Reid’s Palace is a historic, five star hotel and a review that I’ve long wanted to write. Located on the Portuguese island of Madeira atop a cliff with Atlantic Ocean views and wonderful gardens, it has played host to Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden amongst others since opening its doors in 1891.
Now managed by the Belmond Group, operators of the Venice Simplon Orient Express as well as iconic properties including Hotel Cipriani in Venice, the hotel is a destination in and of itself.
In fact, Reid’s Palace was the reason I chose to visit Madeira over other destinations in Europe.
In this post:
Belmond Reid’s Palace Review
My first impressions of Reid’s Palace were via email and positive. The concierge team were able to organise car transfers from the airport and a booking for the hotel’s famous afternoon tea with a minimum of fuss.
Getting To Belmond Reid’s Palace
Upon arrival at Madeira’s Cristiano Ronaldo Airport, a driver from Reid’s was waiting outside baggage claim as arranged. The Mercedes E-Class was a recent model and made for a comfortable 25 minute drive to the pink palace that is Reid’s.
Arrival & Check In
Upon arrival at Reid’s, the efficient bell desk tagged my bags and directed me to the check in desk. The friendly staff took the time to explain the Bellini Club benefits and general layout of the hotel, though were unable to confirm a late check out.
The sun was just setting, making for a great view out to the Desertas Islands.
Reid’s Palace Superior Room Review
I had booked an entry-level Classic Room but was pleased to have been upgraded to a Superior Room. The decor was understated and traditional, which was in keeping with the overall ambience of the hotel.
Being in the original wing of the hotel, the room itself was quite small and the bathroom had a shower over bath.
The best feature of Room 730 was undoubtedly the expansive patio with views over Funchal and the Atlantic.
The welcome gift was two local pastries, a Bolo De Mel and a Queijadinha, which were enjoyed outside. A complimentary non-alcoholic mini bar complemented these desserts nicely.
The patio was also an excellent viewing spot for the fireworks that were part of the annual Atlantic Festival.
Reid’s Palace History & Gardens
Touring the original wing of Reid’s was very much a journey back in time. There were wonderful reminders of time gone by, from black and white photos of past guests to Union & Castle Line advertisements for passage to England.
The old revolving door entry and former front desk have been preserved.
And there are writing desks dotted around the halls with inkwells and blotters.
Outside, the sub-tropical gardens are over a century old and an absolute delight to wander through at any time of the day.
Reid’s Palace Breakfast Review
The breakfast offering at Reid’s is excellent with a buffet supplemented with an a la carte menu. Eggs to order were well executed, with the poached eggs being just right.
One of the great delights at breakfast is a selection of fruit at breakfast, and Reid’s really delivered.
The freshly squeezed orange juice deserves a special mention. It was fresh, sweet and just about the best glass of OJ I’ve ever had.
Reid’s Palace Pools
The pool deck is a great spot to spend an afternoon or even the entire day. There are two pools, one with salt water and the other with chlorine.
On a sunny day, the views out to sea are magical.
Reid’s Palace Sea Deck
A unique feature of Reid’s is their sea deck. In addition to their excellent pools, a short elevator ride takes you down to sea level where there is a seawater pool and direct access to the ocean.
There is even a floating pontoon you can swim out to, as well as diving boards.
Laundry
Most hotels offer some sort of laundry service, but I was particularly impressed by how my tuxedo shirt was returned. The fresh flower, presumably from the garden, was fragrant and a very stylish touch.
Service
Reid’s is renowned for its world class, yet understated, service and it didn’t disappoint.
Overall, service was excellent with staff being engaged and welcoming. This was consistent across departments from the front desk to bar and restaurant teams. Breakfast staff were outstanding and made for a very pleasant way to start the day.
An example of excellent customer service was the concierge team arranging a variety of complimentary half day excursions for guests as the pool deck was booked out one afternoon for an event. At your average hotel, the best you’d receive is a note apologising for the inconvenience.
The only room for improvement was the handling of guests at afternoon tea on my last day at the hotel.
The traditional English afternoon tea served at Reid’s is very popular and often booked out weeks in advance. I had an evening flight back to Lisbon so booked afternoon tea for 3PM, just after checking out at the front desk.
At the front desk, there was a minor correction needed to the bill as an additional laundry charge had appeared. While this was removed from the bill immediately, there was no coordination with the restaurant team for afternoon tea.
Both in house guests and visitors who were taking afternoon tea on the terrace were waiting around in the lobby as the slightly frazzled wait staff said they would be with us shortly. After waiting about 15 minutes, with wait staff dashing past and standing in full view of the front desk staff, I had to ask firmly to be seated for my 3PM booking.
The smooth transition would have been for the front desk staff to ensure in house guests were seated immediately, especially after an error with the bill.
I had also booked the hotel car back to the airport, and again there was no coordination between the teams. Ideally, the front desk team would let the restaurant team know when the driver had arrived so the guest is not walking around the lobby trying to find the driver.
Fortunately, the driver was the same chap who met me at the airport!
Booking Belmond Reid’s Palace
I booked my stay at Reid’s Palace through Classic Travel, an online travel agency specialising in luxury travel.
While I normally prefer to book direct, the additional benefits of booking through a travel agent who is a member of the Belmond Bellini Club meant additional benefits for the same rate as booking direct.
Given Reid’s Palace rarely discounts their room rates, it was a no brainer.
What is the Bellini Club?
The Bellini Club is a benefits program for selected luxury travel agents, which provide additional benefits on bookings made through them. These benefits include:
- Complimentary upgrade upon arrival at time of check-in, based on availability
- Complimentary Internet
- Buffet or full breakfast for 2, daily
- Fully flexible hotel or resort credit up to $200 per stay
- $500 Gift Voucher for future travel when purchasing an experience of $5,000
- VIP Recognition by property management and staff
- Special in-room welcome amenity
- Top-of-the-waitlist priority for high demand properties and experiences
Reid’s Palace Review Summary
I loved my stay at Reid’s Palace. The combination of the historic hotel, century old gardens, wonderful breakfasts and a unique sea deck made for an excellent experience.
