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Madeira · Hotel shortlist

High end hotels in the university district, Madeira

Talia Ben-Ari

Talia Ben-Ari Turkey, the Gulf and Egypt

Updated 1 September 2026 · 34 Madeira hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Madeira, out of the 34 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.9 down to 4.5.

The Lincoln Short North Bed, Breakfast, & Boutique Accommodations is the one I would book myself.

The Lincoln Short North Bed, Breakfast, & Boutique Accommodations

Highest rated of the five

The Lincoln Short North Bed, Breakfast, & Boutique Accommodations

★★★★★4.9 from 363 reviews

The Lincoln Short North Bed, Breakfast, & Boutique Accommodations comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.9 from 363 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under the university district and around $310 a night on the dates we checked.

34 hotels in Madeira qualified for this list and five made it. Drury Plaza Hotel Columbus Downtown is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

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All five, ranked

  1. The Lincoln Short North Bed, Breakfast, & Boutique Accommodations1

    The Lincoln Short North Bed, Breakfast, & Boutique Accommodations

    ★★★★★4.9 from 363 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  2. Drury Plaza Hotel Columbus Downtown2

    Drury Plaza Hotel Columbus Downtown

    ★★★★★4.6 from 1,640 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

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  3. Hotel LeVeque, Autograph Collection3

    Hotel LeVeque, Autograph Collection

    ★★★★★4.6 from 1,312 reviews

    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

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  4. Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph4

    Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph

    ★★★★★4.5 from 791 reviews

    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

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  5. South Wind Motel5

    South Wind Motel

    ★★★★★4.9 from 572 reviews

    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

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How this list was put together

34 Madeira hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Talia Ben-Ari

Talia Ben-Ari Turkey, the Gulf and Egypt

Editing runs in intense blocks with real gaps between, and she fills the gaps by going somewhere with no plan. No itinerary, no bookings past the first night.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.