Hotel Girassol - Suite Hotel

As this hotel was a suited hotel it meant that we had a sitting room that we could chill out in after a day on the road before bed. It also had a TV that we could watch some films etc. There was a car Park for your hire car if you had one too. It was just Bed & Breakfast.and if you wanted dinner that was available too at your own expense with plenty of choice of food.

Where to start? The Hotel Girassol Suites is a 4* hotel, and at first glance gives the overall impression as a modern, chic, minimalist hotel! Sadly for me, it did not live up to its billing. Don’t get me wrong, we had a lovely stay & the staff were courteous, professional & happily engaged with guests. We stayed for a week in a junior suite, all inclusive. Points that, for me, let it down: The meals, served either in the ground floor restaurant or at the poolside bar. The self-service buffet reminded me of school dinners. It was edible but not overly enjoyable & clearly budget cuts, processed in a mass catering way. The poolside snacks were ok. All inclusive did not include ‘premium brands’, which is not unusual. The bar staff were unable to provide freshly made cocktails, the all inclusive cocktails were premixed straight out of a bottle with a bit of ice & lemon thrown in for good measure. The house wine (Red) was only just drinkable, but the acetic tannins made me shudder. The coffee at breakfast was served from a large urn, and tasted like instant coffee. Similarly, the coffee from the machine at the poolside bar, also tasted like instant. However, coffee from the barista at the inside bar, was much better. And, on the subject of coffee, the coffee sachets that were used in our room on our first morning were never replaced. The pools and outside space were pleasant enough. We didn’t use the children’s play area, however, the budgerigars in the outside cage were kept in too cramped conditions; at least 7 birds in a cage only really big enough for a pair or them. The room was spacious, the bedding clean & the bed comfortable. The bath/shower room needs some TLC! The sink tap needed a washer replaced as water squirted out by the handle. There was some mould around the bath/shower, and the toilet roll holder was lose. The in room safe, could only be used at an extra cost (€1.50/day plus a refundable €5 deposit. Come on, this is a 4*, I would only expect this a a budget hotel. The Spa, looks good but at €10 per day just to use the jacuzzi & indoor pool, and significantly extra for treatments. One would expect €50-70 for a 30min massage, but €10 just to use the jacuzzi???? This hotel is masquerading as a 4* hotel. It is a 3* at best. The food & drink let it down massively, and there are other areas that should have been sorted & not require guests to point them out. Finally, as a seasoned traveller, it’s the first bar in a 4* hotel, where the bar staff have been unable to mix a cocktail to order!!!! Hotel Girassol ~ I’m unlikely to be tempted back. But thank you for the experience; we did have a nice holiday in Madeira.

We had room 1101, wow beautiful views and lovely rooms, bedroom, lounge, bathroom and big balcony. The hotel is great, food good and always hot. Staff are lovely. The only thing I found disappointing was the bar area on floor 1 had a lack of comfortable seating. The settees were past their best and there were only two. Sort the seating and this hotel would easily get 5*s from me.

Four day stay all-inclusive. Hotel was good, staff were attentive & friendly. Our room was spacious & clean. Very nice sea view from balcony. Decor of hotel was a bit dated but still comfortable, food & drinks were ok, plenty of choice. Enjoyed our stay & would recommend. Very good value for money.