Hotel Soho Boutique Castillo Santa Catalina - Adults Recommended

“Very disappointing stay – overpriced and poor quality”

I stayed at this hotel twice and unfortunately both experiences were disappointing. The building itself is an old palace, but the adaptation into a hotel has been poorly executed and the result is quite weird. The rooms are very noisy, especially those near the cafeteria, where there is a constan… more

I stayed at this hotel twice and unfortunately both experiences were disappointing. The building itself is an old palace, but the adaptation into a hotel has been poorly executed and the result is quite weird. The rooms are very noisy, especially those near the cafeteria, where there is a constant smell of food. The quieter rooms are extremely small and poorly arranged, with oversized furniture that makes them feel even more cramped. The bathrooms are in very poor condition. Although they appear to have been renovated, the materials used are of very low quality. Water leaked out of the shower and flooded the bathroom floor, and there were persistent bad odors. During my first stay, the room had a high horizontal window with no real view at all. On my second stay, I was given a connecting room, which was even noisier due to both the connecting door and the hallway door. The hotel has an outdated 1970s style. The only positive aspect is the sea view, but this can mainly be enjoyed from the garden and terrace, not from the rooms. Food is extremely overpriced for what it offers. The TV channel selection was very poor, and the connection quality was also unreliable. As for the staff, they tend to be overly familiar, which can feel unprofessional. More importantly, there seems to be little interest in guest feedback or satisfaction, as if repeat customers are not a priority. Overall, the room prices are far too high for the quality provided. I would not stay here again.

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“Does not feel like a five-star experience.”

I chose Santa Catalina Málaga expecting a hotel that would live up to its five-star rating. Unfortunately, my experience did not reflect that standard. The room itself was very clean, and the bathroom was excellent with very good towels. Housekeeping did a good job. However, the room was very wa… more

I chose Santa Catalina Málaga expecting a hotel that would live up to its five-star rating. Unfortunately, my experience did not reflect that standard. The room itself was very clean, and the bathroom was excellent with very good towels. Housekeeping did a good job. However, the room was very warm. I was advised by staff that the heating/air-conditioning is centrally controlled and date-restricted. While the windows can be opened, they cannot be secured in position and repeatedly slammed in the wind. A fan was kindly offered, though I declined due to the likely noise. Housekeeping standards elsewhere were disappointing. There were cigarette butts in the geranium pots in the garden dining area. All the staff I encountered were pleasant, but there were awkward moments. At breakfast I was served a glass that was visibly dirty. When I returned it, both glasses were removed and I was then left waiting, as staff assumed my husband would be joining me rather than recognising that a woman might be dining alone. Although I made and paid for the booking, the welcome note in the room was addressed to my husband rather than to me. The room description referred to a balcony, but in reality it was only large enough for Juliette — any Romeo would have been out of luck...he'd have been hanging out with the garbage area the room overlooked. The room faced a staff staircase area, likely used by the kitchen, with a couple of toilets adjacent. Odours from this area drifted to the room. The pool is also extremely small — more of a wading pool than somewhere you could properly swim. A shame as my husband likes to swim. Overall, the hotel felt tired and somewhat tatty, and the experience did not align with what one would expect from a five-star property. On reflection, I'd likely have been better booking the aparthotel where I stayed on a previous visit.

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“Excellent hotel let down by impractical bedroom and poor customer service”

This is a lovely hotel, with a wonderful setting and excellent food. However, after a long journey to a Hotel of this standard, we would have expected to be offered a welcome drink as part of the arrival experience, but nothing was offered. The location is up a steep hill and so having a car (as … more

This is a lovely hotel, with a wonderful setting and excellent food. However, after a long journey to a Hotel of this standard, we would have expected to be offered a welcome drink as part of the arrival experience, but nothing was offered. The location is up a steep hill and so having a car (as we did) avoids what would be a strenuous walk back to the hotel when venturing out on foot or by public transport. Whilst the hotel itself is excellent, we were disappointed by our deluxe double room (room 305). We found the storage in the room to be completely inadequate, especially as we were staying for a week. In the bedroom, hanging space was very limited and there were no drawers at all for T-shirts and underwear. I ended up using the in-room safe to store my socks as this was the only space available. In the bathroom, which was incredibly spacious, again there were no surfaces to store items. We had to use the bidet as a space to place electrical items like hair straighteners. For a hotel claiming to be Malaga's most exclusive 5* Hotel, the lack of places to store clothes and other items was completely impractical and a real annoyance. In addition, the air-conditioning in our room was stuck on "heat" mode, with the button to alter the mode wedged into the control panel so that the mode could not be altered. We had to leave the air-con off for the entire stay meaning the room was too warm at night even in January. I raised both of these issues with reception, asking for the air-conditioning controller to be fixed and for some additional storage, or even a table on which items could be placed (for which there was plenty of room) to be provided. However, no action was taken and we didn't receive any follow-up communication from the Hotel. Subsequently, we received a survey part way through our stay asking for comments on our experience - a nice touch claiming that it would allow the Hotel to take any remedial action should there be issues that needed to be addressed. We replied raising the same concerns. Again, we received no response. This lack of customer service was also unexpected for a luxury hotel.

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“Five-star looks, two-star rest”

The hotel itself is undeniably beautiful — the grounds are stunning, and the food is excellent. Unfortunately, that’s where the 5-star experience ends. The quality of sleep is shocking. On Saturday, I was woken shortly after 8 a.m. by someone sweeping the courtyard, and again at 7:55 a.m. on Sunda… more

The hotel itself is undeniably beautiful — the grounds are stunning, and the food is excellent. Unfortunately, that’s where the 5-star experience ends. The quality of sleep is shocking. On Saturday, I was woken shortly after 8 a.m. by someone sweeping the courtyard, and again at 7:55 a.m. on Sunday. As my body clock is still on UK time, that’s effectively 7 a.m. and 6:55 a.m. On Saturday, the sweeping was quickly followed by loud hoovering around 8:30 a.m., making it impossible to rest. I did not expect to be woken so early by staff noise in a so-called luxury hotel. I came here to relax, and sleep is a basic expectation — not a luxury. Once awake, I couldn’t get back to sleep, so two out of my three mornings were completely ruined. Avoid Room 103. It faces directly onto the courtyard with tables placed right outside the window. Guests can sit literally inches from the glass — it feels like they’re dining in your room. Allowing this, especially early in the morning (8.15am), shows a complete lack of consideration for guest comfort. It’s clear from other reviews that noise is a recurring issue, yet nothing seems to be done about it. A shame, because the property itself has so much potential — but if you value peace, rest, and proper sleep, look elsewhere.

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