Rua Quinta Calaca 1, Funchal, Portugal
Oceanside location within walking distance to the water, restaurants, bars, and shops
Beautiful and hip style with open spaces, natural light, and ocean views
Spacious and spotless rooms have flat-screen TVs, balconies with views, and kettles
Heated outdoor pool with lots of loungers and smaller heated indoor pool
Two restaurants serving buffet and a la carte fare
Bar with live music, poolside service, and ocean views
Relaxing spa area offering a sauna and massage treatments
Gym with several machines and weights
Game room with snooker, pool, darts, and ping-pong
On-site herb and vegetable garden
Free parking and free bus to Funchal
Free quality breakfast and Wi-Fi
Fee to use in-room safe
Shuttle bus has limited space and infrequent schedule
Beach across the street is a small pebble beach
Nominal fee for fresh pool towel for eco-friendly reasons
Hotel Baia Azul is a four-pearl property located a 10-minute walk outside the center of Funchal. While the hotel has always had a fabulous, walkable waterside location directly on the promenade, it didn't reach its full potential until undergoing a complete makeover and reopening in 2016. Now, the 218-room resort is a gorgeous, bright property with top style to boot. Expect spacious and modern rooms with mini-fridges, kettles, glass showers, and balconies with views. Features include an indoor and outdoor pool, small gym, restaurant with good breakfast buffet and terrace seating, well-priced bar, and spa options, but be prepared to pay extra for the safe inside your room and fresh towels. The beachfront here is pebbled, so if you are looking for sand, check out the nearby Golden Residence Apartment Hotel in the same price point.
Scene
Total makeover completed in 2016 gave birth to a contemporary and stylish hotel
Hotel Baia Azul underwent a remarkable overhaul and reopened in 2016 with a fresh face and chic (but not pretentious) style to become a top contender in the Lido area. Dated '70s furniture and decor mostly featuring wood and warm colors was replaced with polished marble floors, shabby-chic-meets-modern furniture, and a cooler palette of white and light blue. The hotel's upscale design is noticeable from the first step into the open, bright lobby where guests are met with sleek sand-colored marble floors, marble-tiled hexagonal columns, pincushion seating, and rustic natural fiber and wood accents that are cohesive without looking cookie cutter. A long, oversized underwater image of mostly bubbles faux-functions as an aquarium ceiling and guides guests to the front desk. Overall, the public spaces here feel light, breathable, and both private and communal, making it ideal for both folks looking to be a bit social or have a romantic getaway.
Location
Out-of-center location along the water, though a short walk to restaurants, shops, and the promenade
Hotel Baia Azul is located about a 15-minute drive from the center of Funchal, and within easy access to some of the areas best bars and restaurants. It's also well located for anyone who wants to be able to reach the ocean within a five-minute walk or have access to the promenade right out their hotel's front door. The large Forum shopping center is about a seven-minute walk from the hotel, where you'll also find more shops, cafes, an ATM, post office, and restaurants. Formosa Beach is six minutes by Aerobus or 10 minutes by car. Madeira Airport is a 20-minute drive east.
Rooms
Spotless, contemporary rooms with natural light, balconies with views, and pay-to-use safes
All 218 rooms here follow with the hotel's fresh, bright, and slightly shabby-chic decor in mostly whites, light blue, and unfinished wood. The overall effect is serene and relaxing. Rooms have individually dressed double beds (even when pushed together), hardwood floors, a sitting area with cushioned bucket seats, and furnished balconies with either a mountain or sea view. Most guests feel that the sea-view rooms are worth the spike in price, especially for those that like watching sunrises. In-room features tend to be on the basic end for a four-pearl property, but include basics like a minibar, flat-screen TV, safe (for fee), and large wardrobe. Bathrooms are modern with marble countertops, hairdryers, and stand-up glass showers, as well as toiletries. Upgrades add bathrobes.
Features
Lovely spa and sea-view pool, plus a buffet restaurant and two a la carte eateries
Even before the renovation, Hotel Baia Azul had a decent amount of features on offer for guests. Since reopening, the hotel has added a few and improved on others. A standout is the large heated outdoor pool surrounded by several rows of loungers facing the ocean, though claiming a seat on sunny days can be a challenge. A small kids' pool sits to one side and drink service is available from the hotel bar. It's worth noting that fresh pool towels require a nominal fee, which the hotel claims is an eco-friendly matter. Although a beach is across the road, it's small and pebbly. For anyone arriving during colder months, there are also a smaller heated indoor pool, relaxing spa with sauna, Turkish bath, and massage treatments (daily fee). A game room has table games and darts, and a small event space is on-site.
At night, the lobby bar serves drinks with a side of live music, though the space is known to shut down before midnight. The main buffet restaurant has an outdoor sea-view terrace, and a particularly well-reviewed free breakfast full of hot and cold items. Two a la carte eateries are also on-site, one of which offers an Italian menu and the other upscale Portuguese fare.
Free Wi-Fi, free parking, and a free, often full, shuttle bus into Funchal are added perks.