"If you know what you are getting into, this hotel can be a nice retreat! I wish someone had told me all these things in advance, to avoid disappointment, so here it is: This quiet older hotel is located at the end of a small boardwalk path which leads to Estepona (by walking 1 hour, taxi about 12 euro- taxi stand is outside the hotel, no problem). It's on a highway but faces the beach, so you don't hear the traffic. The sound of the waves and the lovely expansive views from the rooms is a real vacation feeling. There is nothing much to walk to, just an Aldi, reached by crossing the highway overpass. Having a car might be a good idea, but everywhere we went with Uber/Bolt and taxi had horrible parking problems. The hotel itself is very quiet in December, also in the rooms and halls. The lobby smells nice. Although it is remote, the hotel does not have special daily activities for guests, and the hotel bar is slow service, poor quality and selection, and not 5 star. What probably was the most unexpected to us was that many things in the hotel are a little bit worn or broken (think- edges scratched, frayed, signs missing, little things out of service). The building itself is large and well designed with areas for relaxing, but the furniture in some areas is old, dirty and a bit shredded, which doesn't encourage a luxe atmosphere. The thalasso is very nice, not included in room fee- but really one of the best things to do, at 20 euro per person for 2 hours, it's worth it but also has a few things out of service, and a bit worn. There is an indoor pool which is basic but functional. There are spa services with market prices. Estepona itself is a nice town to visit, with shops and restaurants facing the water, and pretty streets to wander.
We had a junior suite which was large and attractive in an older style, with heavy furniture. Comfortable. Always very clean, good housekeeping, daily service. Unlike some reviews, I didn't see any problems and we appreciated their good attention. The suite itself had a cheap modular shower and not 5 star amenities. There were 3 of us, but only 2 of everything. Good wifi, about 85% of the time.
Most of the a la carte restaurants were closed, so we had the Arena buffet for breakfast and dinner. The food is very simply prepared, lots of bowls of chopped vegetables or fruits, a very basic menu of traditional dishes (1970s?). A grill area is available to prepare meat or fish on demand, which was welcome. Lots of items are missing descriptive signs, so it was often difficult to know what was in the bowls. Not beautifully or carefully presented, not like other 5 star or 4 star places we have visited. It was surprising. Big bowls of single items, with cheap metal tongs to serve. Missing interesting sauces or creative preparations. Almost everything oven-based, reheat style. Quite often the same items would return night after night, so it felt a bit like leftovers at home, this was especially apparent in the desserts, where the same pieces of cake would come back night after night, in diminishing amounts. Some items were low quality: juices from concentrate, coffee not from beans but from concentrated liquid, variety of fruits. One fresh orange juice machine which seemed to give the staff a lot of headaches, they were often working on it. The waitstaff seemed often harried, rushing about, lots of talking to each other urgently. They had right of way in the restaurant, always brushing past with dirty plates or new bowls of food, which is not something I expect in a 5 star, and not very attentive to the guests. It seemed like they were under a lot of pressure.
In general, a vacation is a precious thing and it's important to be pleasantly surprised or at least not disappointed. We had a nice time here, but possibly if it were listed as a 4 star and did a bit with maintenance, they would have been closer to our expectations. As it was, we feel a little bit underwhelmed."
