Just come back from 7 days with First Choice. We have stayed at the Lido before and it was as good this time. We paid for the Seaview Suite and this was excellent, a double-sized room with separate lounge area and an enormous balcony with >180deg sea views. It was a little faded looking but the hotel is currently in the middle of refurbishing all of the rooms, so this won't be long in happening.
Check-in was very good, made better by having had a taxi transfer; though the airport is very civilised as well.
It is worth booking the themed restuarants as soon as you can as they can fill up quite quickly, the addition of the Bistro on the seafront is a welcome one; we enjoyed this the most. The Japanese was standard fare though it is good to have it cooked in front of you; the Italian was better than our last visit as more effort was made to transform it from it's normal day-time role of the poolside lunch / snack area, the multi-course menu with leave you over-full, so leave space for dessert; the Madeiran was good also, but you need a sweet tooth to get the best out of it (which I don't have). The Atlantique (buffet) that is used for breakfast and non-booked meals is okay, but would be very same-ey if you ate there every time - take advantage of the cooking station on the back wall if you want a bit of variety - and a fresh omelette for breakfast.
The rep mentioned that there had been some local outbreaks of a sickness bug but we didn't encounter it thankfully - but I was surprised that the restaurant staff weren't promoting the use of the hand-gel on the entrances - and that most people didn't use it either whether reminded or not!
Bar staff at both bars were excellent again - Roberto, Filipe and Riccardo, thanks for your time, humour and drink sizes!
Pool was generally quiet even thought the weather was good, so getting a lounger was never an issue. BE CAREFUL around the pool in bare feet as it can be very slippy on the smooth tiles. Loungers have been replaced since last time and were good; parasols let the poolside down as they are very tired and some don't stay up - come on Enotel, it's letting your visual impression down here (and it was the same last time). The bottom of the pool is also missing a few tiles, but these aren't sharp edged so are okay
Facilities in the room are good, with plenty of English TV stations, bed was enormous and comfortable, the room was made up every day before 11am and the maid was very pleasant.
If you want to walk in to Funchal it is a 40m downhill stroll to the sea front, a few minutes more to the cable car and old town where there are numerous bars, restaurants and coffee shops if you want some variety. Watch out for the very annoying Pestana time-share touts (English) after you get past Reids. If you want to go on the cable car or toboggan, I suggest timing it for when there isn't a cruise ship in the dock as it is very busy when there is / are some.
A taxi back up the hill was less than 7Euro from the rank by the central park / cathedral.
In the opposite direction is the shopping centre where there are numerous clothing outlets and a supermarket (Pingo Doce) where you can get snacks etc to add to the endless food at the hotel (and some good deals on wine for 5Euros and less).
You can also walk out on to the seafront from gates on either side of the pool (with room-key re-entry) and walk to the Lido or just along the front past the numerous cafes and bars. A little further to the right (90m+) is Camara de Lobos - a nice fishing village where Churchill did a lot of his painting.- walk there / taxi or yellow bus back.
The area has obviously suffered from some winter weather as some of the palms are looking a little sad, but everywhere was spotlessly clean as always and I'm sure it will recover over the summer.
While you are there, be sure to take at least one trip out. We have done the Enchanting East and the Western Tour - both are full days and are great value for money.
All in all, we really enjoyed our return and would go again - to Madeira and to Enotel Lido..

The hotel is fantastic with a unique location. The staff is very friendly and available, especially the sportsbar man Pedro Reis always ready to satisfy the needs and the wishes of the customers. The rooms are excellent and the all-inclusive option is very good.

We stayed at the hotel from 26th March to 2nd April, with the Easter weekend in the middle. This did not in any way affect the service, and the Easter floral displays around the hotel were superb. A fabulous hotel, with excellent service and great staff, nothing was too much trouble. The food was plentiful and varied, and available for most of the day. We were very surprised to find that we could get branded spirits from the bar, which we have never found at other all-inclusive hotels, and 'real' coffee was available too. Our room was on the 3rd floor which suited us, not too near the pool, and the view was lovely. Like a previous reviewer we found trouble with the shower door frame dripping water, but just left our bath mat down for a little longer. The only thing that worried us over the whole week was the slippery tiles around the pool area, as we saw a few slips and falls, which made us a little wary as we are both in our 60's and of course concerned about falls. Also, like other reviewers we did not find the entertainment to our taste, but this is nothing new for us, and we usually sit happily in the lounge and read and do puzzles etc. so no problem. All in all, the best all inclusive we have stayed in in 20 odd years of using this type of holiday. well done to all concerned.