Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Portugal / Funchal / The Cliff Bay
The Cliff Bay
Funchal, Madeira, Portugal · PortoBay · High Luxury
Its restaurant Il Gallo d'Oro earned Madeira's first Michelin star in 2008, a decade after The Cliff Bay opened as the island's first new five-star hotel since the 1970s. PortoBay built the roughly 200-room flagship on a former banana plantation above Funchal, to a design by architect Joao Conceicao, with interiors that later evolved under Paula Bianchi.
- 200 rooms
- Opened 1994
- Neighborhood: São Martinho
- Rooms from 431 sq ft (40 m²)
- Architect: Joao Conceicao
- Interiors: Paula Bianchi
About The Cliff Bay
- Opened in October 1994 on a former banana plantation in São Martinho, it was the first five-star hotel built in Madeira since the 1970s.
- Il Gallo d'Oro, the gastronomic restaurant, took Madeira's first-ever Michelin star in 2008.
- It became the flagship of the PortoBay Group, whose first hotel had opened in 1988.
- The Blandy family, long associated with Madeira wine and hospitality, has been involved in the ownership.
- Overlooks Atlantic Ocean.
History
The Cliff Bay opened in October 1994 on a clifftop above Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira, built on the site of a former banana plantation. Designed by project architect Joao Conceicao with interiors that later evolved under Paula Bianchi, it was the first five-star hotel built in Madeira since the 1970s and became the flagship of the PortoBay Group, whose first hotel had opened in 1988.
The roughly 200-room resort has been continuously refurbished, with a notable renovation in 2013, and its gastronomic restaurant Il Gallo d'Oro earned Madeira's first Michelin star in 2008. The Blandy family, long associated with Madeira's hospitality, has been involved in the ownership structure.
The setting
3 km from stony Praia Formosa. 2 km from Funchal Cathedral in the city center.
Restaurants and bars
- Il Gallo D'Oro — Restaurant · Two MICHELIN Stars
- The Rose Garden — Restaurant · Modern European
Amenities
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Tennis
- Water sports
Open The Cliff Bay in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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