When I was planning a trip to Madeira with a girlfriend, we were originally set on booking an Airbnb. I usually lean toward the higher-end ones and had my eye on a few that looked perfect. I didn’t even consider the Dreams Resort at first—since it’s all-inclusive, I figured it wouldn’t be our vibe. But out of curiosity, I checked the cash price (since it wasn’t available with points during our dates), and to my surprise, it was the same price as the Airbnbs we were looking at! Sure, we’d go from two bedrooms to one, but food would be included—and I’d knock out three nights toward my Globalist status. Plus, reviewing a newer Dreams all-inclusive sounded fun!

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. We could stay out late, knowing there’d be food waiting when we got back. On past trips, my friend and I are usually go-go-go and never seem to be able to find open restaurants to eat at when we’re actually ready to eat, so this setup felt like the perfect fix.

And if we were splitting the cost, it was an even better deal. This property starts at just 20,000 Hyatt points per night for two adults—or, in our case, $861 total for three nights.

The Welcome

We rented a car from the Funchal airport through Sixt, and in just 15 minutes, we arrived at the resort. Just a heads-up: the large entrance with the big sign (and the one Google Maps directs you to) is actually the service entrance—not where guests should enter. But we ended up going through there anyway. An employee at the gate—who didn’t speak English—gestured for us to turn around. A little confused, we stopped near the sign for the main lobby, and thankfully, the staff offered to repark our car for us so we could just hop out.

As we walked to the entrance, a staff member immediately took our luggage and let us know that, because of my Globalist status, we’d be checking in at the Club Lounge. They walked us over and encouraged us to help ourselves to food and drinks while we waited. The lounge had beautiful ocean views and a lovely patio that overlooked a picturesque little chapel—such a great first impression. Before long, a staff member was ready to check us in.

Check-in was smooth, and we were thrilled to learn we’d been upgraded to one of the best suites on the property—an ocean-view family suite with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was such a thoughtful upgrade and felt like a huge win. (Note: there are also private villas with pools on the property, but this was the top suite-style room.)

During check-in, the staff tried to help us get dinner reservations. The two restaurants we were eyeing—Carvao and the French restaurant, Nouvelle Brasserie—were already full, but she said she’d do her best to get us in and would update us via WhatsApp or the resort’s app. We scanned the QR code for the resort app, which lets you book dining, browse activities, request housekeeping, and more. It was super convenient, although it didn’t always work perfectly. Lastly, we were given wristbands that doubled as our room keys.

Overall, we had a great check-in experience.

The Room

When we walked into our room, we were instantly impressed—it was huge! We immediately fell in love. Waiting for us was a bottle of wine, a beautiful fruit display, and some delicious chocolates, which made for such a warm welcome. The view from our suite included the ocean, parts of the resort, and the steeple of the chapel in the distance. Just a note: the resort is located on the dry part of the island. The property also sits right on a marina, which adds to the charm.

Related : Have you downloaded my upgrade template? Grab it Here!

The living area was spacious and included a large TV and a PlayStation—such a fun touch. The minibar was fully stocked with a few snacks, sodas, and beers.

As for the bedrooms, the master suite featured a king bed, a private patio, and a large ensuite bathroom with a separate tub and shower. The second bedroom had two twin beds and a full bathroom located just across the hall. Both rooms had plenty of closet space and their own large TVs.

Everything felt very clean, fresh, and well-maintained—we couldn’t have been happier with the space!

I couldn’t find the exact room listed on the website, but it seems most similar to the Family Deluxe Garden View—just with ocean views instead. The suite was incredibly spacious, coming in at over 936 square feet! This room retails for over 1,600 Euros a night, whereas we paid just $287 a night!

The Pools

The resort has several pools, with the main pool spread across three different levels—such a fun layout. There’s also an adults-only pool for those looking for a quieter space. In addition, the resort has its own private black sand beach, which is such a unique touch. Right next to the beach, there’s a natural pool you can swim in as well.

Down by the beach, there’s a beautiful restaurant that we, unfortunately, didn’t get a chance to try due to time constraints—but the setting looked absolutely gorgeous.

A kids’ area with a few waterslides is also coming soon. During our stay, it wasn’t open yet, but the slides looked like they’d be perfect for tweens and younger kids. There was also a separate splash zone designed specifically for little ones.

Because we were out exploring so much, we didn’t get to relax by the pools, but there always seemed to be plenty of loungers available, including some larger daybed-style ones that looked like they were included. The loungers near the beach, in particular, looked super comfortable.

The Club

As I mentioned earlier, check-in was done in the club lounge, where there were always plenty of snacks available. The selection didn’t seem to change much, but it definitely came in handy—especially if we got back to the resort with a little too much time between meals. We’d usually grab some fruit or meats and cheeses to hold us over. They also had little croissant sandwiches that were perfect for grabbing on the go.

One of our favorite finds was Brisa, a local passion fruit soda from Madeira—my friend and I were both obsessed! There were also glass-bottled Cokes and a variety of alcoholic drinks available for self-service, though there wasn’t a staffed bar in the lounge like you’d find at a Hyatt Ziva.

The club had a nice patio with ocean and resort views, and it was open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. That said, food wasn’t really stocked super early or very late—it seemed to taper off around 9 or 10 p.m.

The Food

Room service is not included in the all-inclusive plan—it’s an additional $20. I’m not sure if that’s per person or per room, since we didn’t end up using it.

Overall, we really enjoyed the food—but mainly for dinner, the coffee, and the ice cream. Lunch was hit-or-miss, and unfortunately, our experience at the beach bar was the most disappointing (more on that below). Here’s a breakdown of what we tried—and what we didn’t.

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General Note:

At every sit-down restaurant, we were welcomed with a small “welcome drink,” which I thought was a nice touch. We also loved the modern vibe of each restaurant.

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Night 1 – Oishii (Asian Cuisine)

We weren’t able to get a reservation at Oishii Teppanyaki, but Oishii had a 9 PM slot open, so we took it. The space was stylish and modern, and the service was great. The food itself was good, not amazing—but still enjoyable, especially since we got to sit out on the patio with ocean views and live music. A solid first night.

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Night 2 – Saber (Mediterranean)

We got a 9 PM reservation through our concierge. The bread was forgettable, but we really liked the Greek salad, pizza, and pasta dish. The highlight? The tiramisu—so creamy and delicious. The pizza here was definitely better than any we had at Hyatt Ziva, which might be thanks to the resort’s location. Overall, we were very happy with this meal.

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Night 3 – Nouvelle Brasserie (French Restaurant)

This spot is known to be tough to get into—definitely try to make a reservation a few days before your stay. I had emailed my room requests ahead of time but didn’t hear back, so I didn’t bother to send any more emails.

That said, we ended up having a bit of a mess trying to check in here. A staff member confirmed our reservation through the app, but when we showed up, the restaurant had no record of it. We waited about 20 minutes, which was frustrating and awkward. (Side note: they broke my suitcase handle during luggage delivery, so I think they felt bad and helped us out with this reservation—but didn’t communicate that clearly to the restaurant.)

Once seated, we really enjoyed the meal. We started with ratatouille (which, funny enough, had a live caterpillar in my friend’s dish—yikes—but they quickly replaced it). For mains, I had the tenderloin and my friend had the beef cheeks. We finished with the apple tart and crème brûlée. Great experience once the awkward part passed, oh, and the caterpillar.

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Lunch – Beach Bar

This was unfortunately, our least favorite meal. While the presentation was nice, the food and service just weren’t great. I had the club sandwich, and my friend had the burger—both were not good. We also ordered pineapple smoothies, but they were more like chunky juice… not good.

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Breakfast – World Café (Buffet)

We ate here twice. There’s a nice outdoor seating area, but the buffet itself wasn’t very impressive. I’m not big on buffets in general and much prefer ordering off a menu, but the waffles and fruit were good. They had a decent selection of pancakes and waffles, but don’t expect a big spread. Also, don’t count on coffee being served—we had to grab our coffee elsewhere. They had machines for lattes, but we preferred the coffee shop by far.

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Cocoa Café (Coffee Shop)

We loved this place! Super cute, modern vibes, and a patio with ocean views. The coffee was amazing—we were obsessed with the cappuccinos and ordered them multiple times. So much better than the coffee shop at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana (again, possibly thanks to location). They also had pastries, though we didn’t love those. Open from 7 AM to 10 PM.

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Flip Flop (Ice Cream Parlor & Café)

Adorable design right on the marina, and lots of flavor options. I’d say the ice cream was better than average—definitely something my kids would’ve been happy with. Much better than the ice cream at Hyatt Ziva, for comparison.

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Moments Lobby Bar

This bar is right off the main entrance and had a great vibe. They served cocktails, beer, wine, poncha, and mocktails, and although it was often crowded, we always found a spot to sit and got service fairly quickly. We waited about 10–15 minutes for drinks most nights, but it was a fun stop after dinner.

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Restaurants We Didn’t Get to Try

We just ran out of time, but we didn’t make it to:

• The Sports Bar – The Desire
• Voce (for lunch)
• Club de Fado
• Carvão

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Final Thoughts

Overall, I’d rate the food around 7.5 to 8 out of 10. We loved the new and modern design of every restaurant. We had great service at nearly every restaurant, and except for the hiccup at the French restaurant, we never had to wait for a table. Definitely some standout meals—and some misses—but that’s to be expected at any all-inclusive.

The Activities

We didn’t join in on any of the resort activities—mostly because we were too busy exploring Madeira, which was the whole reason we came! But for those who do want to stick around the resort, there were plenty of activity options available throughout the day.

For families, they have two kid and teen spaces: the Explorer’s Kids Club for ages 4–12 and the Core Zone for teens 13–17. I took a quick peek inside both, and they looked clean, modern, and well-designed. I was told the Core Zone includes gaming, movies, and karaoke—seems like a fun hangout for older kids.

Some of the adult activities offered included aqua bikes, yoga, Pilates, and other poolside workouts. They also had things like drink tastings, a ceramics workshop, macramé classes, and even ping pong tournaments. So, definitely no shortage of things to do if you want to stay on property!

The Service

Overall, we had really great service during our stay. After the resort staff accidentally broke the handle on my suitcase, they went out of their way to apologize. I received a handwritten note in the room along with another beautiful display of chocolates, and they even followed up in person. They asked how much it would cost to replace, and when I gave them a number, the staff member actually encouraged me to go higher.

To be honest, I had gotten a great deal on my suitcase and the handle had already been a bit sticky, so I didn’t initially think to ask for much. But what I didn’t factor in was the time, hassle, and inconvenience of having to find and buy a new suitcase—especially one I didn’t even really want long-term. In hindsight, I should’ve asked for a bit more so I could’ve just gotten something I actually liked once I got home. We agreed on €250, which felt fair, even though my original bag cost much less. They seemed really flexible, and I appreciated that. They’re doing a bank transfer to reimburse me—they’re still waiting on some final info from me—so fingers crossed that all works out!

Check-in and check-out were smooth, and both times we were given great service. Housekeeping also did an excellent job, both with cleaning the room and with turn-down service each evening.

The only minor issue we noticed was at the pool bar—the staff there seemed a bit less friendly or approachable compared to the rest of the resort. But beyond that, everyone else was warm and helpful. It wasn’t quite the same level of service as Hyatt Ziva, where you feel like every single staff member greets you or offers help as you walk by, but it was still very good.

Maybe we received a little extra attention because of my Globalist status—or because of the suitcase incident—but either way, we left feeling very well taken care of. No real complaints aside from the few small things I mentioned earlier!

The View

As I mentioned earlier, we really loved our view—even though it wasn’t officially oceanfront. We were technically on the first floor, but we still had a nice view of the ocean, and I’d honestly take that extra space and the view we had over being right on the water any day.

The Location

For us, the location was perfect. While most people prefer to stay in Funchal because it’s more central and packed with dining options, that wasn’t a big factor for us since we were staying at an all-inclusive and meals were already covered. I loved that it was only about 15 minutes from the airport—super convenient.

One downside is that it’s on the drier side of the island, which we didn’t love. But the trade-off was worth it because it’s right near one of the most popular hikes in Madeira. That worked out perfectly for us since it’s a sunrise hike. We were able to sleep in a bit and still make it there about 30 minutes before sunrise—and we could actually walk to the trailhead! (Though in hindsight, we probably should’ve driven up the hill, since we didn’t realize how far the entrance was.)

After visiting Funchal during our trip, we didn’t feel like we missed out by not staying there. In fact, we kind of preferred being in the quieter part of the island.

The Parking

The hotel offered both outdoor and underground parking, and there were always plenty of spots available. Parking was free and super convenient, which we really appreciated.

That said, you’ll definitely want a car if you plan to explore the island. Just a heads-up: if you’re not a confident driver on steep or narrow roads (like me!), maybe find a friend to do the driving—or consider booking tours instead. We heard taxis are easy to find and there are plenty of guided options available to take you just about anywhere.

But seriously, driving in Madeira can be a bit intense. Many roads are very narrow and steep, and it’s common to see cars parked along one entire lane of traffic. We had a couple of moments that made us nervous, but we quickly learned that there are usually alternate routes to most places. If a road looks sketchy, don’t be afraid to pass it by and look for another way. In one case, we ended up parking nearby and just walking the rest of the way. Worked out great!

Hotel Status

As I mentioned earlier, I have Hyatt Globalist status—and it definitely came with some great perks during our stay. We were given an incredible upgrade to a two-bedroom suite, which was such a nice surprise, along with access to the club.

I also believe the status helped us get reservations at some of the more popular restaurants, which aren’t always easy to book. Overall, I really felt like we were treated well throughout our stay, and the Globalist benefits definitely enhanced our experience.

Booking on Points

This hotel is part of the Hyatt hotel group and can be booked with points. This is a category B and starts at 20,000 points for 2 adults. If you’re new to points and miles, I’d love to teach you how to book this resort and other Hyatt properties for nearly free! Grab my beginner’s guide here or my guide to Hyatt points!

Family Rooms

This resort has family rooms that sleep 5-6 or more people. The room we stayed in slept 6 people. I’m not sure how it would work with points. If I were taking my family back, then I would book the standard rooms and try to upgrade to a larger room. But I’m not sure what the options are and how easy that would be without further research.

Why we’d return

We had a great overall experience and truly loved both the room and the resort. Those two things alone would be enough to make us want to return. We also absolutely fell in love with Madeira—I’d love to come back with my whole family next time.

That said, I’m aware that not everyone has had the same experience. Some of the reviews for this resort are pretty negative, and a common complaint is not being able to get dinner reservations at any of the restaurants. Honestly, that would be a deal breaker for me. We never ate at the buffet for dinner, and I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed that nearly as much. The sit-down restaurants are definitely one of the main reasons to choose an all-inclusive stay.

My biggest tip would be to insist on pre-booking your dinner reservations before you arrive. If you can’t get those locked in ahead of time, I’d hesitate to recommend staying here during a busy season. During our trip, the restaurants were never full, which makes me wonder if it’s a staffing or budget issue that limits how many guests they can accommodate. But if you have a similar experience to ours—with great food, smooth reservations, and solid service—then I’d absolutely recommend it!

Something else to keep in mind: the resort is on the smaller side. So if you’re booking an all-inclusive vacation with the intention of staying at the resort the whole time, this might not be the best fit. But if your goal is to explore and experience Madeira (which I highly recommend), then this resort can be a great home base.

Related Posts:

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