Pestana Ocean Bay Resort

Good,not perfect

We visited this hotel as a family of 3, we have an 11 years old son. We were there during halloween and All saints day. I'll write detailed report of our wonderful stay that was much better in all areas than we expected. Arrival: We arrived by a rented car. The road to the hotel is easily found, you pass neighbouring hotel and arrive behind Pestana Ocean Bay where there is a parking place sorounded by a beautiful vegetation-it was so nice to see all the plants that you usually have as indoor plants, such as Dieffenbachia in a natural habitat and as a huge climbing plant. We always were able to get a parking space, which is free and freely accessible. Location: it is situated directly on the beach. The beach itself is a tourist attraction and i must say that this hotel has absolutely THE BEST location in Funchal! Not only you are able to watch sunset and the ocean 24/7, but you also watch it while you eat your meals. Beach: we went for one swim and didnt repeat it and it was really short. I felt unsafe in the water, like the water is going to pull me away from the beach if i went too far. And the water was not as salty as expected. Also the getting in and out of the sea was tricky. We stayed by the pool mostly, where the sunbeds are very comfortable and the sun area is gorgeus-again observing the flowers, such as Bird of paradise, in its natural habitat. We also loved the abundance of sand lizards playing, they were so cute. Room: we loved everything about it. The design is very thought of, the images of tropical birds on the tapestry, pillows, knobs... The wood of the closet gives a tropical feel as well. All was clean, there we beach towels in the cupboard. We didnt use the kitchenette because there was no need. We didnt use airconditioning, because it was never too warm or too cold. We slept deliberately by widow half closed so we could listen to the crashing waves of the ocean. And the first morning, when i stepped on the balcony, it took my breath away- the birth of a new day, the stillness of the air, the colours of rising sun and the waves, magical. Food: I loved all the food! It was as fresh and home cooked as i would do it at home.. For breakfast i took fried eggs, which were very delicious because they fry them in deep oil, I had also delicious porridge with a splash of Nutella. Lunch and dinner always had 2 fish dishes- tuna steaks, panseared fish, seafood pasta etc. One day there were option to make burgers, beef or chicken. You would get patties, buns and all the fillings. My favourite salad was coleslaw, husbands was string beans. And i must especially mention deserts: signature desserts were custards, creams, puddings. All delicious and even i ate a lot of them, they never left my stomach heavy, such a good idea. By the dinner all the wines were bottled. Staff was very good, quick and discreet. Soft drinks from the automat were: pepsi, pepsi zero, apple juice, pineapple juice, multivitamin juice and water. Plus beer. I also liked th

A group of 12 of us spent 5 days at the Ocean Bay for a 60th birthday. Transfer from airport was only 20 mins which was ideal. Hotel is situated overlooking the beach which is beautiful. All rooms face the sea. Rooms very large and clean with plenty of storage. Lifts to all floors. Sadly no Aircon in the hotel other than the premium rooms on the 7th floor. Plenty of beds around the pool and towels supplied. Pools very clean and close to bar and restaurant area. Daily water aerobics which was great fun! I couldn't fault the food, plenty of choice at every meal. All inclusive drinks were plenty, they never scrimped on the alcohol! Staff were amazing! Nothing was to much trouble. A huge thanks to top bar man Mohammed. This gentleman was a total credit to the hotel. Mohammed helped us arrange the birthday meal - table clothes, cutlery etc. He went above and beyond to make our stay extra special. Bus runs from the hotel to Funchal twice a day. Get to the coach pick up point early as it is very popular. We all loved our time at Ocean Bay and look forward to returning again soon .

We paid a reasonable price through Easyjet and felt we certainly got what we paid for and more. The hotel was pleasant, rooms had no air con and slightly in need of an update but the beds were comfortable and everything was clean and tidy. The outside areas were well maintained and the pools were clean. We went in early October and there were always sunbeds available. The clientele does seem to be mostly older couples at this time of the year but the atmosphere was peaceful. Some light evening entertainment was provided which we enjoyed. The food was acceptable, less choice than we expected but perfectly edible and mostly enough to eat. The location is perfect on the sea front and there are numerous bus services into the centre of Funchal. The hotel offers a free shuttle twice a day but it does fill up fast so either queue early or walk up the fairly steep steps and pay 2 euros for a single journey into Funchal. Take trainers for this purpose if no other!! The front is well lit throughout the night and hosts several restaurant huts. Around 3 or 4 mins walk to the south is a spectacular cave- walk through this to find a sheltered lido and continue up the steps for a coast top walkway with more restaurants. We enjoyed several evening strolls and morning jogs along the front. A good variety of drinks to be had in the bar- Mohammed especially made it his business to know our preferences and have it ready when we walked up! We would definitely return.

The most amazing, hard working, courteous, friendly staff that I have ever experienced in a hotel. Yes this hotel is a bit dated but spotlessly clean, good size pool and great outside seating for drinks and meals looking over the sea. Location was perfect for us, away from the city, the sounds of waves but only 20mins to get into the centre of Funchal by bus (either courtesy bus or no. 2- stops the other side of tunnel). Great value for money, loved being able to take a bottle of wine to our table at dinner. 10 days of relaxation spending time by the pool and seeing the sights. No real gym but if the waves calm you can venture into the sea. Great for sunsets

This hotel is in a beautiful location. The sound of the booming ocean made me realise how small and insignificant I am. To the left of the hotel is a wonderful lido used by locals (payable) that is worthy of a visit, and to the right are several lovely beach bars. It was at these beach bars (amongst other places) that we tended to eat. The food was awful, and there didn’t seem to be any consideration of a full meal plan. In addition, there appeared to be the previous evening’s left over vegetables served for breakfast. Most worryingly however was the amount of time food was left standing. It was only like warm ever, and so incredibly unhygienic. The drinks selection was ok, there was entertainment most nights if that’s your thing, the bus to Funchal was prompt (as was the local bus just through the tunnel). I would not stay here again, but I would stay in this area. Being just outside Funchal was ideal. Take some trips, explore the city, ride the cable car, and then watch the sunset.

I will start by saying I would not recommend this hotel to anyone and I will not be staying here again. The reason for this is because the cons outweigh the pros hugely. If I am spending a large amount of money on my holiday I expect the hotel to be up to good standards but unfortunately this was not. Pros ●Friendly staff throughout ●2 nice pools, clean gardens ●The sea views from the balcony is lovely. ●Location is good as on the seafront. Cons ●The food is below average. There is no variety of meats, no taste, same things served everyday, veg is even served for breakfast, lunch is rice and veg, nothing for children at lunch times. Dessert was boring. We ended up eating out most of the time wasting money. ●The room was very outdated, the bed was rock hard and uncomfortable, fridge smells and was turned off. When I asked reception to help they just told me how to do it but I couldn't work it out so spent 10 days without a fridge (it smelled anyway I wouldn't have used it) , aircon was broken, the bathroom was disgusting and not suitable for washing babies. ●The hotel guests were mainly over the age of 70, felt like a retirement retreat which wasn't a problem but not what we expected. ●On day 7 the hotel staff decided to turn off all the water without telling us for the whole day so no showers or flushing the loo. ●The lift stops every 5 seconds and goes up and down so you spend your life in there. ●If you get to the hotel late in the evenings then there's no parking.

We visited the hotel as part of a package holiday as we wanted a relaxing break, so thought we’d try all-inclusive for a change. We had a great stay! The staff were all welcoming and friendly, our room was clean and serviced every day, the location right by the ocean is amazing and there’s a free shuttle bus to Funchal twice a day - what’s not to like! It was lovely to sit on the balcony watching the ocean, and on our good weather days we left the balcony door open for some air but also to fall asleep to the sound of the sea. Unfortunately, we also had some very windy days, so the door remained shut! We enjoyed the food, the breakfast especially had a good selection. Each evening there was a themed dinner, always with a range of salads and deserts too. And there was entertainment every evening. Whilst some of the alcoholic drinks aren’t included on the basic package, there’s plenty of choice, including local drinks and house wines. If you’re not going to be in the hotel at lunchtime, you can ask for a picnic lunch. Walks along the promenade in both directions from the hotel are great - do take the tunnel to the local lido. The beach is pebbles just in front of the hotel, but further up is soft, black sand. If you want to be in the midst of Funchal, this isn’t the hotel for you, but if you want a relaxing holiday with free transport to the city when you want it, I’d recommend the Pestana Ocean Bay. Some reviews say it’s dated, and it’s not a thoroughly modern hotel, but it’s clean and friendly so perfect for us. For the price we paid we were really pleased and would happily stay again. We were surprised to find the room had a small kitchenette with useful fridge (we didn’t use the hob).