Review: Madeira’s grande dame Reid’s Palace, A Belmond Hotel

Location: Staking its claim as one of Madeira’s oldest properties, Reid’s Palace, A Belmond Hotel sits on a cliffside overlooking Funchal Bay, commanding a view that has lured travellers for more than a century. It’s close to Funchal Old Town and a 20-minute drive from the airport.

First impressions: Street-side, Reid’s Palace is surprisingly understated. Enticing yes, with its pink facade, stone fountain and beaming concierge, but not quite the gasp-inducing moment I’d anticipated. I soon discover the hotel’s true majesty is revealed from the ocean, where star studded guests arrived by boat long before Madeira had an airport. From this vantage point, Reid’s Palace unfurls down the cliffside, a tumble of sun-drenched patios and exuberant foliage punctuated by scallop-edged umbrellas and turquoise pools. Within moments, we’re guided onto the tea terrace, arguably the hotel’s most idyllic (and iconic) perch, famed for the decadent afternoon teas hosted here since Reid’s first opened. With a sparkling wine in hand, check-in handled, we gaze across the Atlantic, eager to uncover Reid’s enchanting layers.