Casa Velha do Palheiro, a Relais & Châteaux hotel above Funchal on Madeira, hosts small corporate meetings, weddings, private celebrations and exclusive dinners. It has 37 bedrooms and suites, a meeting room, a pavilion, a chapel and garden terraces inside the 150-hectare Palheiro Nature Estate. The official site gives no guest capacity for any event space, so numbers are confirmed on request.
Seminars and company events
The hotel has one dedicated meeting room. It measures 24 square meters (4 by 6 meters) with a ceiling height of 2.6 meters, so it suits a board session, a workshop or a leadership retreat for a small group. It comes with audio-visual equipment, private bathrooms, a cloakroom and a coffee-break service. Larger company dinners and receptions are handled by the estate events team, which also arranges exclusive dinners.
Leisure facilities on the estate can fill the rest of a program: an 18-hole, par 72 golf course, a spa with four treatment rooms, outdoor and indoor pools, a tennis court, a library and a games room.
Weddings and receptions
The estate presents weddings, vow renewals, milestone birthdays and private celebrations. The spaces named on the official site are the Pavilion, the historic chapel, the Palheiro Gardens and the Balancal terrace, which overlooks Funchal Bay. A dedicated events coordinator guides each client from the first visit to the day itself and prepares a personalized proposal.
Rooms and capacities
- Meeting room: 24 square meters, 4 by 6 meters, 2.6 meters high, with audio-visual equipment.
- Pavilion, chapel, gardens and Balancal terrace: used for ceremonies and receptions. No capacity is published.
Accommodation
The hotel counts 37 rooms and suites in three buildings. The main house, dating from 1804, has 3 junior suites of 52 square meters and 7 double rooms. The golf wing has 3 senior suites of 57 square meters and 10 double rooms of 32 square meters. The garden wing has 14 double rooms of 28 square meters. All rooms are en suite and have air conditioning, a minibar, a safe and free wifi. The hotel offers a 24-hour reception, electric car charging and private parking.
Catering
Oxalis is the hotel restaurant, led by chef Gonçalo Bota. The estate also runs the Balancal restaurant with views over the bay. Menus for events are prepared with the events team, and the hotel hosts private dinners in the gardens.
History and setting
Conde de Carvalhal built the house in 1804 as a hunting lodge. It has since been restored as a country-house hotel in the middle of the Palheiro Gardens and the Palheiro Golf course, above Funchal and close to the city's wine lodges.
Getting there
The hotel stands at Rua da Estalagem 23 in São Gonçalo, Funchal. The official site puts Madeira International Airport 20 minutes away. Parking is available on site.
