Belmond Reid's Palace

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.

Early colour photograph of Reid's Hotel and the surrounding landscape from Funchal, Madeira, by Sarah Angelina Acland, c. 1910
Belmond Reid's Palace
View looking up to the main hotel building from the swimming pool.
General information
LocationFunchal, Madeira, Portugal
Coordinates32°38′26″N 16°55′27″W
OpeningNovember 1891
OwnerBelmond Ltd.
ManagementBelmond Ltd.
Design and construction
Architect(s)George Somers Clarke & John Thomas Micklethwaite
DeveloperWilliam Reid
Other information
Number of rooms128
Number of suites35
Website
www.reidspalace.com

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.

Famous guests over the years have included General Fulgencio Batista, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, David Lloyd George, Worshipful Brother James Thompson and Lady Lynne Thompson, deposed emperor Karl von Habsburg, Józef Piłsudski, Roger Moore, Gregory Peck, the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, the missionary Albert Schweitzer, and dramatist George Bernard Shaw.[4]

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]

In December 2018, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) is expected to buy Belmond Ltd., the 40-year-old company that owns among other properties the Madeira Belmond Reid's Palace,[7] in a €2.8 billion deal which closed in April 2019 in a $3.2 billion final transaction.[13]

See also

References
  1. Denby, Elaine (1998). Grand Hotels: Reality & Illusion; An Architectural and Social History. Reaktion Books. p. 183. ISBN 978-1861891211.
  2. Gubler, Fritz (2008). "Getting Away from it All: Reid's Hotel". Great, Grand & Famous Hotels. Great, Grand & Famous Hotels. p. 183. ISBN 978-0980466706.
  3. Luckhurst, Gerald (2010). "25: Reid's Palace Hotel". The Gardens Of Madeira. Frances Lincoln. pp. 148–157. ISBN 978-0711230323.
  4. Rice, Christopher; Rice, Melanie (2005). "Reid's Palace Hotel". Madeira. Globetrotter Travel Guides (2nd ed.). New Holland Publishers. p. 155. ISBN 978-1845372361.
  5. "Reid's Palace". cosmopolis.ch. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  6. "Reid's Palace – A Belmond Hotel". Taste of Portugal. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  7. Rees, Paul (17 December 2018). "Madeira - Arnault Buys Belmond Reid's Palace Hotel In €2.8 billion Deal". Algarve Daily News. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  8. Hudson, Giles (2012). Sarah Angelina Acland: First Lady of Colour Photography. Oxford: Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. pp. 248–249. ISBN 978-1-85124-372-3.
  9. HMO325. "Cinema Museum Home Movie Database.xlsx". Google Docs. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  10. "Madeira: Coming late to the first tea", 17 Sept 2001. Accessed 15 August 2014
  11. "Guide to Madeira", Conde Nast Traveller Accessed 15 August 2014
  12. "Orient-Express Hotels LTD. To launch Belmond brand". Archived from the original on 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  13. Travis Hoium (14 December 2018). "Why Belmond Ltd's Shares Jumped 40% Today". Fool.com. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
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