My husband and I stayed at Reid’s Palace Hotel to celebrate his birthday. We partly chose the hotel because of our positive experience of other Belmond hotels we have previously stayed in and found Reid’s standards to be at the level we had hoped for. We had a wonderful week in this iconic hotel which is situated in a fabulous location. The bedrooms and public areas in the hotel are relaxing, comfortable and maintained to a very high standard. We stayed in the Garden Wing, which was easily accessed from the main part of the hotel via the lifts. Our room was kept exceptionally clean by a very friendly and helpful maid. We chose the hotel’s Villa Cipriani restaurant for my husband’s evening birthday meal and liked it so much that we ate there on another two occasions during our stay. The food was excellent, with fresh ingredients expertly cooked and the atmosphere was nice and relaxed. The restaurant manager, Renato, and also our waiter, Capelo, were very professional, friendly and accommodating. We had food (the octopus, potato and black garlic was particularly delicious) and drinks on numerous occasions in the very tastefully decorated 1891 Bar whilst enjoying the incredible views out to Funchal (particularly special at night). We really enjoyed the live music in the bar, too. We also had several relaxed lunches at the Pool Terrace where the service was extremely warm and efficient. The hotel offers a range of tours and activities that take place across the week. We found the (separate) tours of the gardens and hotel really interesting and definitely recommend them – you just need to book your place in advance via reception. The Hotel’s General Manager, Eduardo, was always extremely helpful and a pleasure to talk to. Thank you to Eduardo and all the staff at the hotel, Villa Cipriani restaurant, 1891 Bar and the Pool Terrace for making our stay so relaxing and enjoyable. We plan to return. Mr and Mrs Brantingham