Our first visit to Madeira was in 2019, booked via Secret Escapes at the QBST (Quinta Bela São Tiago).
The hotel is elevated at the eastern end of the old town and is set in a restored manor house from the 19th century.
Surrounded by a banana plantation, an orchard, and many beautiful bay windows and nooks, it offers a unique atmosphere.
We had the advantage of receiving an upgrade to a suite — one that apparently some guests had already turned down, as it is a bit remote and maze-like.
At least that was our impression when the concierge asked us with an anxious look whether the room was okay for us. 😄
When we said yes, we noticed a distinct sigh of relief on her part. 😉
Another draw- (or for us, a strong PRO) — of this suite was that it was located directly above the very winding underground garage.
That meant we had — just like
Waldorf and Statler
In case someone truly doesn’t know Waldorf and Statler:
They are fictional characters from The Muppet Show
who share a box at the Muppet Theater
and love to criticize everything to bits.
They usually get the last word —
in the form of a biting remark at the end.
My favorite quote from them:
“There’s only one thing better than seeing this show!”
“And what’s that?”
“Not seeing this show!”
— the pleasure every evening
of watching guests return
with their rental cars from the balcony. 😆
It was always wonderfully entertaining to see how their respective partners guided them into the tight parking spaces:
“Left, left, LEFT!! — No... the other left!”
Here are some photos from there:
With the Pestana Carlton we truly made a proper hotel upgrade!
Pestana Group
(Wissen: wenig witzig)
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After choosing family-run accommodations in recent years, taking the step into a five-star fortress with the Pestana was a highlight for us once again. We stayed in the so-called Vacation Club, which offered us all kinds of perks — starting with the dreamy view from our room.
Just a few snapshots from the Pool-Area:
In 2023, the hotel had a very special highlight: the “youngest employee” — a nine-month-old female falcon, looked after daily by a falconer to scare off the cheeky pigeons.
By the way, the pretty bird goes by the name Midnite or Midnight — I couldn’t quite transliterate that from “Falconish.” 😉
But what happens when a “security falcon” enters the territory of a long-established kestrel?
Exactly: a fierce dogfight breaks out, in which the small kestrel chases away the desert falcon that’s twice its size.
Unfortunately, I was only able to capture some pretty blurry shots — so I’ll spare you the pictures here. You’ll just have to take my word for it! *big grin*
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