Did not stay here but stopped by for their fantastic Sunday brunch at the Beach Club and to check…read moreout the impressive grounds. Brunch featured great Joselito's Cinco Jotas jamon, Beef Wellington, paella, lamb chops, smoked salmon, shrimp, desserts and more. Absolutely wonderful and worth the 130 Euro. There is a bar called Rudy's that is stunning though closed for the summer months. The waiting room off the lobby is impeccably furnished. High end shopping on site including a Louis Vuitton. Beautiful hotel that attracts a more refined, laid back crowd.

We would typically highly recommend this hotel for many reasons but sadly we are unable to do so…read more The property is beautiful, has impeccable service, fantastic dining and truly all of the amenities and service that you would seek in a resort, but we would like to share the troubling and incredibly disappointing experience that we had while there that left us feeling completely violated.We were traveling as 2 couples and were staying in rooms 167 and 169. On our 2nd day we realized that multiple things from our rooms were missing: 1. Several hundred dollars taken out of the wallet that was on the shelf in the closet in room 167 2. A jewelry case that had many pieces of expensive and incredibly sentimental things that can never be replaced - this was also on a shelf in the closet in room 167 3. Another jewelry case that had many pieces of expensive and sentimental pieces that can never be replaced - this was in a drawer in the closet of room 169 and had been covered with undergarments and bathing suits. We were distraught and went immediately to the guest services office. We were professional and kind while sharing what had happened. Management promised an investigation and review of the security film. Over the course of the next 4 days we spent several hours per day proactively seeking updates and information. One of the hotel managers and one of the guest services managers accompanied us to the police station where we spent 2 hours getting a report filed. On our last night of vacation we still had no resolution as to how the hotel was going to help us so we went back to the office and engaged with Julian (the hotel General Manager and person who responds to these trip advisor reviews). We spent over an hour with him sharing with him in a very rational manner what transpired, how we felt and how disappointed we were that this had happened. He listened and then said that we need to understand that things like this happen and that the hotel is not responsible for any of it. Julian came across as condescending and it felt that he was insinuating that we were not being entirely truthful. He referenced that the Ritz Carlton has bi-laws that state that they are not responsible for things that are taken from their guests. I told him that we have stayed at many Ritz Carltons over the years and have never had an issue, but if we ever did I was certain that they would take care of us and make us feel valued given how impeccable their customer service is. I know that we wouldn't have had to spend several hours over the course of 4 days trying to plead our case to the Ritz Carlton management team while we were told repeatedly that it's not their fault and we shouldn't accuse them of taking our things. He said that the security cameras show that 3 staff people entered our room the night of the robbery and each of them has been working at the hotel for 20 years and that they have never had an issue. We said that we hoped that it wasn't one of the 3 staff members who were in our room but that the reality is that our things were gone so somebody was in our room going through our things while we were gone. He continued to tell us that we should not accuse people on this team of taking our things. The conversation was going in circles as we tried multiple times to plead with him to understand that we are good, honest people who feel incredibly violated. We asked him if he could please put us in touch with the owner of the company and he said no. He said that he would personally call the owner to discuss this matter with him. We asked him if we could please be present for this conversation and he said no. While we can appreciate the loyalty he has for his employees, we also feel that he should have valued what we were telling him vs. debating it with us. The entire thing hugely impacted our experience and took hours and energy away from our trip. What has been most disheartening is the lack of communication, compassion and empathy from the highest levels of management. This is not the gold standard of the rest of the resort experience. There is absolutely, positively without a doubt an issue with theft. It's a terrible and incredibly unsettling thing and it's sad to head home with this type of feeling after what should have been the most magical experience at this resort. It is bad enough that it happened, but it's compounded given that we had to beg them to help make it right. In the end they didn't do that. Very disheartening. We recognize that 99% of the people there are absolutely fantastic but sadly somebody came into our room, went through our personal belongings and took money and things that were important to us and we will never see those things again. Awful in every regard.

Don't bother buying one or multiple weeks. They sell you on the ability to be prioritized so you…read morecan secure the building and apartment you want. But if you already own, you'll take a back seat. Front desk staff is clueless- can't figure out how to determine which apartments will be open the next day. Maybe it's the laid back Spanish culture??

There is so many things to love about Marbella, Spain. We happily booked on our Marriott trade in…read morehere for a week into a 3 bedroom villa to celebrate our daughter who's a recent graduate and multi state bar pass attorney. We made it here after being in Madrid for 3 nights with our youngest who works for the FS corporation. I mention that, because one thing that happens in our stay was appalling and trust me , FS employees always notice.. First , this resort is beautiful. It's right on the beach. A beautiful gym; multi pools , including a heated one inside; a kids pool & play area; BBQ areas and multiple outlets for eating. The lobby is small, which made check in a bit slow. There is a market place, but it's pricey as it's on property. But it gets you what you need & our girls loved that it had quick pizzas and Euro snacks on the ready. There is a grocery store down the way , also pricey , but cheaper than on Marriott's property. The villa itself could use a bit of a renovation but it's very quiet and so nice and near so much in S. Spain. We had a large balcony over looking the grounds. The location superb. The villa itself was outfitted perfectly for our daughters and us for the 6 day stay. We had one misfire at the on site restaurant: his name is , ' Rofo' and he is a tyrant. He works at El Med, as a host --- maybe a waiter and wins the award for the rudest, most obnoxious staff member we encountered in Europe this year.. yes. The entire year. He sat us at 830, maybe closer to 9pm? But being in Spain, that is usually the dinner hour. We had been traveling all day so we heard music in the restaurant and one of our daughters had a headache and asked to sit on the patio, which he took issue with. She saw him roll his eyes as we sat at the outside table , ( he said we had to sit by 'his' door and order from the limited bar menu), so she left for the room & we went inside, which again aggravated him and he rolled his eyes again. He slammed the menus down and told us to hurry and order. He then placed bread on the table that we didn't want , ( charging us for it) & returning to say 'yes?' .. meaning he wanted our order. We ordered quickly. This was the vibe through our quick dinner; and when we listened to the great entertainment, that we loved and decided to order dessert since it seemed others were? He yelled at us, 'HURRY UP!! IT's almost 10 and we close!!' While tapping his watch and saying , 'I I , EYE EYE EYE O!' .. to that I finally said , ' that is NOT okay .. you are rude !' And he said ' you showed up late and chef is waiting !' .. I had NO clue what this man meant .. but we wanted our check and I was so angry and humiliated we vowed to never go back to this restaurant again. Moreover, it's a Marriott where we have over a weeks plus worth of points for this trip in Europe like we do every year and the American brands employee treated us that badly at dinner after our long day ? So that was our one HUGE issue. We did check out a day early and leave for Barcelona. The spa was also closed and that is not mentioned anywhere on any site or when you check in- it's only when you ask. That said most of our time here was great. It's a lovely location. There needs to be more restaurants with more variety open and a spa. Some updates are needed but I think we will definitely return and maybe Rofo will have a new career somewhere else :-)

Good, hip, lively adults only hotel to stay at with great staff. Same group also owns El Fuerte…read moreHotel. Almost feels like a cruise ship with all the amenities and British guests but this hotel has a nice pool, beach club, gym, beautiful rooftop bar and great breakfast buffet. Rooms are nicely appointed; my "Keep the Secret" room had a patio/balcony with side view to the sea. Short 5-10 minute stroll to Old Town and good value for the money. I did wander over to Puente Romano and Marbella Club for an even more upscale vibe that was only a 10-12 minute taxi ride away. Puerto Banus is another 5-10 minutes and you can catch a ferry boat to there from a marina promenade that is just a 5 minute walk from the hotel.

Oh my goodness, where to start?! I fell in love with this city and to a great extend it's because…read moreof the comfort and service we had here (aside from Marbella's amazing beaches and views of course!). The hotel is right by the ocean, and our room opened to a balcony overseeing the beach. So needless to say, the view was AMAZING. The balcony is awesome to sit and relax and enjoy a drink. And the room is so comfortable and has very good amenities. The room features are controlled via a smartphone that can also be taken out and used for internet and navigation if needed. That was a pretty nifty thing to have around, so I thought it was cool. The shower is awesome and the water pressure is great. The toiletries are good and that's all I need to say about that. I also experienced the SPA. I had a deep tissue massage, and although it wasn't that deep, it was so relaxing and refreshing. You also get a pass to use the SPA facilities for the day, but I ended up not using that... since I wanted to be by the beach instead. There's hotel-only beach seating area with service staff available for food and drinks. We tried some appetizers and they were awesome. We also ate at the hotel restaurant on beach level. There was live music, which was awesome... although the sound wasn't really balanced, so we could barely hear the singer while we were able to hear the music just fine. The staff are super friendly. Happy to help, take pictures, provide service, whatever you need. The hotel also has bicycles available for use for the day which is great for riding along the beach. We'll definitely come back to this place when we revisit.

I want to say this was SMASHINGLY amazing! I will definitely recommend the 99 Sushi Bar which was…read moreSuperb! On top of that 100% a shoutout to our waiter Reduan due to his kindness and hospitality here. The location, Atmosphere, Rooms, Value and the Room Cleanliness was absolutely great it is definitely on my top 3 hotels around the world list. Before I finally finish I want to say that the noise level was 0, ABSOLUTELY NO NOISE AT ALL. Finally this definitely deserves a 6 Star as it is far better than 5 stars.

This place is kind of what you'd get if you crossed Lady Penelope's secret hideout with a honeymoon…read moresetting that Europe's chicest young royals might run to. Villa Padierna is a Ritz Carlton property set amidst the Flamingo golf course that was built in the style of a Tuscan Villa. So convincing is the décor with antique furniture, paintings and cool marble interiors it's easy to believe you're in Italy! Only 112 bedrooms ensure that the grounds and public areas feel incredibly exclusive. Beautiful event rooms are enhanced by a purpose-built outdoor amphitheatre for 400 people and 20 private villas. Definite princess potential as you sleep in sleigh beds, lounge in white fluffy robes and bathe amidsy white marble under chandeliers. The lobby and general areas were hushed - we kind of felt like we were a bit too plebby to be there so kept to ourselves, but the gardens and fountains were genuinely lovely to walk in. 5 star to the maximum, but bring your best manners and luggage.

This hotel is fantastic! We've had such a wonderful stay. Vega was so gracious and welcoming when…read morewe arrived late and tired. Isabel and Gonzalo have been fantastic and helpful every day. I this hotel / resort and highly recommend if you want a five star experience and a five star staff. We will come back for our next anniversary. Great location. Private beach. Get exclusive rooms for all the extras. Great entertainment. Fantastic dining

Staying at the hotel with 3 rooms. Arrived at solemo bar told no service at 5:45. Lots of…read moreavailable tables. Told that all the tables were reserved. I think they thought we were not hotel guests. Once we told them that we were hotel guests they told us that the bar closes at 6 on Saturday. We had been there on Friday and it had closed at 7. We were able to get served on the beach chairs beside the solermo bar but we felt that we were getting a favour from the bar staff. Quite unfortunate given that we have 3 rooms at the hotel for 4 days. Subsequent to the bad service I was able to talk to the GM about this incident He was very apologetic and very understanding I was impressed by the recovery of a bad service incident

We were very disappointed with our stay. The rooms were basic at best. Cracked tiles and tiny…read morekitchen. Washing machine nearly shook the place apart. Clean and dry is the best I can say. Nickel and dimed at every turn. Room safe: extra. Towels for the pool: extra. A 30 Euro electricity fee announced at check-in. On premises restaurants were expensive (relative to the town) and mediocre. The resort is tired and in need of maintenance. Staff were friendly. For the price we paid, I definitely don't recommend.

Our stay at Club La Costa was perfect in every way! It was like being on a cruise ship. All of your…read morerestaurants, night entertainment, and lodging were all together. Each restaurant there at the resort provided outstanding service and delectable meals. We had an amazing time. It was fun being so close to the beach, and within driving distance to Mijas, Ronda, and Grenada, where we saw the Alhambra. We drove all up and down the Costa del Sol. It's been a great vacation. We loved our stay at this resort, and highly recommend it.

After two agonizing and toxic-smelling nights at our spacious 'Time & Home' rental by "Marriott",…read morehubs and I knew we had to get the hell out. What really broke the camel's back after 2 days in, was that the entire house reeked like sewage. Hubs Google mapped Guadalmina as our final and God-send destination to continue celebrating my birthday. Guadalmina opens up with grand style. Lots of terracotta, high ceilings, wood beams and porcelain tiles to give the entrance that Marbella touch and elegance. The hosts (and there were several) were pleasant. Compared to where we came from, our room was equipped with a balcony+sea view, TV, twin beds made into a Queen ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, air conditioning, bathtub with shower head and a few other necessities. There is no valet and when hubs asked the doorman/greeter to park it, all he said was, "we don't do that here because everyone parks their own car...but if you want me to, I will". Ok then, so no valet. Restaurant on site is put together and crisp. Complimentary breakfast/brunch buffet was real spread with quality offerings including bubbly and fresh squeezed oj at your convenience. Pool access+chairs is €0. Beach access however, will cost you €20 but that gives you the entire day to dip and sunbathe as often as you like in a given day, you can take breaks in between and can leave the premises if you want. Cocktails at the pool bar are weak so I suggest you keep your money in your pocket. For an exclusive hotel and for what hubs paid for- for 4 days, it DID NOT include: bottled water (which sold for €4. Really???), iron was missing (I did a MacGyver and used the hair blower to get rid of wrinkles on clothes), bathroom essentials or wastebasket baggies. Overall, Guadalmina was a nice stay in Marbella and a stone's throw away from the beach.

Great hotel along the Costa del Sol. Most hotel rooms overlook the Mediterranean, and are large…read morefor a European hotel. Full breakfast is included for the price of your visit, and activities are run throughout the day (although we did not partake in these). Clientele is definitely focused on the golf available on the resort, and in the area. Friendly and accommodating staff. Wi-fi is also included with your stay, but it is spotty - had to disconnect and reconnect many, many, many times.

I stayed here for a week in July....loved the resort; but it's much more remote than we originally…read morethought. We had a 1 bedroom unit and it was very clean and spacious with a full kitchen, small patio, and even a washing machine. There are restaurants on site or adjacent so it's easy to get a full-service meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. There is also a little supermarket right next door. The staff at the front desk is super friendly and very helpful. There are 2 large outdoor pools with totally different vibes. The main one is loud and full of kids with constant kids' activities and it has a pool bar. The other is more remote and quiet with lounge chairs spread out through the grass. They have the craziest towel policy I've ever seen; you have to get towel cards from the front desk and then turn the cards in at the pool to get towels daily. I recommend getting to the main pool a few minutes before it opens because all the chairs will be "taken" within 5 minutes of opening. They also had an indoor pool which we didn't use. There is plenty of stuff to do; mini golf, tennis, and a gym. The gym was being renovated and the temporary gym had no a.c.....kind of a bummer! There is a small beach across the street and a strip of restaurants of many ethnicities within walking distance. Other than those restaurants you need to catch an Uber or taxi if you want to go anywhere else. Fuengirola is about 1.5 miles away and there are many restaurants and shops there in addition to much nicer beaches! If you want to go to Malaga it is about an hour away by train.

Visited this resort with two friends, one of which is a member. Upon checking in, I believe the…read moreagent's name was Giuseppe. He displayed fantastic Customer Service. He was very pleasant, as well as informative regarding the area and amenities. Definitely a keeper! The room was nice- it was overlooking the pool. It seems that during this stay, there was a large amount of older retirees. The location is nice, about 10-15 minutes from Malaga/beach. Beautiful surroundings, beware of pigs...they're cute until one chases you. They have a restaurant on premises that offers italian/american/indian. I guess the only thing they're missing is mexican food. The food is priced well as well as tasty. They don't do proper English tea though. There is also a little market on the corner- they have pretty much any of the groceries you would want. It's really an all-purpose store, they have clothes, hardware, houseware, ANYware you want...from paint to polish, beer to bedding- you get the point. They have a decent sized refrigerator, wash machine AND a bathtub/jacuzzi on the patio. I'd go back!!