Hotel Orca Praia Reviews

Top view hotel on front of sand beach ( low tide). Staff really friendly and went beyond to help. Highly recommend. Recommend the parking reservation

All very good.

The friendliest staff and amazing views helped make this one of our best holidays for a while. Had a change to our usual hotel at a recommendation from our travel agent. Very happy with the hotel. Wonderful welcome at reception with good explanation of the services available, how to access local transport and facilities. There is a shuttle bus service Monday - Friday which is a great asset. It’s a lovely walk from the hotel into central Funchal but in the heat it can be demanding so a one way trip using the hotel minibus made it easier. We opted to take the bus into town and walk back. There is an easy to use local bus in and out of Funchal and Camera de Lobos. Cheap and fast service- though we also walked to Camera de Lobos and back on one day which was a good way to work off lunch!! Currently the promenade walkway to CDL is closed but will be easy to get there on foot once reopened. Lots of cafe /restaurants along the walk to Funchal which give options for snacks and meals. Also a nice place at the top of the hill near the hotel, reception happy to book you a table. Breakfast options were very good, lovely fresh fruit and usual buffet options, can’t fault it. Price for renting safe key plus deposit so be prepared to pay for that, also deposit on credit card requested on arrival. ( cover for fridge/ minibar?) Lovely gardens on the walk down to the pool and beach. Staff in all areas very friendly and service is excellent. We enjoyed light lunch at the pool bar. Prices are competitive. We will definitely return here, loved sleeping with the sound of the sea each night. Thank you to all the team

This hotel is a must! It is out of the busy hotel quarter, but easy to walk into Funchal. There is an easy bus route into Funchal if you don't fancy the walk Free hotel bus shuttle Monday to Friday. The hotel view is the best I have ever seen, waking and sleeping to the sound of the ocean. The rooms are spacious and the beds comfortable. All the staff have been amazing and friendly. Pool area and bar are spotlessly clean overlooking the ocean. Steps are steep but manageable if you take your time. Unavoidable when the hotel is built into a cliff!! We were half board and was satisfied with the choice, maybe another vegetarian dish would be good. Great stay and I'm sure we will be back Thank you Orca Priaia

Absolutely incredible stay!! This was our first family holiday abroad and this place was perfect!! The views are so amazing, hotel is immaculately clean, food at the breakfast buffet is amazing!!! SO much choice and it's all so yummy! Staff are so so friendly and welcoming, our daughter has adhd/asd and every member of staff was amazing with her. Location is perfect, there is a variety of bars and restaurants within 5/10 minute walk along the beach which makes for a nice trip out each time, the next fishing village is a beautiful promenade walk about 25 minutes/half hour away. In the other direction if you go through the tunnel you end up at even more restaurants etc We walked to the supermarket on the first day and its a bit of a walk but the buses are regular and easy and there's a bus stop right by the hotel if walking isn't your thing. Shuttle bus is so good though for going into Funchal!! Lovely touch fom the hotel. Swimming Pool is always very clean and the loungers next to it listening to the waves is like heaven. The dancers were brilliant too for the evening entertainment!! Overall we fell in love with this place and our daughter sobbed her little heart out when we left. We will definitely be back!!!! ❤️

Clean modern hotel. Gorgeous rooms overlooking the beautiful black sand beach and rocky ocean. The huge glass doors that open to the big patio makes the whole room airy like the outside. Nice to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine and watch the boats go by. Sleeping on the comfortable bed and listening to the waves at night was pure heaven. The bathroom outdated but large and functional. The double beds were right beside each other which was strange but we could live with it. The pool was not heated but very clean and refreshing. The sitting area by the pool was gorgeous and relaxing. You can get pool towels at the reception for a refundable 10 euro. We only had the breakfast but it was fresh and plentiful with lots of options. The staff were friendly and helpful.

Nice hotel let down by a few things Plus Great actual rooms Fantastic balcony & view Breakfast good Staff seemed very friendly Good cleaning Pool great Negative Pool FAR to hard to get to and even worse to get back(steps are an absolute killer in + 30°) Evening meal was disappointing (only 1 fish or 1 meat) then plain rice,plain pasta ( no sauces at all) Sweets were nice Nothing,and I mean nothing close,1 resterant,no bars and it's a good 30/ 45 min trek to camera de lobos up and down. Would I stay here again,not really as the pool is a killer to get back from & it's far to isolated. If you want a few days away from anything it would suit Anyway happy hols all

We have just returned from a wonderful stay where we stayed for 6 nights. The rooms were large and well appointed. The beds were very comfortable. The air conditioning was welcomed as the weather was hot. The hotel enjoys fabulous views of the ocean and we loved watching the sunsets from our balcony . All the staff were friendly and extremely helpful. This was the case in each department. We enjoyed the buffet breakfast in the restaurant on floor 9 which had spectacular views over the sea. There was a good variety of food choices and it was replenished regularly. We had one A La Carte meal during our stay which was very nice. Drinks were reasonably priced. The pool area always had enough sun loungers and a handy pool bar for drinks and snacks. A thoroughly enjoyable stay and would definitely return again.

First and foremost, the staff at this hotel are amazing! Reception, bar staff, waiting staff, cleaning staff, all so friendly and attentive and they made my 3yr old boy so happy. He was so excited to see them all the time ! The rooms are great, everything we could have needed. The balconies are a great size and safe for a child to play with an amazing view! Loved going to sleep at night listening to the sound of the waves. Our room didn't have air con but that wasn't needed as it got quite chilly on a night anyway. We walked along the promenade towards funchal most nights where you will find some great places to play/eat. The beach outside the hotel is part rocks part sand so great for little ones & their diggers the pool looks great and plenty of sun loungers although we didn't go in, we had an amazing pizza and salad from the snack bar. Breakfast was great, absolutely amazing choice of things! Overall an amazing place, would definitely come back, so pleased with our holiday.

We booked our parents a holiday to stay at this hotel and requested an upgraded room. Due to a family medical emergency our parents were unable to travel and had to cancel. The hotel in fairness offered to provide a refund for the room upgrade which was approx. £400. We have been waiting 6 months for the refund and despite providing bank account information on several occasions, the hotel have done nothing. Similar to other reviews, if something goes wrong the customer service staff and management are not interested. They are only interested in taking your money and not providing a service. Actually makes me sad companies are happy to keep unearned money from medically stricken families. Shameful.

Firstly, I’d like to start with the positives. The view from the hotel is second to none. The balcony looks out over the sea which is amazing. The room is a decent size and the breakfast is pretty good. However the faults for the hotel all add up and bring it right down. These are: 1. Ignored my 3 emails and Facebook message asking about parking. I also asked could I organise something to make my partners 30th birthday special. All ignored despite actually posting a video on Facebook after I messaged. 2. Adamant that I needed my hotel voucher despite not telling us we needed it in advance. They had us booked in and our room ready but wouldn’t give it to us after a long day travelling until I emailed this hotel voucher off the travel agent. Never heard anything like it. 3. They don’t tell you about parking online as that’s 7.50 a day. And if you wanted to reserve it advance don’t bother as they ignore messages. It was full when we got there. Luckily there were spaces for free on the road outside. 4. I wasn’t told about a holiday tax per night per person that was just introduced. I booked in December when it wasn’t in effect so I got stung by that. 5. They charged me for ice to take to my room. Again I’ve never heard of anything like it. 6. The double bed is actually 2 singles pushed together so you end up just sleeping apart. 7. The maid will without fail turn your air con off or pull your card out so your air con turns off. Glasses/mugs never got replaced when used 8. The bathroom is let down to feel like a public toilet as the soap and toilet roll is in dispensers like we can’t be trusted. So when you’re out you’re out. Overall could have been an amazing hotel but let down by cheaping out. It wouldn’t cost much to do the little things that make a difference.

It was great to be welcomed back to the lovely Orca Praia. The Hotel was just as good as last year, great staff and location.

The rooms are spacious and clean, offering amazing views. The location is very good. However, the hotel lacks charm, particularly in the bar and breakfast room, though this is a minor issue. We found the pool area and the access to the sea very nice. Breakfast is disappointing. Although there is a good selection of food, the quality is poor. Additionally, the constant music in the already noisy restaurant did not help. During checkout, we were charged 2.80 Euros for a beer we supposedly took from the minibar. However, we did not take anything from the minibar, and it was not even stocked with beer. Despite this, the person at reception did not give us the benefit of the doubt and insisted on the 2.80 Euros. I did not want to make a fuss at the time, as I had to leave for the airport, so I paid. It wasn't a big deal, but it felt very petty. A bigger issue for me is that my credit card was charged twice for the full amount of the hotel cost. I have been waiting for a refund for over two weeks, and their communication regarding this matter has been minimal. I have written several emails, but most of them either go unanswered or get forwarded to their financial institution. All in all, there are nicer places in Madeira, we will not be returning to this hotel.

The hotel is situated about 15/20 minutes (by transport) from the main port area adjacent to a lovely promenade area. It is set into a cliff side with perfect views of the sea but this means there are a few steps to negotiate to and from the pool area. The pool area is a lovely setting though with its own bar and food service. The room was clean functional and large and personally I liked the bed mattress. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. I would not hesitate to stay here gain. We were only bed and breakfast as there are lots of places to visit and eat nearby.Breakfast had every option you could ask for.