Guest reviews Quinta Da Casa Branca

by Katija K London, United Kingdom

One of my best travel experiences ... ever

We had the most enjoyable, relaxing stay at this hotel in September 2020 (under COVID-19 controls). Every single member of staff we encountered was friendly, helpful, considerate and kind. Many of the other guests at the hotel at the same time were repeat visitors (8x, 13x, 23x), and I hope we'll someday be the same! I almost don't want to write this review in case QCB becomes too popular or expensive! We booked through BA on half board, which I recommend. There are plenty of restaurants in walking distance, but during COVID, for us, we just wanted the ease of staying put each night. The food was excellent if a bit heavy, so keep that in mind (and if you're vegan or no dairy/wheat - I can see it being challenging). Happy hour at the bar is also excellent and the Negroni QCB is personally recommended (lighter, fruitier, more summery than a standard Negroni). I had a massage with Joselle and was blissed out for days after. Both pools looked lovely, but we mostly enjoyed the Adults only pool. The grounds and room were absolutely lovely as well. One morning, we just sat on our balcony and read while watching butterflies in the garden. It isn't easy to see the sea from the hotel, but the gardens more than make up for this. It was our first time to Madeira, and we saw a lot of the other (big) hotels we had considered - frankly were so glad we stayed here. There are times when a large, showy hotel with rooftop decks make sense. I can't imagine staying anywhere else in Madeira.

by lorreinek London, United Kingdom

Outstanding hotel, stunning grounds, fab staff

We returned last night having booked a last minute holiday with BA. This is a true 5 star hotel in every sense. From the modern reception area to the beautiful old Manor House and the stunning gardens everything shouts calm and class. We stayed in the Premier room (304) which was in the first floor. My hubby would have preferred a garden room because you could pull your sun bed on to the grass if you wished. Saying that, the Prem room was larger and we were both delighted with it. Breakfast was an event in itself. The service was really excellent, starting with the personalised menu, and continuing with the staff and food. Everything is beautifully presented and is plentiful. There are two pools, one of which is adults . We used the gym most days, it has a good selection of equipment (and it helped us come back only a few pounds heavier!). You are not far from a large number of restaurants and cafes. ONLY negative thing was that to get back to the hotel you had a serious, and I mean serious hill (not a problem, but if you have mobility issues then you may need to rely upon taxi’s). Definitely came back fitter than when we went. We walked into Funchal, It took us about 25 mins. It’s all downhill and no problem at all. Taxi back cost us about €6. We had a truly wonderful week and came back very refreshed and relaxed. Brief comment about cv19. Like many people we have our own concerns about cv19. The hotel, local bars, cafes and restaurants all take cv19 very seriously which is quite reassuring. Every member of staff was a credit to the hotel. We will be back as soon as we can!

by Charlotte H London, England, United Kingdom

Truly amazing hotel

We had an exceptional time at this hotel from start to finish. We were given a suite which was just divine - a huge balcony overlooking the beautiful gardens, jacuzzi bath and separate large, powerful shower, and a huge comfy bed - I honestly slept better there than I do at home. The AC worked perfectly and we couldn't hear it. The hotel generally is very quiet and serene - there were no children (I suppose there isn't much to keep them occupied), so if you wanted silence you got it. There is no need to go to the adults only pool as the main pool is just as serene and bigger. I love flowers and plants and so it was fascinating to explore the botanical gardens, with all the species helpfully featuring labels so you could see what they are. I loved the banana plantation. We didn't eat dinner there but breakfast was brilliant - so many different courses to choose from (and you can have all of them if you wish), and the cooking there was better than any of the restaurants in Madeira we went to. Even the bread and pastry basket which we were given every day was delicious, with different pastries every day. The service was exceptional, all the staff were friendly but not in your face. We also made the most of happy hour in the bar in the evening, which comes served with homemade crisps or nuts. We used the gym twice and it had a variety of equipment, and good levels of cleanliness. Both times we were the only ones in there. One thing worth noting is that, given its slightly wild setting, there are lots of mozzies and the first couple of days we got bitten a lot. The hotel were so great and left us very strong Deet spray and soothing lotion in our room - after using the spray we didn't get bitten again. So I would recommend bringing some spray with you. We're not the type to go to hotels twice, but we are making an exception for this hotel and will be back again next year.

by 9stilton Liverpool, United Kingdom

Not as good as expected

There is no denying that the grounds & setting of this hotel are superb however we found other elements of the offering just a little disappointing. In particular the service at breakfast was at times very poor. Sometimes we experienced courses overlapping, where we were still eating cereals when the cooked main course was being served. Yet on other ocassions there was an inordinate wait, up to 45 minutes for a boiled egg to be served!! The other main issue we encountered was the fixed dinner menu that never changed during our week long stay which meant we had to at least double up on a number of dishes / courses over the half board stay. Not what you really expect from a 5 star hotel of this magnitude. That said the al fresco dining & atmosphere was very good. Finally upon leaving there was very little appetite to solicit & take feedback, given a number of issues we had encountered during our stay.

by happyskier036 happyskier036

Unbeatable service, location, gardens

I wondered why so many people rated this hotel as excellent...because it is! Fabulous service, from friendly helpful staff Comfortable, spacious, well equipped, quiet rooms Excellent location..walk to restaurants and town. Lovely gardens to relax in