Belmond Reid's Palace (a.k.a. Reid's Palace) is a historic hotel located to the west of Funchal Bay in Madeira, Portugal, in an imposing position looking out over the Atlantic Ocean.[1][2] The hotel has sloping gardens.[3] The hotel's complex include more than 40,000 square meters of space designed as a subtropical botanical garden.
History
William Reid, the son of a Scottish crofter, originally arrived in Madeira in 1836.[4] He hired out quintas to wealthy invalids and moved on to hotels, but died before his Reid's hotel was completed.[5][6]
The hotel was designed by the architects George Somers Clarke and John Thomas Micklethwaite.[1] Reid’s two sons, William (Willy) and Alfred, brought their father’s project to fruition and the doors to Reid's Palace opened in November 1891,[7] as the New Hotel, later became the New Palace Hotel, then Reid's Palace or just "Reid's".[8] It was a luxury retreat combining Edwardian elegance with the latest comforts of the day.[5][7]
The pioneer colour photographer Sarah Angelina Acland (1849–1930) stayed at the hotel during the early 20th century and took many photographs in and around the location of the hotel.[8] The hotel had a darkroom for use by guests.
The Cinema Museum in London has film from 1936 of the hotel and its guests.[9]
Reid's is particularly known for its tradition of serving afternoon tea on the terrace.[10][11]
The hotel was acquired by Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., which changed its name to Belmond Ltd. on 10 March 2014. At that time the hotel changed its name to Belmond Reid's Palace.[12]
Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) purchased Belmond Ltd., the 40-year-old company that owns (inter alia) Belmond Reid's Palace,[7] in a €2.8 billion deal which closed in April 2019 in a $3.2 billion final transaction.[13]