Madeira is one of those destinations that, once you’ve visited, you’ll wonder why on earth you’ve never been before, but will promise yourself to return again and again. With its subtropical climate, outstanding range of restaurants, beautiful natural scenery and easy, laid back atmosphere, it’s no wonder this archipelago off the west coast of Africa has been named Best Island Destination in the World by the World Travel Awards.
The Savoy hotel group has been operating luxury hotels in Madeira for over a century and now has six properties, the latest of which being the NEXT which, whilst appealing and welcoming to young and old alike, is aimed specifically at newer converts to the island’s charms. With its ‘connected sea hotel’ branding emphasising its high-tech credentials, and facilities for digital nomads and co-working spaces, this is a luxury hotel with the millennial market firmly in its sights.
Hotel
Although brand spanking new, having opened in July, this 126-room hotel is actually a conversion of what was previously the Regency Club. The décor has been brought bang up to date though with on-trend industrial accents such as brass Tom Dixon-esque light fittings draped over exposed brutalist concrete beams in the breakfast hall and a strikingly sculpted white central atrium that is more than a little reminiscent of the Guggenheim in New York.
Situated on a road that leads directly down into the marina, where you can find a museum dedicated to the footballing skills of Madeira’s most famous son, Cristiano Ronaldo, it is another 15-minute walk into the centre of town, or a €8 ride in one of the charming old yellow Mercedes that ply their trade around Funchal. There’s a lift that whisks you straight down to a couple of family pools and sunbathing area (with food and drink service from the neighbouring Recharge restaurant) and steps leading down directly to the Atlantic ocean for those after a more bracing dip.
An additional rooftop pool on the eleventh floor has an underwater sound system playing tunes selected by a DJ who, at weekends, resides next to the poolside ‘Cloud’ bar offering 360-degree views of the sea and surrounding mountains. There are plenty of spaces in the communal areas for working (the free Wi-Fi functioned well everywhere in the hotel I tried it) or just chilling out in. I also downloaded and tested out the in-house smartphone app: I only used its basic messaging functionality to ask about booking a table for lunch but it worked fine and the reply came back quickly enough.
Room
My ocean suite (number 301) on the corner of the third floor boasted a balcony bigger than the deck of some luxury yachts – honestly, you could have thrown a party for 50 people on it – from which I could admire the waves gently rolling in off the Atlantic and listen to the bells of the neighbouring chapel gently chiming the hours away.
Split into amply sized living and bedroom areas by sliding doors, and with both areas’ main walls dominated by supersize wall-mounted LG flat screen TV, the décor was contemporarily chic yet unintimidating, featuring a small open-plan wardrobe and compact bathroom area with separate walk-in cubicles for toilet and shower (with bergamot and white flower fragranced toiletries by Damana).
A somewhat superfluous, but nonetheless handy and slightly larger, additional toilet and washbasin was almost hidden away in a room by the front door, next to a recess for the kitchenette containing a decent sized fridge (with complimentary homemade Kombucha and bottles of mineral water fresh from the Madeiran mountains) and tea and coffee making facilities, including a Nespresso machine.
Food
Breakfasts, which are served until 10.30am in the ground floor dining hall, are a perfectly adequate buffet style affair with plenty of meat and vegetarian options to suit most tastes. Lunch can be taken at the poolside Recharge bar and restaurant, either outside if you want to gaze across the ocean as you eat, or inside if you need a break from all that year-round sunshine which Madeira is famous for.
The menu at Recharge is Hawaiian inspired and I ordered a starter of crunchy tacos with shrimp and avocado filling, followed by a succulent tuna steak in Portugal’s famous bolo do caco bread, all washed down with a glass of crisp, cold Vinho Verde. Being part of the Savoy group, residents of the NEXT can also take advantage of the ‘dine around’ facility to use credit bought at their own hotel in the bars and restaurants of the company’s five other locations.
I chose dinner at the Asian themed Nikkei @ Jacaranda on the 16th floor of the Savoy Palace, just a five minute walk away, which has fabulous views of the marina and shoreline. The premium tasting menu was exceptional value at €50 for food of this quality in such an impressive setting, comprising five courses of shirumono, sakizuke, sashimi and sushi followed by dessert (tip: go for the matcha tea hotcake).
Spa
Even with all those swimming pools and the whole of the Atlantic Ocean on your doorstep, there’s still a hotel spa to take advantage of if you’re in need of extra water therapy. In addition to three treatment rooms offering massages and facials using treatments from sustainable brand Comfort Zone and Skin Regimen, there’s a Turkish bath, sauna, ice-fountain and a large, fully equipped gym with 24-hour access.
To do
Funchal’s town centre and zona velha (old town) are home to a myriad of charming restaurants and bars where you can try local delicacies such as espada (the gruesome looking but tasty scabbardfish) and espetada (tender cubes of skewered beef cooked over hot coals) as well as the heady local cocktail, poncha. To sample these as well as some other dishes that are known only to locals, try a walking food tour with madeirafoodonfoot.com.
If you fancy a more energetic hike, or even a run, over the island’s magnificent mountains or along its levadas (aqueducts), book a guided tour with gotrailmadeira.com. Or, if you fancy heading out to sea for a glimpse of the whales that bask all year round in the warm waters surrounding Madeira, there are plenty of options at the marina, but the best of the lot is probably vmtmadeira.com whose large and comfortable catamaran (replete with fully stocked bar) I joined for a four-hour cruise. And yes, even in late October, I saw a pod of pilot whales frolicking just a few feet ahead of our vessel.
In a nutshell
Whether you’re looking for a base for a luxurious week in the sun, or even a longer term bolthole to escape Northern Europe’s long winters, the NEXT hotel is ideal for its location, comfort and facilities. Madeira has always been good value as a holiday destination and the Savoy group are currently offering some extremely keenly priced packages to attract guests to its latest property, meaning you can get a lot of luxury for your Euro right now. I certainly know where I’ll be going for my next winter break.
Factbox
From €102 for double/twin bed and breakfast.
Address: Rua Carvalho Araújo 8, Funchal 9000-022, Madeira (Portugal)
Phone: +351 291 205 700
Website: hotelnext.pt
For more information about Madeira, visit madeiraallyear.com
