I was originally booked into the Classic Savoy but on the closure of that hotel, I was transferred to the Royal Savoy for my weeks holiday. The front entrance is unremarkable, signage not very clear and unless you are looking for the place, you could go right past it! After checking in it's strange to get into the lift and then go down to the rooms; the reception is on the 8th floor and the restaurant, bar, pool and garden on floor 0! The rooms are in fact suites and I had a Junior Suite; very spacious and nicely furnished, with a kitchenette (complete with dishwasher, sink, microwave oven/grill, cutlery, crockery, pots and pans) so you could prepare your own meal and save going down to the rather expensive restaurant! Spacious bathroom with all the usual amenities, good sized bath and a separate shower. Ample wardrobe storage space and very comfortable beds with good reading lights. In the living area, a couch, coffee table and a small dining table with chairs. The balcony was through a sliding window and had a view over the pool and garden, and had a sun lounger and a table with 2 chairs. In the area between the bedroom and living area was a flat screen TV with DVD player (no idea how the DVD worked as there were no instructions!) and a small fridge underneath which doubles as the mini bar but is fillable on request, so you can keep your foodstuffs in it. Housekeeping was exemplary and the rooms (and in fact the whole hotel) was spotlessly clean. Air con. was very efficient although again, no instructions on how to operate it.
The restaurant is expensive with table d'hote meals costing between 36 - 39E and not really up to the standard I would have expected in a 5* hotel! The poolside bar and cafe was again expensive and quality was variable. Better by far to buy your own supplies at the many nearby mini supermarkets and/or eat out at the good restaurants and cafe's nearby; turn left out of the main hotel entrance and a short walk up the hill (behind the Pestana Carlton Hotel) brings you to several places worth a visit, a small nightclub and a taxi rank as well. The Kon Tiki is a very different dining experience with some Finnish dishes and the Villa Caffe does some reasonably priced Italian dishes; both places do local dishes as well and have nice outdoor eating areas. Another very nice restaurant a little further away is the Dona Amelia with a good selection of local specialities.
The Royal Savoy is a nice hotel with friendly and efficient staff but . . . it seems completely soulless! The public areas are large but usually empty, the bar had no character at all (even on the entertainment nights!) and there were several other areas on each floor - well, I don't know what they were for but there was never anybody using them! There doesn't appear to be a shop and 2 ladies informed me that there was no hairdressers either. I would assume that these facilities were provided up at the Classic Savoy and since the closure of that hotel, nobody has thought to transfer them down to the Royal Savoy. There is also a lack of information on facilities available.
Also near the hotel are several island tour operators (beware the time share operators!) and car and motorbike hire places. It is also an easy walk up to Reid's Palace Hotel - well worth a visit for afternoon tea. The town centre is about 10 minutes walk away down the hill; if you don't fancy the walk back up, there are plenty of buses and taxis in the town centre to bring you back to the hotel.
By the way, the easiest way in from the airport is by the Aero Bus; the bus runs in from the airport, through the town centre and the tourist and hotel zones, and costs 5E each way (June, 2009); tell the driver the name of the hotel and he will tell you the stop to get off. (The Royal Savoy is not visible from the bus but just look for the big "Savoy" sign on the old pink Savoy Hotel building on the left side of the road and get off there - the Royal Savoy is behind it.) The bus stop for the return to the airport is near the old Savoy Hotel and a timetable is displayed on the bus stop.
If you want a quiet and genteel stay, then this could be the hotel for you.

We stayed for our second year at the Royal Savoy. Guests are mainly of an age where gentile surroundings are appropriate and seek old fashioned courtesies and excellent service combined with the calm, relaxed, spacious accommodation that is on offer.

This is a very good resort where the food is also of an exceptional standard but at a price although this year they have introduced a three or five day eat in ticket for breakfasy and dinner for about 37 euro per person per day. It is good value if you want to eat in.
Eating out is a pleasure for the palate and the wallet.

The area behind the resort has some splendid restaurants, Don Amelia. Casa Don Velha to name but two.

It is a short stroll downhill yo the old town, you can get a bus back, the buses are regular and inexpensive, walk in the opposite direction towards and past Reids and you pass other large hotels and restaurants arriving at the Lido, carry on walking along the main road and you come very soon to a lovely cafe/bar with a terrace overlooking the sea that is wholesome and inexpensive for Madeira It is called Casbah.

Taxi transfer on arrival is 31 e and you may get a better deal prebooking.

Currently Funchal seems less busy that on ourprevious visits and there are excellent deals on half day or full day trips and even in some restaurants.

A truly relaxing place if that is what you want but with lots to do, walks, gardens to visit, cable car rides, sea trips if you like that but not a holiday place I would recommend for young families

I have a Time Share at the Royal and both my wife and myself enjoy the hotel and have had superb service over the six years we have been visiting. We do not skimp and eat out and in the Royal as well as going "al fresco" on our balcony. I have to say the meals are somewhat on the pricey side, for example a simple toasted sandwhich can cost around 9 euros by the poolside yet walk a couple of hundred yards to the Red Lion and a similar meal will be around half the price. The Monday night Buffet is the best value in the hotel yet still costs 32 euros. The plus side is that now drinks (water and wine) are included. I love a good Cheeseboard and the Royal charges a whopping 12 euros for half a dozen grapes, some extrordinarily boring cheeses(4 types) accompanied by 3-4 cheese biscuits including of all things a Ryvita. Mediocrity can still be found in the 5star Royal. Do not hesitate to ask to speak to the Matre d, they will listen but whether they will change things is another matter. The bar is best described as "The Moon Bar", no atmosphere, and pricey. Better value meals can be had locally and there is a fantastic cake shop opposite Reids, Staff at the Royal Time Share office will tell you of good restaraunts nearby and will only give a personal reccomendation if they have dined there themselves so make use of them. In my experience all the staff at the Royal are excellent, I cannot fault them nor can I fault the Hotel...well...just a bit but I still intend to return, year after year after.....

We traded our Marriott time share for a week here and have generally been pleased. The room is spacious, with a separate living room area and efficiency kitchen. The pool area is as beautiful as the photos although the spa was not warm enough. Upkeep is generally good, although there are a few nicks, etc., that could benefit from repairs. The room is very clean, comfortable, and the bath is spacious, with marble and separate shower/tub combination. The hotel is very quiet this time of the year ... and perhaps also because of the economic situation. The guests that are here are mostly older folks from the UK but we came to tour the island ... not socialize with the other guests, so that's OK with us. The staff is helpful, but not overly friendly; the evening doorman though is a gem. The bar areas are quiet and not always open. There is no free internet which is a negative in my book. AT 10 Euro a day, its not even wireless. High tea at Reids was very chi-chi as was dinner at Vila Cipriana but both were very good. The best parts of this destination are the gardens and the western side of the island with scenery like I've never seen. Lots of uphill walking but well worth it.