Quinta Paços do Lago — Hotel in Ribeira Brava

My wife and I booked the 2-bedroom studio, which we assumed to be in the Quinta and furnished elegantly, for 2 weeks in March. Had we known the studio was in another building, 70 steps down the hillside we wouldn't have booked it. Photos on Hotels.com were very misleading. The studio turned out to be on 2 storeys which wasn't mentioned on the website either. It was very basic, spartan, and cold. We were given an extra convector heater, but it was insufficient to warm up the place. We ended up buying a fan heater which did improve it. However, the inconvenience of having to climb 70 steps to go up and down to breakfast/car etc. proved too much and in the end we left and found somewhere better for the rest of our holiday. In retrospect we wish we'd left sooner. There were no pegs or hooks to hang anything; no towel rail; basic utensils in kitchenette, fridge had no ice compartment (so we couldn't make or store ice for drinks) no dressing table or mirror in bedroom; no wardrobe or drawers (just hangers and shelves in a recessed area); soul-less, no atmosphere that we had expected from a Quinta. Not even a mat to wipe your feet. The "toiletries" were just a multi-purpose liquid soap. No hot water on 2 mornings. The basic buffet breakfast was in an external room, not accessible from the Quinta, only from outdoors. So guests in the Quinta also had to go outside to reach it.||Everyone eating in their jackets to keep warm as the room was unheated. We imagined we would be sitting in a dining area within the Quinta with lovely views. However, there were no views, just port-hole windows. Woodchip walls made it feel like a rabbit hutch. Advice on room-info. said not to open windows at night because of mosquitos, but we were still bitten (even in cold weather). Owner agreed the apt. was purpose built for families; not suitable for couples seeking elegance. He blamed the website for inaccuracies saying there wasn't enough room to describe everything. However the fact that the studio was on 2 floors, in a separate building and down 70 steps is very significant and should have been mentioned. Duarte is a nice man, very fair in charging us less for the time we spent there. We are sorry to have to rate our studio so low. (Our photos illustrate it) No doubt all the good reviews on Booking.com refer to the rooms in the Quinta, which is what we based our plans on. Maybe the website will be changed to reflect a...

This Quinta has been built and design with a lot of thoughts of the owner. The room was huge and the bathroom is giving you an extra large shower and day light. The furniture are old style and are building up a certain atmosphere. It all fits together. But don't worry entertainment is up to date, you can connect your phone to the TV and watch your favorites shows after a day of exploring.

The quinta is situated in Campanario a small city away from mass tourism. The property sits approx. 350 m above sea level, giving you a great view. You can enjoy the sunset from the pool or even your room. Amazing! There are a handful of restaurant withing walking distance (up to 30 mins walk), but no crazy night life.

There are a lot of roosters and dogs (it's the countryside) around and mosquitos, I would recommend to sleep with closed windows.

But the best thing is the hospitality of the owner. They offer support and help in every situation and communication is very easy. They have a lot of great advices for you about activities and places to go to.

Breakfast is served at the terrace. Components are changing every day. Fruits, pastry, different sorts of bread. Fresh prepared eggs.Try the home made tomate jam!

Obrigado Annabella and Duarte you are the...

I originally thought I would write much more (like Shakespeare), but this way it will be much better and more concise. But I will not delay you with my all feelings.||||There aren't as many places like this. This accommodation offers the best you can get. You will love it!||||It's very easy and pleasant to make this review without a doubt and sincerely.||||Accommodation: beautiful, luxurious, elegant, charming, spacious, great, quiet||||Hosts: warm and great people, friendly, helpful, smiling, communicative, attentive||||Location: ideal, quiet, in the countryside with ocean view, an ideal starting point for exploring Madeira, close to Funchal||||Breakfast: rich, varied, delicious, tasty with ocean view for free:) every day, Anabela's omelets or scrambled eggs were yumm, yumm - ask for them, but must be only Anabela's :))||||Pool: beautiful, refreshing, "cherries on the cake" as we say in Czech if something is ||great and bonus plus!||||Mr Duarte and Ms Anabela are an example of how to manage accommodation perfectly and flawlessly! So nice and smart(wings) people :) !||||All was great. Much, much, much better than we expected! This place will be next time our temporary home/h(e)aven again. Thank you we...