Casa Velha do Palheiro Hotel Madeira Funchal in Funchal (Portugal)
5 star hotel
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Madeira Hotel - Casa Velha do Palheiro
Casa Velha do Palheiro Hotel Funchal Quinta Madeira five star hotel Portugal
5 star hotel Madeira luxury hotel Funchal golf resort Portugal wellness hotel and wedding venue
The Casa Velha do Palheiro is a celebrated five star country house hotel of exceptional character and year-round appeal. It was formally a hunting lodge built by the 1st Count of Carvalhal in 1801 as a summer residence.
Marcus Binney wrote in his book The Blandys of Madeira published in 2011: „Casa Velha was Madeira‘s first country-house hotel, situated 500 metres above sea level and looking on to one of the loveliest gardens on the island. The drive runs through woodland to emerge in a clearing shaded by the magnificent trees which are the hall marks of the Palheiro gardens. The grass circle in front of the gates contains a huge multi trunked Metrosideros or Christmas Day tree from New Zealand. As soon as you step out of the car an atmosphere of friendly informality pervades the scene. A pebbled path is bordered by flowering shrubs and flanked to the left by a bedroom block with rooms opening on to a long verandah like a plantation house in the West Indies. From the front door there is a view straight through in the garden. The staircase sets a grander note, with matching flights on either side rising to first-floor bedrooms. Doors open on to an enfilade running across the house and linking the library with the drawing room and dining room. Steps lead down to a terrace with tables and chairs. The large lawn in spring is a carpet of tiny purple oxalis flowers. To the right is another verandahed wing with bedrooms. Beyond, the garden steps down to two further terraces, one inset with a large pool stocked with goldfish and koi carp. The formality of terraces and lawns is softened by spreading trees which shade the paths. At the bottom is another immense Metrosideros and a new tea pavilion offering snacks to golfers and garden visitors. Casa Velha with Christina in charge is decorated in fresh pretty colours. The dining room has a plantation feel thanks to polished wood floors and mahogany furniture. It has been cleverly extended by a conservatory retaining the original outside windows which now provide indoor views from one room to the next“.
The hotel provides 32 rooms and five suites, each one singular in style and personality. The sitting room and bar are comfortable, beautifully furnished and decorated with gilt framed oils, Madeira prints and lithographs. Fresh flowers picked from the garden lend colour and vitality. The hotel‘s award-winning restaurant is highly regarded, and a deserved gourmet reference point. Guests enjoy the evening atmosphere by candlelight in the elegant dining room. Breakfast is served in the sun filled conservatory.
The Palheiro Spa, a short walk from the reception, features a veritable array of treatments and beauty therapies. The facilities include heated indoor and outdoor swimming pools, Turkish bath and sauna plus a smart gymnasium which further enhances the wellbeing experience. There‘s an all-weather tennis court next door and the less energetic can play croquet on the lawn below the property. The hotel borders the famous Palheiro Gardens and the Palheiro Golf course – a superb 18-hole, par 72 Championship layout – and offers privileged access to guests staying at Casa Velha. The hotel‘s Sports Fishing yacht „ Balancal“ lying in the Funchal marina is available for deep sea fishing and coastal excursions.
Rooms & Suites
The guest rooms and suites at Madeira Island Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro perfectly convey the history, beauty and elegance of the Palheiro Estate. Staying here is to embrace over 200 years of family tradition, and the sense of occasion is tangible. Each room combines classic, bespoke design with contemporary flourishes and is appointed to the very highest standards of comfort and luxury. Warm, dark-coloured hardwood furnishings and floral-patterned drapes and bedware combine to illustrate a graceful and discerning interior replete with sprays of fresh flowers, large mirrors and framed prints of rare and beautiful flora. Outside, there is little to disturb the peace and quiet except, perhaps, the piping of birdsong or the gentle sigh of a light breeze.
Double Garden Wing Room
The Double Garden Wing Rooms at Casa Velha do Palheiro are located in the Garden Wing adjacent to the main building. Emerald-green Virginia creeper smothers much of the pale peach façade of this accommodation wing, where ground- and first-floor rooms overlook the hotel entrance and afford pleasant rear-views across the gardens.
Facilities and amenities
All guestrooms at Madeira Island Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro have en-suite bathrooms equipped with hairdryers and heated towel rails. The suites and superior rooms have additional separate shower cabins.
30-channel cable television
Central heating with individual control
Bathroom amenities of the highest quality
Direct dial telephone
Room safe
Internal television channel
Mini bar
Daily turndown service
Welcome gift in all rooms on arrival
Writing desk with stationary set
Directory of Services with extensive Casa Velha and Madeira visitor information
24-hour Reception service
Double Golf Wing
Fronting the hotel‘s well-manicured back lawn, the architecture of the two-tier Golf Wing is very much in keeping with Casa Velha‘s country house-style appearance. The Double Golf Wing Rooms offer more floorspace and bathrooms with separate tub and shower. The floor-length rear windows allow glimpses of the golf course.
Double Main House Rooms
The Double Main House Rooms enjoy a period setting within the Old House. Bright and airy, the antique character is immediately inviting and delightfully informal. Decorated throughout in pastel hues, the muted tones accentuate the mahogany furnishings and decorative floral fabrics. Some of the rooms enjoy elevated views over the terrace and rear lawn.
Junior Suites Main House
The three Junior Suites located in the Old House offer a rare combination of generous floorspace and ambient light.
Beautifully appointed and exuding a graceful, 19th-century aura, the interior of each suite conveys a unique personality and is named after a distinguished individual inexorably linked with Madeira Island and the Palheiro Estate.
On the upper level, The Conde de Carvalhal Suite honours the 1st Count of Carvalhal who created the estate in 1801 and built Casa Velha.
The Rei Dom Carlos Suite, also upstairs, remembers Carlos de Bragança, King of Portugal, who stayed here in 1901.
Named after the man who subsequently purchased the land and buildings of Palheiro in 1885, The John Burden Blandy Suite is situated on the ground floor of the Casa Velha
Senior Suites Golf Wing
The two Senior Suites located in the Wing are named after noted topographical painters Frank Dillon and Andrew Pickens.
The Frank Dillon Suite is decorated with lithographs depicting 19th-century Madeira executed by the English artist and illustrator in 1848.
Similarly, prints and engravings of Madeira Island views in the mid-1800s by fellow expatriate Andrew Pickens enliven the Andrew Pickens Suite.
Both suites enjoy substantial floorspace, with separate bedroom and lounge-sitting room. Bathrooms with separate bath and shower.
The Casa Velha Dining Room
The dining room at Madeira Island Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro overlooks the landscaped grounds and manicured lawn at the rear of the five-star property.
Decorated in restful shades of peach and designed to embody the style and comfort of country living, the Casa Velha dining room reflects the classical elegance associated with the hotel.
Handsome mahogany tables set across a floor of smooth wood enhance the room‘s rustic appeal. Lighter, wicker tables placed outside on the terrace offer more spontaneous, al fresco impression.
French windows curtained in lace and crowned with a floral trim afford fine views back across the gardens.
Polished silverware and Villeroy & Boch tableware in petite fleur motif exemplify the attention to detail. Sprays of fresh flowers add colour and fragrance.
In the morning the mood is cheerful, relaxed and homely.
Friendly waiting staff in uniforms of crisp white shirts, holly green tunics and black slacks serve tea or coffee, promptly and without fuss. An impressive Continental buffet breakfast spread tempts with an array of freshly baked pastries, assorted jams and spreads, cold cuts, and fresh fruit and juice. An English-style cooked selection provides a heartier option. And guests can also order from a unique menu of eggs cooked to order and served in various ways including fried, poached and scrambled. A more civilised way to start the day is difficult to imagine!
The dining room is also the Casa Velha restaurant.
As evening falls the lights are lowered and a more formal atmosphere pervades the room.
This is where to enjoy a romantic, candlelit dinner in intimate surroundings, where discretion and courtesy go hand in hand.
A choice menu of the finest gourmet cuisine is matched by an enviable selection of Portuguese and international wines.
Eating here is an essential part of the guest experience and complements any stay at Madeira Island Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro.
Guest Services & Facilities
The hotel offers a variety of services to fulfill our guests needs. Whether you visit Casa Velha for business or pleasure, you will find the ideal environment to treat yourselves with all the comfort and services:
In-Room Facilities & Amenities
En-suite bathrooms with hairdryers and heated towel rails
Bathroom amenities of highest quality
In-room coffee machine (on request)
Central heating with individual control
Direct dial telephone
Room safe
Mini bar
Flat-screen TV with 30-channel cable television
Daily turndown service
Welcome gift in all rooms on arrival
Writing desk with stationary set
Directory of services with extensive Casa velha and Madeira visitor information
Outdoor Facilities
All weather tennis court - floodlit
Badminton, croquet, table tennis
Outdoor and indoor swimming-pools
Golf at the adjacent Palheiro Golf course
Free entrance to Palheiro Gardens
Big game fishing
Golf & Spa Packages
At Casa Velha do Palheiro, we combine dramatic scenery and historical grounds with exceptional service to deliver extraordinary experiences. Whether you are looking for once-in-a-lifetime adventures, vacations steeped in historic character, or luxurious spa getaways, we have the picture-perfect destination for you, places where friends and family can make memories to last a lifetime. With our great specials and year-round getaway packages, it’s now even easier to spend an unforgettable time together — with Palheiro.
Palheiro Golf Course
Palheiro Golf Madeira Island is one of Europe‘s most beautiful golf courses.
Set within the magnificent Palheiro Estate and lying adjacent to the five-star Madeira Island Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro property - the 18-hole, par 72 Championship golf course meanders through a pristine environment of maritime pine and botanical woodland embroidered with lush, sub-tropical vegetation.
At nearly 500 m (1640 ft) above sea level, the location is blessed with dramatic views of Madeira‘s mountainous skyline and the vast Atlantic Ocean. Nestling below just 10 minutes away is Funchal, the island‘s capital.
Designed by renowned golf architect Cabell B. Robinson, this picturesque layout with year-round appeal takes full advantage of Madeira‘s hilly terrain, with abrupt ridges and deep valleys providing a compelling challenge for even the most seasoned golfer. Teeing off here is to walk through a verdant and tranquil 200-year-old country estate, and an abundance of fragrant, exotic flora lends the course a unique and singular quality. Melodic birdsong enriches the experience.
Play calls for a fair degree of accuracy - the contoured fairways and strategically placed bunkers guarding fast, undulating greens mean there‘s little room for error. A halfway house, The Tea House, offers refreshments and a chance to pause and assess scorecards. Indeed, a round of golf at Palheiro engages all the senses and rewards those of all abilities with an enjoyable and memorable experience. And remember, Casa Velha hotel guests have privileged access to the course and its facilities.
Palheiro Golf Academy and Clubhouse
At Palheiro Golf Madeira Island there‘s also the prestigious Palheiro Golf Academy that features a 6-hole short course layout, short game practice area, driving range, putting green and chipping green with bunkers.
Providing expert advice on all aspects of the game is a resident PGA golf professional and a team of knowledgeable and helpful staff. Fully equipped and professionally run, Palheiro Golf Academy is ideal for novice and intermediary-level players to hone skills and improve technique.
The neighbouring Clubhouse - the social hub of Palheiro Golf - invites players to relax before or after their game.
Constructed using local building materials and styled to reflect the traditional architecture of the island and the Palheiro Estate, its attractive interior benefits from a spacious, open-plan format that is refreshingly bright and informal.
Incorporated into the floorspace is a fashionably designed Pro Shop that stocks quality branded apparel and a comprehensive range of equipment and ancillary merchandise for the lady and gentleman golfer.
The mood in the Clubhouse is casual and familiar; it‘s a place to engage in good conversation over a round of drinks, or perhaps something to eat.
The Palheiro Golf Clubhouse Restaurant offers a superbly crafted lunch and dinner menu of Portuguese cuisine infused with Mediterranean and oriental flavours.
Managed by the award-winning Madeira Island Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro, the restaurant can offer anything from a Club Sandwich to a full à la carte meal. The menu also lists an exceptional range of wines.
Outside, the terrace provides an unrivalled scenic panorama of Funchal harbour and the mountains beyond and it‘s a view that makes visitors feel on top of the world.
Indulge the Senses at Palheiro Spa
Palheiro Spa at Madeira Island Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro is where the journey of relaxation and self-discovery begins.
Set amidst the tranquil Palheiro Estate and just a short walk from the hotel entrance, Casa Velha‘s boutique spa facility adds vitality and wellbeing to the guest experience.
Blending seamlessly into the environment and surrounded by lush, fertile woodland, Palheiro Spa is at one with Nature.
Brushing the dry stone façade are banks of leafy fern and agapanthus that burst into a blaze of lilac during the summer months. Polished grey cantaria - basalt stonework framing the doors and windows - further accentuate the spa‘s organic appearance. Above, Canary Island pine, candelabra and other exotic trees cluster in abundance.
A chic, minimalist interior captures the essence of luxury and heightens the spa‘s Zen-like quality.
Four treatment rooms - Palmeira, Agapanthus, Camelia, Cypress - provide candlelit privacy and a chance for guests to indulge in a comprehensive range of authentic massage and beauty therapies for him and her. Afterwards, a relaxation room allows for rest and contemplation.
Palheiro Spa aims for results-based treatments based on the expert knowledge and the considerable experience of its team of professionally qualified staff. Pevonia Botanica and Caci professional spa and salon products are used throughout.
Wellness options extend to Finnish sauna and Turkish steam bath, refreshing rain and waterfall shower experiences, and a fabulous heated indoor swimming pool with exhilarating massage jets. On hot, sunny days the larger outdoor pool is a real temptation. The spa also has a Fitness Room where guests can continue their usual exercise routine using state-of-the-art equipment while on holiday. Teas, infusions and a healthy assortment of snacks can be ordered before or after treatments at the adjoining Conservatory Bar. And remember, the Palheiro Spa at Madeira Island Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro is open year-round to guests and non-residents.
Weddings & Special Events
Palheiro Estate offers a myriad of different opportunities to celebrate weddings and other special occasions.
Unforgettable scenery and discreet service will make your event unique.
At Palheiro Estate we will tailor make the perfect package for that unforgettable event.
Some suggestions:
Weddings and special occasions at Casa Velha.
Celebration of weddings in the award winning Palheiro Gardens.
Renovation of vows or blessings using our 200 year old chapel.
Important occasions such as birthdays or family reunions based at the Casa Velha do Palheiro with exquisite food and service. Hen parties – lazy days pampering yourself and your friends at the Palheiro spa in preparation for the big day.
Private dinners at the Palheiro Golf clubhouse with the amazing panoramic back drop of Funchal.
Cocktails on board the Motor Yacht Balancal whilst watching the dolphins.
Hiking & Levada Walks
Madeira‘s many levada walks are an amazing way to see the island, there are many to choose from all over the island and we can provide you with more information about the various hikes and levada walks available.
Below are some details about the „Levada dos Tornos“ which is one of our favourite walks and the levada which is closest to the Palheiro Estate as well as a few short walks.
Address:
Rua da Estalagem 23 Sao Goncalo, Funchal
Funchal