1905 Zino's Palace

1905 Zino's Palace

The pink façade of 1905 Zino's Palace has watched over Ponta do Sol for more than a century, first as the summer home of the noble Zino family, then as an agricultural school and a village primary school, before the government's 2002 restoration and its 2020 opening as a nine-room hotel spread across three floors. Guests reach the historic center on foot, with Ponta Do Sol Beach and Beachside Square a short walk away, in a village known across Madeira for its unusually long hours of sunshine. Rooms trade uniformity for character: garret Cosy Rooms tucked under the roof with king beds and pastel tones, Classic Rooms overlooking terraced banana plantations, Superior Rooms with contemporary lines and ocean views, and Suites with wooden floors, bay windows and king beds, all built for watching the Atlantic sunset from the terrace. A doctor is on call for guests, a diving club sits alongside the outdoor pool, and the tour desk arranges excursions, while the small team, fluent in English and Spanish, also handles transfers, laundry, dry cleaning, car rental and concierge requests. The hotel also opens its terrace for private events, from engagements to anniversary dinners, a role that few nine-room properties on the island can play. This suits travelers who want a slower, storied stay over a resort checklist, and want to be known by name rather than room number; it will feel small and quiet to anyone chasing a lively pool scene or late-night bar crowd. Come for the history, stay for the sunset, and remember that even Zino's family understood this hillside was worth keeping. A century-old pink palace in Ponta do Sol turned into a nine-room hotel in 2020, with garret Cosy Rooms, banana-plantation views and a terrace built for Atlantic sunsets. A doctor, a diving club and a bilingual concierge team round out the details that suit slow, storied stays over big-resort checklists.