"Not the 4-star All Inclusive experience we expected - read this based on the price you pay
We stayed for 7 nights in August 2026 as a family group ranging from 18 to 80 years old. We paid around €1,650 per person for All Inclusive, so our expectations were based on that price and the 4-star rating.
Transfer & arrival
The hotel is around 15 minutes from Málaga Airport and, travelling with Jet2, we were the first drop-off. Reception and the newly refurbished lobby looked excellent, staff were friendly on arrival and luggage storage before 3pm was no problem. One of our four rooms was also ready early.
Rooms
Our room was clean, modern and functional, with good air conditioning, ceiling fan, fridge, TV and both standard and rain showers.
However, for a 4-star hotel we expected more space and overall quality. There was also no iron.
We paid an additional €250 for a Deluxe room, but the main difference appeared to be the unrestricted sea view. Our Superior room looked onto plants and a white wall, while the rooms themselves appeared almost identical. At €250 extra, we expected more.
Towels & additional charges
The towels were functional rather than what we would expect from a 4-star hotel.
There is also a €1 charge per towel change, adding to our overall impression that there were numerous small additional charges throughout the hotel.
Buffet restaurant
Probably our biggest disappointment.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner were edible and covered the basics, but the choice, variety and presentation were below what we expected from a 4-star All Inclusive hotel.
Themed nights didn’t really improve things. On Chinese night, for example, the selection was limited and the rice was cold.
The restaurant felt more like a functional buffet/canteen than a 4-star dining experience. Ultimately, we ate outside the hotel on four of our seven evenings, which says a lot about our view of the dinner offering.
Speciality restaurants
There are two additional restaurants: Modenn Thai, available Fridays and Saturdays, and Bonita Beach for lunch.
Unfortunately, because of our arrival/departure dates, we had no realistic opportunity to book the Thai restaurant. This would have been a welcome alternative to the buffet.
Check the availability of these restaurants before booking if they are important to you.
Adult pool
The adult pool is relatively small, with a shaded and enclosed sun-lounging area.
The Bali Beds shown in the promotional material cost an additional €39 per day, including cava and water.
We were also surprised that the pool is available to paying day guests. We preferred the beach and therefore didn’t spend much time here.
Main pool
The main pool is around 400 yards from the hotel along the promenade and is clearly aimed at families, with entertainment, games and slides.
For us, it looked considerably better in the promotional photographs than in reality. It felt fairly basic and tired in places, and the perimeter fencing didn’t improve the appearance.
It is also open to day visitors, creating additional competition for loungers.
One positive: we never experienced the usual early-morning sunbed battles or saw people running around reserving loungers.
Bars & All Inclusive drinks
Another area where we felt the hotel fell short.
The All Inclusive drinks selection is very basic. Local spirits, beer, wine and pre-mixed cocktails are included, while premium spirits and individually prepared cocktails cost extra.
The included cocktails come from a machine and, in our opinion, were poor.
There were also restrictions that felt unnecessary — for example, being refused a larger plastic cup for beer despite seeing larger cups behind the bar, and being given paper cups for coffee despite porcelain cups being available.
Individually these are small things, but collectively they made the All Inclusive package feel quite limited.
Sky Bar
The Sky Bar has great views and a lovely setting, particularly around sunset, and could easily be one of the hotel’s highlights.
We have stayed at other hotels where the rooftop bar is promoted as the place to go after dinner, watch the sunset and enjoy drinks together. Here, we felt it was underutilised, probably because many drinks require an additional charge.
Unfortunately, our experience there left a particularly bad taste.
One evening, we were sitting in the lobby bar and decided to take our seven drinks upstairs to watch the sunset. Some had already been paid for downstairs.
As soon as we entered the outdoor Sky Bar area, a waiter immediately demanded that we hand over the drinks. There was no opportunity to sit down or even a polite explanation that drinks from the lobby couldn’t be brought upstairs.
All seven drinks were taken from our hands and removed from the area.
We didn’t want to cause a scene and don’t personally blame the waiter — he was clearly enforcing hotel policy. However, the situation could have been handled much more courteously. A simple explanation would have been enough.
For us, this was another example of the hotel missing an opportunity to create a positive guest experience. The setting and views are there, but we felt the hotel wasn’t making the most of them.
Snack bars
There are burgers, hotdogs, nachos, cakes and other snacks available throughout the day, but we didn’t find the quality or presentation particularly appealing and rarely used them.
Gym & wellness
The gym is very small and basic, with two treadmills, two bikes, a bench and a small weights area.
There is a sauna and steam room, but when we visited the wellness area it wasn’t operating and nobody was available to speak to.
Beach – the big positive
The beach was one of the highlights.
There are two lovely bays directly in front of the hotel, with shallow water and plenty of space.
Sun loungers and an umbrella were €16 for two, from 8am–7pm.
We used the beach every day and really enjoyed it. Having the pool bar nearby also made getting drinks easy.
Lobby & entertainment
The refurbished lobby and reception area look excellent and are probably the hotel’s strongest visual feature.
The evening entertainment was enjoyable enough. We watched the Michael Jackson show and had a good laugh.
However, afterwards a young child became ill near the dance floor. When my wife asked at the bar if someone could help clean the area, the response was essentially that it wasn’t their problem.
We appreciate staff can’t deal with everything, but a little more empathy and willingness to help would have been appreciated. Overall, we found staff competent but not particularly warm or proactive.
Accessibility & mobility
Worth considering if travelling with elderly relatives or anyone with reduced mobility.
We travelled with two grandparents aged 80 and the hotel did provide the accessible shower we requested.
However, the hotel is spread over 12 floors with four relatively small lifts. Reception, buffet, bars and external facilities are on different levels, and lifts could become slow and congested.
It didn’t ruin our holiday but was a regular inconvenience.
Other facilities
There are various additional activities including:
* Padel – €25 per hour
* Crazy golf
* Table tennis
* Kids club
* Family entertainment
Again, these are fairly basic facilities.
Overall verdict
We made the best of our week and, importantly, enjoyed our family holiday together.
However, we wouldn’t return to this hotel.
The location is fantastic, the beach is excellent, the lobby looks great and the hotel is clean. But for us, the overall experience didn’t match the 4-star All Inclusive expectation or the €1,650pp price we paid.
The buffet was underwhelming, the pools didn’t appeal to us, the All Inclusive drinks were limited, there were numerous additional charges and the service sometimes lacked warmth.
As a group of seven, we estimate we spent approximately another €1,500 during the week, largely because we chose to eat out, enjoy better cocktails and visit local bars and restaurants.
If you find this hotel at a good price and aren’t looking for a high-end All Inclusive experience, you may enjoy it.
But if you’re paying a premium and expecting a genuine 4-star All Inclusive experience, we’d recommend comparing other options.
For us, it felt more like a clean and functional 3-star experience with a few 4-star touches, rather than a consistently 4-star hotel.
The beach was great. The location was great. The holiday was enjoyable. The hotel simply wasn’t what we expected for the money."
