Lovely place to stay, very nice helpful staff. I think the ladys name was Paqui who will give you a map and choices of restaurants in Istan. The hotel is very clean and rustic with fantastic views. Nice small pool as well. Eat in the village of Istan, which is only 5 mins away by car. We ate in same restaurant as Lincolnshire Hatters and concur. Take your empty bottles to fill up in Istan, as they have public taps, the water is lovely, save some money. Room is basic, clean and has air conditioning. Breakfast was one piece of toast, orange juice jam and coffee, but to sit out and look over the lake was a delight. Recommend to all.

We have spent a weekend in Los Jarales to cellebrate my husband´s birthday. It´s a charming hotel, located in the road access to Istan, easy to find just take the exit from Marbella road called Istand and drive towards the mountain. It´s true that you will drive 14 kms in a mountain road but that´s the only way to enjoy those maravellous views and the fantastic countryside.
The hotel is 20 minutes to Puerto Banus and only 5 minutes drive to Istan village.
The rooms are Andalusian style, with wooden roofs and enough space. We got a triple room, with a king size (the mattress wasn´t very good) and a single bed. There is a TV , a small table with 2 seats and a small desk. The bathroom had a shower and although not big, it was ok. Cleanliness was regular, not dirty but not proper clean either.
We had breakfast and dinner at the hotel restaurant. Breakfast is 3.5 euros per person and for that price really good, orange juice, coffee, a toast and a muffin, Really good. For dinner they have a set up menu for 12 euros including a starter and a main course, good quality, we really enjoyed the dinner experience.
The owner is helpful and the girl who attends the restaurant is very nice.
In average for the price a fantastic hotel. The facilities include a sauna, a jacuzzy (you pay extra for them) and a swimming pool (heated in winter).
If you are looking for a nice place to stay for a reasonable price this is your hotel.

We decided to have a few days in and around Malaga but decided to stay in a more Spanish stlye hotel and this was wonderful, it is up a very steep and windy mountain road about 25 mins from main town Malaga.

The view across the hillside and the lakes are quite stunning. The rooms are compact but suffiecient and decorated in alovely spanish feel. They do have air con which was great in 40 degrees. They also have a dip pool which again was nice after a hot day sight seeing.
the only down side was yet again finding good Spanish food that we hear of from Spain.. the food was swimming in grease as all dishes are fried. Breakfast is one piece of toast and a pot of jam and butter. No other choice and 7 euros/ couple. Nothing to write home about.
After one night eating we decided to eat in Istan ( 2 mins away). This is a beautiful village and we ate at the Entre Sierras Restarante which has great views. The prices were the same as the uk and the food was fabulous.. we thought we had finally found good food in Spain when we discovered the chef is English!! very funny. but it was well worth going there.

We stayed at Los Jarales for a week in September and we loved it. The hotel is amazing, really rustic and a breath fo fresh air compared to the high rise hotels on the coast, Definately need a car to stay here but its a great base for exploring Andalucia.
The rooms are nice, very clean and comfortable and the views are breathtaking. The hotel staff are really friendly and made us feel very welcome.
Would definately go again.