Orca Praia Hotel

Clinging to the side of a steep cliff, the Orca Praia Hotel is strikingly designed. A winding path leads through a garden rich and green with desert succulents, down to a pool terrace and a beach with glittering black volcanic sand and craggy rock formations. While impressive, the steep path may be difficult for those with limited mobility to maneuver. Inside is less startling, with a traditional design that could use a refresh. While the lobby is all shining white marble and dark wood topped with Persian rugs and parquet coffee tables, heavy curtains, faux-leather chairs, and mismatched decorative pieces are outdated. The restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to sea, though the chocolate drapes, mottled brown floor tiles, wood-covered pillars, and chintzy crimson make the room seem dull and dated. The hotel attracts mainly adult guests, looking to get away from the crowds in a location with sea, sun, and little else.

Although the Orca Praia Hotel is only a short hop away from the center of Funchal, there is very little in the surrounding area. The hotel runs a free bus service four times daily to the city center -- must be booked well in advance -- plus there is a local bus that stops just outside. Funchal Lido, an attractive stretch of coast with a number of shops, bars, and restaurants is a 13-minute bus ride away, while the center of town is slightly farther at 16 minutes. Expect transfers to Madeira Airport to take roughly 25 minutes by car.

Rooms at the Orca Praia are long and narrow, although they get somewhat broader farther down the hotel, and all come with large, furnished terraces facing out toward the ocean. They are dated but comfortable, decorated with patterned carpets in varying earth tones, taupe bed linens, and square bucket chairs at the end of the beds, facing flat-screen TVs on floating desks alongside stools. One wall is composed of glass, letting in lots of natural light, and providing access to the balconies. Contemporary bathrooms have slate tile floors, spacious showers, bidets, and free toiletries. Rooms do not have mini-fridges or air-conditioning, which coupled with their south-facing aspect, means that they are likely to get hot during the summer. Safes and Wi-Fi are available, both at a cost.

A steep path snakes its way down the cliffside, through a garden verdant with desert plants and succulents, to what is easily the hotel’s best feature -- its pool terrace. There, guests will find a large lap pool, a bar, and plenty of cheery yellow loungers. Beyond this is a secluded cove, with glittering black volcanic sand; it’s not a private beach, but it might as well be, given the hotel’s location away from the crowds. However, the path may prove inaccessible for guests with mobility difficulties, and there is no other way down.

A spa offers a range of massage and wellness treatments, as well as the use of a big hydrotherapy tub and steam room. There is also a small gym with floor-to-ceiling windows that face the ocean. A game room has ping-pong, pool, and foosball tables. The restaurant offers a buffet breakfast and dinner of local and international fare, while drinks and snacks are available in the two bars. The lobby bar also has live music some nights. Wi-Fi is available for free in public areas.