I searched and found the perfect hotel for complete relaxation. Madeira was not in my mind, but when I saw the hotel on the internet and read the reviews I decided to give it a try - and I'm glad I did. It's the most relaxing holiday I've had in years. And the reason? The Vine! I stayed there for seven nights, a jounior suite at the winter (4th) floor and it was, as they promise, a devine experience! The design of the hotel is organized aorund vine - and it's carried out to the smallest detail. At the same time it captures important Portugese charactersitics, like the pebbles, and the material that are used exquisite. It is a pure pleasure to go to bed in the evening, lay down in an always perfectly made bed and let the soft Egyptian cotton of the bedding surround your body. It's also a pleasure to wake up, take a shower or a bath before going down to breakfast (or order it to your room) where an always welcoming staff attend to your needs in a professional and discrete way.
The rooftop with its pool, jacuzzi, sunbeds and 360 bar is a great place to chill out during the day, it's a really realxing environment, a quiet place with astonishing view and excellent service. It's also a great place for having an aperitif before dining at the UVA or a coffee after dinner. I dined at the UVA twice, and especially the first time when I had the tasting menue with the reccommended wines was a great experience. The second time, the first course was a bit overflavoured to my taste, but all in all a very good experience. It is truley a gourmet restaurant, but as most restaurants there is room for improvements regarding the combinations of flavours in some of the dishes. All the wines, except the champagnes of course, are from Portugal. If you are not so familiar with Portugese wine the sommeliers help you make excellent choices, the desert wine that was reccommended with the peaches was a heavenly combination I'll never forget. Considereing the quality of the food, the wine, the combination of tastes and the service, the prices are reasonable. I strongly reccommend to try it out, and do reserve a table because UVA is becoming quite popular. If you want to try out other restaurants in Funchal and the surrounding area, the staff at the UVA as well as the reception will give you excellent advices tailord to your whishes - the best way to avoid the worst turist traps that you'll also find in Funchal.
At the spa I had a very good masage and an excellent facial. The staff is welcoming, professional, discrete and very helpful. Since I'm allergic, and very sensitive to smells, I found some of the scents a bit strong to my taste. However I informed the staff, so they used relatively neutral products in my treatments.
For me the location was excellent - allthough I only left the hotel on four occations - two for dining out and two for exploring the town. I'm probably a very lazy tourist, but I was at The Vine to wind down - and I did. When you get in to the rythm of things at The Vine, the relaxing athmosphere, the pleasent environment where things are in perfect balance regarding shapes, sounds, colours, tastes, even smells. And no stress - not from the staff, not from the other guests - how can you not relax?
The service was excellent all around. The staff is really outstanding - there when you need them, attentive but not importunate, always friendly and helpful - a six star staff in a truely five star hotel.
I had a wonderful time at The Vine, and I will definitely be going back - as soon as I can.