beans, mushrooms, potatoes, yoghurts, cerials....and best of all we ate outside in the sunshine with a view of the atlantic every morning.

There is a bus into town - but we used taxis as it only cost 7 euros. There is also a loads of shops nearby with macdonalds, supermarket, clothes shops etc.

Finally, the building works - we were as close as you could be to them and didnt find them a problem at all. You could not hear anything in our room and the noise by the pool was minimal - there was the occasional crane whirring noise but to honest....there is so much building work going on in Madeira that i reckon you wouild get this at most hotels.

I would definately reccomend this hotel - it is especially good value for the price and we had a very relaxing time there.

I would not hesitate to stay here again - the staff were very helpful and polite.

My boyfriend and I are both in our early thirties and have just spent a lovely week at the Pestana Grand. Along with no doubt alot of people i was a bit nervous of what to expect regarding the building work but to be honest it didnt upset our holiday at all. Yes, you can hear some noise whilst sitting by the pool, but not enough i felt to ruin the peace and relaxation factor. I would however, strongly recommend that if you can afford to get a sea view room, do, it is definatly worth the extra money. 1. to be away from the building work and 2. the view is incredible!!

The hotel is very clean well maintained with the restaurant providing a beautiful buffet breakfast...i have to say though, we had a dreadful meal in the Morrocan Restaurant! However, the barbeque night was great and there is a restaurant in Funchal called SOLAR D'AJOU, which does the most fantastic steak on the stone at a cheap price! I cannot recommend it highly enough! Find it and eat there!!!! Possibly one of the best meals out i have ever eaten!

Back to the hotel, all in all very impressed definatly a five star hotel with a lovely pool and it shouldnt be blamed for the work going on around it.

Contrary to many of the recent negative reports we have just experienced a most wonderful stay at the Pestana Grand. We were most impressed by the standard of the rooms and the staff in particular, the General Manager who was always at hand to talk to. Having visited five star establishments around the world we found this modern hotel to be up there with the best of them. It was unpretentious and we felt that we could relax around the pool and bar areas. We met such lovely people who helped make our holiday so very special-Jimmy and co.

We had our best meal in the Italian-the lasagne was beautiful!!! Had another great meal near the rocks-Fish restaurant.

A relaxing holiday just what the doctor ordered. Enjoy!!!
Dr W & co

Having been to Madeira previously and stayed at the Crown Plaza we thought we would try a new hotel this year. Big mistake !!
We arrived late afternoon/evening and having unpacked decided to dine in the restaurant..not as easy as it sounds..."have you booked?" no but...
Have a drink in the bar and we will see if we can fit you in.
The Italian meal was quite good but took an age to be served with much waiting time between courses. Several people were complaining about 2 hour meals and were being given free drinks or food by way of apology.
Oh well first night..must get better it claims to be 5 * anyway.
The rooms and public areas are really good and our only dissapointment was that if you can see the sea you are in a "front sea view room" ours was definitly a "side sea view" with views at adjacent apartments but if you look left you can see the sea.
8am the next morning we were awakened by the building site next door (nothing to do with the Hotel) Two very large cranes were in action from 8am to 6pm and the noise was awful.
We went down to breakfast and sat outside enjoying the early morning sunshine but were dissapointed to find that the pools and sun bed areas are too small for the size of the hotel and watching people slap on sun tan oil 20 feet from where we were enjoying our breakfast was not pleasent.
we could have eaten inside but part of the joy of Madeira is eating outside.

So to find a sun bed and have a relaxing day. as we are busy people we require relaxation and quiet when on holiday...this is not possible at the Pestana Grand. There is building works going on on both sides of the hotel and its pictures of it standing alone on a headland are misleading to say the least. It was impossible to find anywhere away from the building work (dumper trucks and work one side and tower cranes continually working on the other.
At the end of the day we sought out the Atlantic Holiday rep who agreed with us that this was not really a relaxing holiday and we checked out of the hotel and into the Crown Plaza and enjoyed a great remaining 6 days of our holiday without all the noise and intrusion and would recommend this hotel for its space and peace and quiet. Maybe its 5 years old but service and amenities are 1st class.
As we left the hotel the reception clerk who was very pleasent said "our work is all finished but we have no control over the sites either side and they could go on for 12 -18 months.
Very nice hotel but not one to stay in until the building work is finished ie 12-18 months.