Choupana Hills Resort & Spa

Class: Deluxe

Style: Asian

Rooms: 62

Choupana Hills Resort & Spa is a curious import, a resort in the far Eastern style transplanted to the hills above Funchal on the island of Madeira—which is itself quite near Africa, though technically part of Portugal. The Madeiran aesthetic, despite the tropical setting, tends to be distinctly European, for rather obvious reasons, so you can be excused for suffering a bit of confusion about exactly what sort of hotel this is meant to be.

Essentially, the idea is to update the fusty pensioners-only perception of Madeira with a heavy dose of What’s Cool Now—e.g. Thailand and all the exotic Eastern-ness it represents. Cynical? Not at all—in fact it would be cynical to deny the very real charms of Choupana Hills simply on the basis that it was consciously designed to appeal.

The developers clearly know the game, having opened resorts in Malaysia and Bora Bora, and the template quite successfully translates to Madeira with only minor adjustments—the same wooden beams and bungalows on stilts that one might see in Bali, but with cleaner lines and a hint of European tidiness.

The views are spectacular, looking out over the Bay of Funchal at the Atlantic beyond, and each room comes with a private terrace. The four suites are in a different class, isolated from the main buildings, and each with a heated outdoor Jacuzzi. Unlike its Thai and Malaysian cousins, Choupana Hills lacks immediate beach access—but such niceties as the pool bar, spa, and the Xôpana Restaurant are close at hand.