Funchal Hotels With Views
Madeira's capital faces south across open ocean from a hillside of subtropical gardens and terracotta rooftops. Hotels range from century-old clifftop palaces along the Lido to boutique estate retreats in private botanical gardens.
The Views
For additional hotel views beyond Funchal, explore our Madeira destination page.
Hotels We’d Book for the View Alone
Reid’s Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Madeira
The pink clifftop colonnade has looked over the Atlantic since 1891 — Winston Churchill was among those who smoked on these terraces, contemplating his next political moves. Sea-facing rooms open onto balconies above the subtropical gardens; the Briza do Mar restaurant hangs directly over the water.
Hotel The Cliff Bay
The sundeck terraces step down the cliff face in three levels, all facing open ocean. Sea-view rooms have full balconies over the Atlantic from the promontory’s highest point; the two-Michelin-star Il Gallo d’Oro restaurant looks directly across Funchal Bay from floor-to-ceiling windows.
Les Suites at The Cliff Bay
Twenty-three suites across two century-old villas and a new wing, all on the same Atlantic promontory as The Cliff Bay next door. Ground-floor suites open onto private garden terraces with direct sea views; the infinity pool is cantilevered over the cliff, with Funchal Bay directly below.
Savoy Palace
Opened in 2019 on the rebuilt site of the historic Savoy, the hotel’s 352 rooms include a sea-facing category with full balconies over the Atlantic. The rooftop Sky Bar and pool face south across open ocean; on clear days the Desertas islands appear on the horizon.
The Vine Hotel
Funchal’s principal design hotel sits atop a city-centre tower, with a rooftop infinity pool facing south over the Sé rooftops and the cruise port. Sea-view upper rooms look directly down to the bay; at sunset, the pool deck catches the last light over Fort São João and the Atlantic horizon.
Castanheiro Boutique Hotel
Five historically classified buildings in the pedestrian old town, united by a rooftop pool and jacuzzi that look over the cathedral tower and the terracotta skyline of the Sé to the Atlantic. Balcony rooms face the city or the bay, with the old quarter underfoot in every direction.
Pestana CR7 Funchal
Marina-front position in central Funchal, 300 metres from the cruise terminal. The rooftop infinity pool — tiled in the hotel’s signature pink — looks directly over the marina and Funchal Bay; the Off-Side Rooftop bar delivers the widest bay panorama of any rooftop in the city centre.
Quinta da Casa Branca
A 5-star boutique estate set in 28,150m² of subtropical botanical gardens on the western hillside above Funchal, open since 1998. Rooms and terraces face inward over the estate: banana plantations, specimen trees from Asia and Africa, and the mountains of the Funchal interior.
What Travelers Ask About Funchal
The Lido strip, running west of the city centre along the coastal road, has the highest concentration of clifftop Atlantic hotels. Reid’s Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Madeira and Hotel The Cliff Bay both sit directly above the ocean on this stretch, with Les Suites at The Cliff Bay sharing the same promontory as The Cliff Bay.
Savoy Palace is also on the Lido strip with sea-facing rooms and a south-facing rooftop pool. For guests who prefer the city, The Vine Hotel has a rooftop infinity pool facing south over the Sé rooftops and the bay.
Two hotels share the most exposed clifftop positions on the Lido strip. Reid’s Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Madeira has the more elevated and historically significant clifftop position, with gardens descending in tiers to the sea below. Hotel The Cliff Bay occupies a natural rocky promontory with private sea access at the base of the cliff — an uncommon feature on this stretch of coast.
Both face open Atlantic to the south, with Cabo Girão on the western horizon.
They are physically adjacent on the same Atlantic promontory but operate as separate hotels with distinct characters. Hotel The Cliff Bay is a full 5-star resort of 201 rooms with three restaurants — including the two-Michelin-star Il Gallo d’Oro — a spa and private sea access.
Les Suites at The Cliff Bay is a boutique property of 23 suites set in two century-old restored villas and a new wing, with the same Atlantic position but on a smaller, more private scale. Guests of Les Suites have full access to The Cliff Bay’s facilities next door.
Savoy Palace has a dedicated sea-facing room category with full balconies over the Atlantic. Because the hotel has 352 rooms in total, not all face the ocean — the sea-facing category must be selected at the time of booking to guarantee the view.
The rooftop Sky Bar and pool face south across open ocean regardless of room category. On clear days, the Desertas islands — a group of uninhabited volcanic islands about 60 kilometres offshore — are visible on the horizon from the rooftop.
Three hotels offer distinct rooftop positions over the city. The Vine Hotel has the most elevated central position, with a rooftop infinity pool that looks south over the cathedral quarter, the cruise port and Fort São João to the open Atlantic.
Castanheiro Boutique Hotel has a rooftop pool and jacuzzi that frames the tower of Funchal Cathedral specifically. Pestana CR7 Funchal’s rooftop pool delivers the widest bay panorama from the city centre, looking directly over the marina and the sweep of Funchal Bay.
Quinta da Casa Branca is the most distinct property on this list for precisely that reason. It faces inward over its own 28,150m² botanical estate — banana plantation, specimen trees from Asia and Africa, flowering borders — with the volcanic mountains of the Funchal interior as the backdrop rather than the Atlantic.
Opened in 1998 as the first Design Hotel on Madeira, it’s the right choice for guests seeking horticultural scenery and estate tranquillity over clifftop sea positions. It is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Pestana CR7 Funchal is the closest hotel on this list to the marina — 300 metres from the cruise terminal and directly adjacent to the CR7 Museum. Its rooftop pool looks straight down onto the harbour basin and the cruise berths below.
The Vine Hotel is in the city centre, a short walk from the waterfront, while Castanheiro Boutique Hotel is in the pedestrian streets of the historic centre, also within easy walking distance of the marina.
Winston Churchill was among the most celebrated, visiting Madeira and staying at Reid’s Palace on the clifftop terraces where he smoked his cigars while thinking through his next political moves. The hotel’s guest register since its opening in 1891 includes heads of state, royalty, artists and writers drawn by Madeira’s mild Atlantic climate.
The hotel has maintained its position at the top of Funchal society for more than 130 years, and the afternoon tea on the colonnade terrace — above open ocean, with Cabo Girão on the horizon — was a ritual for generations of distinguished visitors.