An extra night in a city away from home can be a blessing...or a curse. But either way, we…read moredefinitely made the most out of it. Since our early Saturday connecting flight was cancelled, delayed overnight and cancelled again, Iberia provided us with a free Sol Principe accommodation in Torremolinos. Front desk host seemed to work seamlessly to assist everyone who received a voucher. I will say a huge thank you to Iberia working jointly with Sol P. for rooming us. The hotel's lobby area is quite large and airy with a kiddie area full of cushions and some easels- all child height leading to an ample hallway with the buffet restaurant on left, large meeting room on right, followed by the hotel's bar, glass doors leading to the upper deck and pool below. Our room for an overnight stay, was comfortable and modern(?). For instance, our room card key accessed light switches and TV by inserting the card and keeping it in the slot. King-size bed was firm- but not break-your-back firm. Sheets are crisp, walk-in shower is ample, basic toiletries such as glass cups, blow dryer, extra towels are provided. Bath and hand soaps are marvelous with a clean scent. All in all, under distress, Sol Principe extended their hands and gave me and hubs a restful one-night stay.

With the exception of Tenerife I usually tend to holiday places only once, preferring to try new…read moreplaces rather than return to ones I have already visited. I have been to torremolinos twice now though and a large part of the reasoning behind that is this wonderful hotel (Sol Principe). This hotel is situated alongside the beach of Playa mar approximately 2km outside the city of torremolinos. It is served by Malaga airport which is a little over 4 miles away and takes only a 15 minute transfer by coach to reach. On approach to this hotel the first thing that caught my eye was the size of the grounds it stood in but it soon became apparent why. This hotel is actually part of a complex which includes as well as the hotel itself the Apartments Sol Principito, a fairly large private car park, a sports area, gardens, a supermarket and of course the pools. The hotel has 623 rooms over 10 floors; I was on the 9th floor with an outstanding sea view. The rooms themselves have a rather large living area which through an arch leads to a smaller sleeping area, just of the living area is a small space sectioned of as a kitchen which has a fridge and the usual very basic two rings, a grill and a microwave to cook with. As I was all inclusive thankfully I had no real use for the cooking facilities which were the one poor part of what the hotel had to offer. The rooms all have air conditioning which with temperatures reaching the high 90`s throughout my stay I was well glad of. They also have a telephone and cable TV. All rooms are non smoking which as a non smoker made no difference to me but as some of the party I travelled with were smokers they moaned a bit about having to go out on to the balcony to smoke. The maid service is daily and is also very good; the cleanliness of the rooms was outstanding. Each room also has its own safe which you need to pay a small amount for on arrival. The facilities consist of three large outdoor pools set in beautiful surroundings and one indoor pool, tennis courts, shopping arcade with boutiques, gift shop, a Hairdresser, a Supermarket, Public phone booths, an internet cafe, Laundry service and a very helpful 24 hour front desk. There is also a great programme run daily for the kids which not only keeps them entertained but also active whilst allowing the adults to soak up the rays and relax. The restaurants and bars are another large part of what makes this hotel so good. The main restaurant offers a beautiful sea view and hot and cold buffet style breakfasts lunches and main meals. There are also two smaller cafe`s which offer snacks and set menus. Then there is divania, a coffee shop by day and bar by night with an orchestra and a dance floor. Bar El Turco have either live bands or a dj at nights. Alcazaba Hall is where the hotel hosts its family shows, it also has a bar and sweets and soft drinks machines for the kids. All entertainment is advertised outside the bars and includes a good day time entertainment programme for the kids. One of the favourites with the kids during my stay was the bam bam club set around the Flintstones cartoons this was for 5-10 year olds but there was also based on the same theme the baby rock club for the younger members. Being that we were all inclusive we ate in the hotel most nights and mornings and I can tell you that their choice of foods and quality of foods were as good as the rest of what the hotel had to offer. (vegetarians catered for). Other activities include archery, shooting, tennis, volleyball, table tennis, aerobic; keep fit and aqua aerobics, bowls and darts. There is also available at an extra cost sports such as sailing, windsurf, water ski, horseback riding and golf. As well as all that for the adults there are tennis lessons and a huge play park for the kids. The hotel is well placed between lots of the attractions torremolinos and the rest of the Costa has to offer, you can catch a coach from virtually right outside the door of the hotel which will take you to any of these local attractions for a very small cost. THE ATTRACTIONS! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Tivoli Fun Park Aqua Park Plaza Mayor (Town square) Selwo Aquarium Selwo Zoo Crocodile farm Picasso Museum There is also a coach available from right outside the hotel which will take you on the coastal tour along the very impressive Costa del Sol front. Most of the attractions and coach tours can be booked from within the hotel but you can also just go to the bus stop spur of the moment and catch the coach and pay at the doors of all these attractions. Back to the hotel itself and on to the cost. Obviously I booked this as most people would as a package holiday; it was booked through Thomas cook and cost £725 all inclusive per adult for a fortnight. That was the cost the last time I visited which was just over 2 years ago now, whilst not the cheapest holiday available it was no where near the most expensive and was worth every penny in my view.

K so the first night was hell... i gave it 1 star, the next 2 days were ok (weather helped A…read moreLOT)... but now im back to square 1... 1) its a hotel for old folks and kids 2) beer and food selection is not good (except for breakfast, thats on point) 3) the pool has ducks living in it (no one seems to care... gross af) 4) Torremolinos is nice but gets boring very quick 5) the rooms don't have working AC unless its summer, which is bs since they list it as an available amenity. As a result we've had to sleep with the sliding doors open. Every morning at 5:30 am construction and sanitation workers, plus the hotel staff can be heard yelling (Spaniards are loud af) Yea i wouldn't recommend it, like, go somewhere nice instead (?)

From the owner: Located on the promenade and equipped with beach views, the new Hotel Riu Costa del Sol offers you…read moreeverything you need to relax on your getaway. At this all-Inclusive 24 hour a day service hotel in Torremolinos, Malaga, you can savour the best food, enjoy our fun entertainment programmes and cool off in our pools, making your vacation with RIU Hotels & Resorts unforgettable. The Hotel Riu Costa del Sol has more than 550 rooms equipped with every comfort to ensure you have everything you need. The rooms have satellite TV, air conditioning, a mini refrigerator and a balcony or terrace so you can enjoy the surroundings of this all-inclusive hotel in Torremolinos. In addition, the Hotel Riu Costa del Sol's facilities include 3 outdoor pools, 1 indoor pool, 1 children's pool and a Splash park for children so that the whole family can cool off and enjoy the Andalusian coast's warm climate. The gastronomy at this hotel in Malaga offers you variety and quality at each of its restaurants. You can savour the best Italian and Andalusian cuisine and enjoy buffet breakfasts with show cooking to start your day off right. In addition, the Hotel Riu Costa del Sol has 5 bars located throughout the hotel so that you have everything you need during your stay with us.

I would rather do 3.5 stars here despite having good memories here. The sunny warmth was a nice…read morebreak from the cool, cloudy and mountainous areas we had been touring through Gate 1 Travel. As Kay K pointed out, the beach is right there! It was November and coolish, 60 degrees, so not ideal swim weather. The flavored water in the lobby and hanging art work really make the place look great. We arrived near the evening, with dinner at the hotel included. We went to our room to change clothes and stretch out and found..a bottle of sparkling wine, on ice, with 2 glasses! It was my birthday, and they sent a really nice note to thank us for sharing my birthday with them! I don't know if Gate1 requested this or not, but it was such a nice gesture! We headed to dinner on the first floor (there are actually 2 buildings here, but some renovation was going on) where the breakfast buffet takes place. Dinner was buffet style, with beverage service. There were carving stations, fruit, dessert, so much good food! I never came back for dinner, just for breakfast, which was so expansive and well done. It was nice to sit near a window with a view of the water/pool. The bathroom was fine, a bidet and shower that was not too hard to operate. Again, minimal towels. But also a balcony with chairs and a small table. I did not ask if all rooms have a balcony, but I doubt they all have ocean (?) views. We found the staff approachable and friendly. The bar on the first floor had live nightly entertainment. We missed the first Elvis night, but caught some of the Saturday act. It was ok, just rehashing tunes for the middle age set of tourists, like on a cruise. I took a day off from touring to walk around, shop, and relax on the sundeck in a chair to read with a sangria! It was prob the highlight of my stay. The reason for the 3.5 starts is we saw a dead bug on the stairwell, and a live one in our bathroom! It was probably a waterbug. By the time I ran to grab a shoe, it was gone. To their credit, we called downstairs and a staff member with spray came in. Not sure if they needed to exterminate more, or if this was a fluke. It was our last night anyway. They were good enough to open the buffet breakfast extra early with Continental foods because we had to check out by 6:30am!

Comfortable. Clean. Classy. Beds were comfortable. I was…read moreso glad to have a bidet and a shower door that closes more of the way to stop the floor getting wet. The buffet breakfast and dinners were amazing gormet cuisine. We really enjoyed staying at this hotel. Ironically, the AC was not running during our stay (March 21-24,2024). The review before mine explained why! So we are here during what's considered "winter" here. Well, we ended up opening the balcony sliding door part of the way to get air in the stuffy room. Even during the night, so we could sleep. Still, I'd say this was a very decent hotel stay. We didn't have time to swim, or lounge much. The pool looks fantastic. The beach is across the street.

Very nice workers, when you leave they come and clean your room and they do an amazing job . The…read morefirst time I walked into my room I fell in love . The views are amazing and the food is great , you can take amazing pictures of the view .

Ended up coming here because I needed to get to Malaga airport by 4:00 a.m. the next day and it was…read morepart of my Delta stays. Therefore I was able to get a bit of a credit for staying here. For Budget hotel it felt very clean with friendly staff who also spoke English. The breakfast is not included but I was definitely leaving too early to even think about that. The room was actually very clean and minus the desk, there wasn't really much else to set things down on. Definitely could have used a luggage rack. For 150 euros, it felt a little bit overpriced. Bathroom is also very clean and very functional! For the bad part though, the AC did not cool the room down. I probably should have complained early on because I can't sleep well in the heat. It was on all night and I specifically followed the directions but it just did not have enough power to cool the room. Unfortunately I did not sleep well that night but it was good mostly for a quick 10-hour stay.

Functional affordable option for those arriving late or flying out early. The room was perfectly…read morefine - clean, had tv and and a large bed. Aircon that cooled the room down to 15 degrees was invaluable! Bathroom was spotless, shower had decent water pressure. To be honest toiletries could be more varied (only one bottle with shampoo/shower gel)- oh well, problems of the first world!! Staff are very helpful and happy to provide you with directions wherever you need to go. Now, how to get there? Uber gave me an estimate between 8-9 EUR. However, there is 24-hour airport bus service which costs 3 EUR. I would imagine during the day you can get local buses as well that are even cheaper (1.30 EUR single trip)

Staying at the AC was quite treat as it is located in the central historic district of Málaga. You…read moreare across from the Port and surrounded by historical buildings and other attractions. Upon arrival, security opened the door. I was greeted by the staff. They upgraded me to a port view room. To be honest, there were great views in any direction around the hotel. My room was a little smaller than I had expected but big enough to be comfortable. It was very clean and fresh smelling. The bathroom is mostly marble/stone. It could use some caulk refreshing. Overall, the room was great. There is lobby and rooftop bar and restaurant. The staff there were great as well. The hotel recognized by birthday and sent a card, cake, balloon, and wine to my room. What a pleasant surprise. That is going above and beyond and I appreciated the effort on their part. At night, the pool area turns into a roof top club with live music. Guaranteed to have a good time. I would definitely recommend staying at this property if you ever find yourself in Málaga Spain.

Maria did our efficient and caring Hotel Check In. At…read moreRooftop David took great care of us; he a true Hospitality Pro! Housekeeping is super thorough and clean. Modern rooms and rooftop swimming pool. They also acknowledge and celebrated our wedding anniversary. Only bothersome issue is that the "smiling" doormen act essentially as Bouncers questioning you all the time if you are a Guest.... NOT A GOOD IMPRESSION!! WHY...?? Excellent Management and Awesome Team. This is the place to stay in Malaga!!

Wonderful hotel with great position, beautiful garden and palm trees,…read more!We loved the promenade in the morning, the "Abba Show", the evening entertainment and the breakfast buffet. We are recommending it for relaxation, tranquility and view!

Lovely hotel right across the street from the beach. Room is well appointed. Facilities are well…read moredesigned. Excellent breakfast.

We stayed for 3 nights with our almost 11 y.o. And had a great time. The weather was a little…read morechilly but we still had fun at the pool. My wife and I got married at the resort 13 years ago so it was fun to return. We only ate at the Tikki Bar for the most part, and the burgers were really good as were the mango smoothies. The staff, Azahara, Ana, and Reuben at the Tikki Bar were amazing. So friendly and very attentive. They do a great job. We walked to nearby restaurants for dinner so didn't try the restaurant and only had the breakfast buffet one day. The pastries in the on-site supermarket were made fresh each morning and were excellent, especially the chocolate croissants. We had a time on our return trip to the resort.

First-here's the Sunset Beach Club's URL, so while I describe the condo style hotel-you will know…read moreexactly why I state staying in specific locations within the condo hotel. Open both URLs below: http://www.sunsetbeachclub.com/ Go to Google Satellite Map and zoom in to view property via aerial hybrid map: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&sugexp=tsh&cp=46&gs_id=4d&xhr=t&q=sunset+beach+club,+benalmadena+costa+spain-map&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1366&bih=643&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=lOZ6TuvmL8PliAK5zeXKDw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CBMQ_AUoAg Looking at the hotel's URLs: Reserve rooms at the very END of the condo hotel . . . NOTE: Reserve a condo only at the TOP THREE FLOORS on the side of the hotel facing towards Rock Of Gibraltar or the Malaga/Beach side FACING the OCEAN. *NEVER book rooms near the elevator because people will shuffle in and out of their rooms ALL NIGHT, NEVER reserve a condo in the middle of the condo hotel (smaller rooms) or reserve a condo located on the MOUNTAIN side because you will hear the traffic/freeway noise below constantly! The rooms at the ends of the hotel are larger. Don't ask me why! Please bring your own water purification filter because the water tastes weird drinking from the tap. http://www.sunsetbeachclub.com/apartments.php?section=hotel&subSection=apartments The bottom floors such as the lobby, restaurant, and the walkway heading towards the pool are always busy. So, please do not reserve a condo duing RED season, because you will LOATHE how congested this condo hotel is during this high season time frame. Heads Up: The beach is next door to Sunset Beach Club, so please wear water sandals because the shells and rocky sand will cut your feet! Since the beach is next door, you may want certifying for Advanced PADI Scuba Dive Training, so bring your snorkel, mask, and fins! http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabler/2009634368/in/set-72157603155889870 You will find razor-sharp shells all over the beach, so I highly advise you bring Neosporin Ointment should you cut your feet on the shells and/or massive sea urchin spines. If you get spiked by a sea urchin, go to the Life Guard at the Club's swimming pool and they will pull the spike out (I was stabbed by an urchin, so I experienced this painful spike removal): http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabler/2009627998/in/set-72157603155889870 Across the Freeway road is the town of Benalmadena Costa. There are a few Mom & Pop 7-11 quick-mart type stores and tourist shops in the town, but you must drive to Malaga to buy meat, seafood, and better veggie grocery items you need. *You will need renting a car while staying at this condo hotel, so you can drive to Rock of Gibraltar (leave about 5 AM, so you can catch the ferry to Morocco!), explore Malaga/Torremolimos area for the day, etc. I rented a car in Madrid and drove all over Spain! Please keep reading my Spain reviews because I have some secret, romatic hideaways I want to tell you about!