"This is one of the best hotels I've stayed in recently and having just returned from a week's stay with my partner, we're already looking at rebooking.
From the moment you arrive you are truly taken care of and a relaxing stay starts immediately. We arrived fairly early so we knew that we wouldn't be able to check in straight away but staff were on hand to greet you, take your baggage and give you a brief tour before sitting you on the terrace to enjoy a complimentary drink whilst they did the admin for the check in process. We were offered a place to change if we wanted to make immediate use of the pools but decided we were quite happy on the terrace enjoying the view and another drink until we were informed that our room was ready about an hour and a half before actual check in time which was much appreciated.
We were taken to our room, A27, which was a Duplex Suite where our bags had already been delivered and we were shown round - a complimentary fruit platter and some sun hats plus a beach bag which you can use for your stay were a nice touch. The room was beautiful, enormous comfortable bed, ample wardrobe space, safe and tea/coffee station with pod coffee machine and a kettle, complimentary water (replenished daily) and mini bar. The huge bathroom had a standalone tub, rainfall shower and two sinks plus Clarins amenities and my holy grail in all hotels - a really good hairdryer! Upstairs there was a sofa (presumably can also be a bed) and another toilet and shower room but it was the terrace that stole the show for us, equipped with two sunbeds and two comfy chairs it was a lovely place to enjoy a morning coffee or a post beach drink and we made a lot of use of it. Housekeeping also kept our room spotless throughout.
We loved the relaxed vibe of this hotel, breakfast starts at 8, most people amble down at some time between 9 - 10.30. There's a good cold buffet selection with meats/cheeses, pastries etc. an array of juices, cava and a bloody mary station plus an a la carte menu with plenty of options that you can order from - we particularly enjoyed the eggs benedict.
The hotel has two pool areas plus a reserved area on the beach for guests to use. The relaxed attitude extends to this too - during our entire stay there was never an issue getting a sunbed and no one reserving them. You're not even expected to carry your own towel, you'll find that rolled up on a sunbed ready to use with staff also always replenishing these once someone was finished with the bed. Both pools and the beach offer food and drink service straight to your sun bed which again was speedy and efficient.
We ate in the Alamar Restaurant twice during our stay, both times on the terrace enjoying the spectacular view. We did the tasting menu one night and a la carte the other, both were very good and there was a genuine interest in our feedback on the food - you can tell they really want it to be of a very high standard. It is pricier than other restaurants in the surrounding area but most definitely more on the fine dining end of the scale and well worth it.
The hotel benefits from an elevated location giving the aforementioned spectacular views but also has a lift which you can take down to the beach promenade level. We really enjoyed being able to stroll along the beachfront and also tried various bars and restaurants in the area - there's something down there for everyone and all within very easy walking distance, you can be at the Marina in about 15 minutes. You can also walk out of the front of the hotel onto the main road where there are more shops and bars but we preferred the beach front.
We also made use of the hotel's electric courtesy car during our stay which was another nice touch and meant we could pop out for the day and take a drive up to a couple of the nearby Pueblos (Benalmadena and Mijas) plus visit the Castillo de Colomares - all you need to do is remember your driving license and book at reception. They also have bicycles you can use if two wheels are more your thing!
Finally, what truly makes this hotel top class is the exceptional staff who work there. Every single member of staff we encountered was friendly, helpful and couldn't do enough for you. Their service is brilliantly professional without being too stuffy and pretentious and makes this hotel really excellent.
This hotel was perfect for the relaxing break we were after and we will absolutely be returning, I would wholeheartedly recommend."
