Three House Hotel

Style

Stands apart(hotel)

Setting

Thoroughly modern Madeira

Three really is a magic number at Three House Hotel, a triple-threat combination of Atlantic Ocean-facing apartments, a swimming-pool-topped sun terrace, and a North African-influenced restaurant and cocktail bar. A neutral palette runs through the light, bright, minimalistically styled studios, but the magic mostly happens up on the sixth floor. This laidback yet up-beat rooftop hangout will be your hub, when you’re not off hiking, biking, or canyoning, that is. Whether you’re checking-in for a Madeiran mini-break, or extending your stay to explore the island, you’ll be able to confirm that good things absolutely do come in threes.

Facilities

Rooms

13.

Checkout

10.30am, but flexible, subject to availability and a €15 charge per hour. Earliest check-in, 2pm.

More Details

Rates exclude breakfast, but freshly baked pastries are delivered to your room each morning free of charge. There is a two-night minimum stay throughout the year. From 27 December to 3 January, a five-night minimum stay applies.

Also

The hotel is wheelchair-accessible and has some room options suitable for guests with mobility issues.

Hotel Closed

Three House Hotel is open all year round.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pet Friendly

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

At the Hotel

Mediterranean rooftop garden, gym, self-serve laundry service, plug adaptors, and free WiFi. In rooms: smart TV, air-conditioning, fully-equipped kitchen with Smeg appliances, tea-making kit, coffee machine, gourmet minibar, beach towels, and organic Damana bath products. And Superior Rooms have a Harman Kardon Bluetooth speaker.

Our Favourite Rooms

Contemporary home comforts come guaranteed in every room here – but for the space to stretch out as if you really were at home, book the Apartment T2 Superior for its two light-flooded bedrooms and large open-plan kitchen.

Poolside

The salty sea air will be on your lips and the sound of crashing Atlantic waves in your ears as you take a horizon-skimming swim in the hotel’s heated natural stone saltwater infinity pool (open 8am to 7pm), fringed by subtropical plants which dot the rooftop.

Spa

The gym is free to use. There’s a strength-training section with free weights and machines, plus a cardio area. Fitness classes are also available on request (€10 an hour, a person).

Packing Tips

A trusty pair of flats are an absolute must for a blister-free break – Funchal’s hilly, cobblestone streets can be quite unforgiving towards style-over-comfort footwear. Madeira’s many microclimates also make layered (activewear) outfits essential.

Also

With your access-all-areas card, take the south lift down and you’ll come out directly into Funchal’s Oudinot retail centre – and the main shopping area is just a five-minute walk away – so you really can shop-till-you-drop.

Children

There aren't any specific activities tailored to them but children are welcome to stay here.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Undoubtedly the chef’s counter, where you’ll have a front row seat to watch chef Maurício Faria work his magic.

Dress Code

You’re just a few steps away from the pool, so kaftans and cover-ups won’t look out of place.

Hotel Restaurant

Madeira’s proximity to Morocco can be felt in the North African fusion food and decor at Three House Restaurant, a cool rooftop spot for brunch (think homemade granola and açaí bowls bursting with tropical fruit), lunch, and dinner (the mango-pickled ceviche is a must-try) overlooking the boats bobbing around in Funchal’s harbour. Large leaves of fragrant banana plants unfurl around alfresco tables, and the intimate space indoors is awash with a peachy glow from the apricot-tinged, alcoved walls.

Hotel Bar

Mellow beats from the house DJ set a relaxed rhythm on the Three Rooftop Bar, which kicks up a notch during the live-music sessions (Wednesday to Saturday each week). Sink ruby-red Agavonis (a tequila-spiked take on the Negroni) from your day-bed, or tuck into some light tapas from one of the sea-facing sofas – you’ll have one of the best seats in Funchal to watch the sunset.

Last Orders

The kitchen is open each day between 10am and 9.30pm for brunch, lunch, and dinner.

Room Service

With your own Smeg-stocked kitchen, who needs room service? But if you’re not in the mood to cook, you can dial down to reception between 10am and 9.30pm.

Planes

Named after Madeira’s famous footballing export, Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport is an easy, breezy 30-minute drive from the hotel. Three House Hotel is on hand to help with transfers, and a limousine service is available on request.

Trains

You’re more likely to take a toboggan than a train on this Portuguese island, as the Monte Railway has not been in use since the Forties.

Automobiles

Short city breaks in Funchal are perfectly doable without a car, but longer stays which delve deeper into the island’s many hiking trails definitely demand some wheels (we’d recommend asking for an automatic to smoothly navigate Madeira’s hair-raisingly steep mountain roads). There is free underground parking at the hotel, which can be accessed using your room key.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Funchal’s many charms are at your feet thanks to Three House Hotel’s superbly central location. A short stroll will take you to Sé Cathedral – a masterful mixture of Gothic, Moorish, and Manueline architecture – and onwards to the quaint, labyrinthine Old Town (or Zona Velha to locals). Don’t miss the painted doors down the Rua de Santa Maria, a project led by photographer José Maria Zyberchem who encouraged local artists to unleash their creativity on over 200 entry-ways. Quirky galleries have sprung up in the Santa Maria district, where aesthetes should also keep an eye out for azulejos (traditional ceramic tiles). The vibrant farmer’s market known as Mercado dos Lavradores is also within walking distance, where ‘flower girls’ clad in colourful costumes sell bouquets of island-grown plants (time your visit for April and May to see Madeira in full bloom during its annual Flower Festival), alongside fresh-off-the-boat fisherman and fruit merchants. Cable-car rides run regularly to the idyllic village of Monte, where the green-fingered will be in their exotic element at Monte Palace Tropical Garden and Funchal’s Botanical Garden. Just when you thought riding the gondola up felt adventurous, you can put your faith in straw-boater-wearing tobogganers who will whizz you back down to Livramento in a wicker-basket-style sled. Water-based activities include dolphin and whale-watching tours which depart daily from the picturesque waterfront, waterfall canyoning, and crystal-clear dips in Porto Moniz’s natural pools on the north-western tip of the island, which have been formed by volcanic lava. The black-sand beach at Seixal is also well worth a visit. Don your hiking boots and follow one of the many levada trails (Madeira’s old waterways) which criss-cross the mountains, taking the intrepid up into the clouds, past banana plantations and grape-laden vineyards. Not for the faint-of-heart, the glass-bottomed Skywalk juts out from the cliffs of Cabo Girão and promises precarious views along the coastline, towards the pretty town of Câmara de Lobos and the Desertas Islands in the distance.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .