Hotel Palmasol Puerto Marina

“Good hotel, great location”

We stayed here for a short breaks as a couple. We were in a family room with 2 double beds. For us this was fine but if we had been with our 2 kids I would have found this room way too small. There wasn’t much room around the double beds and the cupboard space not great. The cleanliness of the room… more

We stayed here for a short breaks as a couple. We were in a family room with 2 double beds. For us this was fine but if we had been with our 2 kids I would have found this room way too small. There wasn’t much room around the double beds and the cupboard space not great. The cleanliness of the room and hotel was great. The cleaning and maintenance staff were lovely and friendly. We had an issue with our safe and the maintenance guy was fab and had it fixed quickly. I don’t think customers should have to pay extra to use the safe, I think this should be included in the hotel price. We found the reception staff not the most friendly and could be quite stand offish. The only exception to this was the trainee staff on the desk. We were room only so can’t comment on the food or drink. The location of the hotel is ideal for exploring the surrounding areas. We also used the outdoor gym each morning which was really well equipped, I’m an early riser, so would have found it slightly better if I could have got access from 6am instead of 7am. At this time of year the hotel was very quiet and mainly had older people staying, we saw only a couple of families with children. For us being there as long weekend as a couple this was fine, however if I had come with my children, I would of worried about them making too much noise for other customers, there will probably be other hotels that are more family friendly. Overall we were really pleased with our stay but our experience of this hotel in comparison to others would say it’s a 3star rather than 4star but that would not put me off if we were to return to Benalmádena.

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“Ok in places but we probably won't be back”

Check-in was fast and smooth, even arriving at 1am, which was a big plus after travelling. The rooms are clean and well kept, not luxury, but definitely functional and comfortable for what you need. The location is the real selling point; right beside the marina and within easy walking distance of… more

Check-in was fast and smooth, even arriving at 1am, which was a big plus after travelling. The rooms are clean and well kept, not luxury, but definitely functional and comfortable for what you need. The location is the real selling point; right beside the marina and within easy walking distance of everything. That said, the surrounding streets feel a bit tired and could do with some TLC. A couple of things to be aware of: the in-room safe costs €3.50 per day and needs to be arranged at reception. Also, room towels aren’t allowed at the pool, so bring your own or grab some locally. The outdoor pool was very cold and surprisingly strict, no balls or children’s floats allowed, even when it was completely empty. Felt unnecessarily rigid. The indoor pool is warmer, but not in great condition. The water was quite murky, the showers weren’t working, and the sauna was initially off, although it was switched on later during our stay. It just felt "meh". There’s also a hot tub which was on but it wasn’t particularly hot and is only really suited for around four people at a time. If you’re planning to use the indoor pool, you’ll need a swimming hat (yes, really). You can buy one at reception if you don’t have one with you. Breakfast was good with plenty of options, but fairly standard — once you’ve seen one hotel buffet, you’ve seen them all. One thing to note, if you’re there close to the 11am closing time, be careful leaving your table. Plates were cleared very quickly, even with food still on them, if you stepped away to grab a coffee or drink. The biggest issue throughout the stay was the complete lack of flexibility from staff. Simple, reasonable requests were repeatedly shut down with rigid “rules” and no willingness to apply common sense. For example, my son wanted to take an apple with him as we left breakfast and we were stopped and told we couldn’t take it out and that we’d “had enough.” It felt unnecessarily abrupt and over the top for such a minor request. The same applied at lunch. We ordered from the bar menu and asked if they could make a basic toasted cheese sandwich for our 6-year-old, happy to pay for it but were told no, as it’s only available on the all-inclusive menu. So the item clearly exists and can be made, but they simply refused on principle. It’s these smaller, unnecessary rules; no kids’ ball in the pool, no flexibility on a simple sandwich, not even being allowed to take an apple, that really put a negative slant on the stay. At times it felt like some staff put on a friendly front but were quick to fall back on rigid rules and say no rather than help. The evening bar service could do with improvement. Although the staff were friendly, service was very slow, with only one or two people effectively working at a time. It made what should be a quick drink feel like a bit of a wait, especially with coffee orders slowing things down further. On a positive note, the two entertainment ladies (apologies, didn’t catch their names) were fantastic with our children. They really made an effort, and our kids absolutely loved them , a real asset to the hotel. Overall, the hotel itself is clean, and the communal areas are really nice and relaxing. It was an okay stay but I don't think we'd consider coming back.

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