Rich. Rent
The Pestana Ocean Bay All Inclusive Hotel offered us a relaxing atmosphere and beautiful ocean sunset views. My wife and I had a great time there. We spent 7 days there. The food was fresh and delicious. The drinks were good. We especially liked the white wine. The service was also great. Our room was spacious and comfortable with daily sheets changed.
Louise Jones
We stayed here when our flight home from Funchal was grounded due to high winds. This was the second hotel we were moved to after being next door at the Pestana Royale.
What we really liked about this hotel was our room and especially the view from the balcony which was the beautiful sea. What a view and what a lovely sound of the waves. So relaxing. The room was clean and well appointed and also had a sofa and small kitchen area. We were on the 7th floor.
The restaurant was quite basic but all inclusive and had some snacks and drinks available in the day, as well as a small bar. It wasn't that well staffed. The food was also quite basic, like the kind of food you would eat at home rather than something you'd expect in a hotel. Some of the food combinations seemed a bit odd and the layout didn't make sense. For example the bread was at one end and the butter was at the far end. Breakfast was also quite basic and no vegetarian sausage options or soya milk available.
Theres no indoor pool here. The outside pool looks good but it was too cold to go in during our December stay. There was supposed to be a gym but we couldn't find it.
When we checked out, the receptionist very kindly offered everyone a picnic to take away, which was a really lovely gesture. The receptionist worked really hard, in what was a difficult situation processing so many people at once because of the flight cancellation and I appreciated their hard work.
The hotel itself is down a hill and its quite a steep walk to the street above. There's a mall about 15 minutes walk away but to get into Funchal you'd need a bus or taxi.
julie nicholas
Great hotel in a beautiful location.
Pros: 1. Seaview all rooms, 2. food was excellent (always 2 different fish options at lunch and dinner), 3. staff were friendly & helpful, 4. direct access to beach via a gate, 5. Just a 5 min walk through the tunnel to the Doco do cavacas rock pools (well worth splashing out €15 for entry/lounger for a day there- the pools were warm enough to swim in them in january), 6. nice 1 hour walk to Camara de lobos (Churchill bay), 7. free shuttle bus to town. 8. Plenty of loungers in gorgeous gardens. 9. Generous meal times. 10. There were 2 lifts, which never took long to arrive. 11. Help yourself via on tap soft drinks & beer.
Cons: 1. The 2 pools are both outdoor & unheated, bit too chilly to use in January, 2. Shuttle bus leaves & returns only twice a day 9.30am & 12.30pm, last return 5.30pm (no problemgetting seats). 3. Is quite a hill to walk to get up to the bus stop or into town- not viable with mobility issues. 4. A lot of karaoke.
Overall great hotel, fantastic break & would definitely go back. All staff working their socks off.
João Pedro Teixeira
Amazing experience! Staff is super friendly and professional. Food is yummy and even provided me with a surprise during my breakfast on my birthday 🎂... Great location and good transfer shuttle to/from airport. Also a female eagle (Beckett) was on display working to keep pigeons away.
Kierste Dufrene
Do not stay at this hotel. 90% of rooms do not have air conditioning. The rooms are worn out and not very clean. No water pressure. Tiny shower/bath with a stained tub. The food is barely edible. The staff working the bars, kitchen, and dining areas are great. They are doing their best with what little they have been given. It was the most miserable 5 days of any vacation I have ever had. We tried to upgrade to a room that has air conditioning and were willing to pay the difference. The room was available for the three days we wanted it for online and could have been booked online for the full amount, but we had already paid for 5 nights and just requested to pay the difference to get some AC. The front desk was not helpful at all and refused to allow us to move rooms.
Location is not great either. Yes, it's on the beach, but you can't go into the water because the surf is too rough. It's a long uphill walk to get to the closest bus stop. The 3 times we ordered a Bolt, they couldn't locate the hotel. It is located right next to a run-down apartment complex.
Entertainment in the evenings was atrocious. It was really like being on a terrible, cheap cruise ship.
Attached screenshot of the room we requested to upgrade into, but received zero help.
My Booking
.jpg)
.jpg)
