Among Funchal bay, the gardens and the Atlantic, Pestana Casino Park offers half a century of a unique history. More than a hotel, it’s a landmark of modern architecture in Portugal, a place entwined with Madeira’s tourist development and a rare meeting between the insular landscape and the creative language of Oscar Niemeyer.
In 1976, when it opened as the Pestana Casino Park, the building brought a scale and ambition that were highly unusual in the Portuguese hotel sector up to that point. Set on a cliff, overlooking Funchal harbour, the facility was devised as a complex designed to combine accommodation, entertainment and conference facilities, which was a particularly progressive idea for its time.
The origin of the project dates back a decade. In 1965, António Xavier Barreto’s family bought the old Casino Funchal, which was considerably run down, aiming to breathe new life into it with a development that could keep up with the island’s growing reputation as a tourist destination. It was during a dinner that a suggestion was made which proved to be decisive: the Brazilian diplomat Hugo Gouthier suggested inviting Oscar Niemeyer. The name wasn’t merely circumstantial. The architect, who was already internationally renowned for his work in Brasília, represented a modern, sculptural vision that was deeply tied to the landscape.
Niemeyer accepted the challenge and, on 22 June 1966, in Paris, he drew the draft project. Five handwritten pages and a three-dimension model were enough to demonstrate the main ideas: a horizontal architecture, open to the light, to the sea and Funchal’s topography. This was to be not only Niemeyer’s sole project in Madeira, but also his only project in Portugal.
Opened in 1976, the Pestana Casino Park is the renowned Brazilian architect’s only project in Portugal: a striking example of modern architecture, designed in harmony with the Atlantic Ocean and the landscape of Funchal.
Set among gardens, the marina, the city, and the ocean, this historic five-star hotel is celebrating half a century as one of Madeira’s most iconic landmarks.
From the infinity pool nestled in the gardens to the rooftop pool for adults, every dip offers a new view of the sea, the bay, and Madeira’s landscape.
The construction only began six years later. The development and execution of the project were entrusted to the Portuguese architect Alfredo Viana de Lima between 1968 and 1972. His involvement was essential in transforming the Brazilian Niemeyer’s vision into a building adapted to the technical requirements and the Madeiran context. Niemeyer recognised the decisive influence of Viana de Lima on the project’s subsequent development in an interview in 2007.
The hotel opened on 3 October 1976, with Madeira Casino opening to the public three years later, on 1 August 1979, fulfilling the place’s original purpose for combining accommodation, culture, leisure and social life. When finished, it was considered the largest hotel development in Portugal. The main building measures roughly 221 by 24 metres, over seven floors with a horizontal design that connects with the ocean horizon and the hillside of Funchal. Such sensibility can be seen in its volume, free-flowing lines and the balance between the monumental nature of the complex and its green surroundings.
Right from the start, the experience of a stay begins with a constant connection one establishes with the landscape. Between the gardens and the hotel’s spacious areas, the eye is drawn to Funchal Bay, the buzz of the marina and the mountainous terrain that shapes the horizon. There’s an unusual sense of being both close to the city centre and sheltered within a property that moves to its own pace.
The architecture invites you to explore the hotel at your leisure, discovering different views of the Atlantic. In the late afternoon, the light changes the building’s forms and emphasises the connection between the building, the greenery and the sea.
Outdoors, the infinity pool is one of the most appreciated parts of Pestana Casino Park. Part of the gardens and with a panoramic view over the Atlantic, the pool area offers guests the option of alternating between cool dips and warm sunbathing. There is also a pool for kids, which makes this spot perfect for families that want to combine time at the beach, city and hotel. For those who prefer something calmer, there’s a pool on the rooftop, designed for adults (16 and over), which boasts a different perspective of Funchal. The heated indoor pool guarantees that wellbeing is paramount, regardless of the season.
The hotel’s location is also an invitation to explore Funchal on foot. The hotel is located near Parque de Santa Catarina and not far from the marina, the Avenida do Mar, the old quarter and some of the key cultural and commercial places in the city. After a day visiting markets, museums, pavement cafés and viewpoints, getting back to the Pestana Casino Park feels like returning to a haven with a view. At night, the Madeira Casino and the live music programme in the hotel help prolong the cosmopolitan ambience.
Celebrating Pestana Casino Park’s 50th birthday is celebrating living heritage. It’s recognising the courage of a vision created in the 1960s, implemented in the following decade and still able to surprise those who visit Funchal and pay attention to the city’s most distinctive aspects. Celebrate with us and take advantage of the special birthday conditions to book your stay at this 5-Star hotel in Downtown Funchal, which is also an important icon of the history of Portuguese architecture.
