Oh dear! What can I say? We hoped this would be as their website purports, a quiet, little grand boutique hotel. It was dreadful. Do not believe the favourable reports on here as they have permanent English residents who I suspect are writing the good reports. The hotel is nothing like any of the good reports. The concierge could hardly be bothered to get out of his own way. He began by trying to get us to pay for the whole week in advance and in cash!! I paid for one night in advance but the place just got worse and worse. The pity is it could be a lovely hotel. Its got a lot going for it but it desperately needs and update and some serious repairs. We were the only people at breakfast which was OK I suppose but a little sparse even for a continental. If you are the type who can sleep through a bombing raid then no problem because the toilets are old fashioned type that sound like the dam-busters are on their way! The door to the bar was continually blocked by a chair preventing access, when we did force our way in, there was this very old seemingly permanent fixture of a guest smoking his pipe and watching English TV at an incredibly loud volume! It seemed he was allowed to put the chair there to keep others out as this was a constant fixture! No bar staff to try and get a drink and an atmosphere reminiscent of the London smog.
One of the very few other guests spoke to us and offered some help with directions told us it was old Paddy and not to mind him!! This chap also seemed to a permanent resident and said he was a friend of the owner and helping him out! He seemed to be the only hotel representative available.
If you can't use the bar then you have no choice but to walk or drive some distance to Cabo Pino and eat and drink there. We had hired a car and thank goodness! The Hotel is right on the main coast road to Marbella and actually seems to have its own turning off the very fast dual carriageway. Road noise was not a problem for us as we had a room at the rear or side whichever it is facing the grounds and pool. There are considerable sized grounds but they seem to open to all and sundry to walk through. If it was in the UK I would say there was public right of way. The grounds and garden were unkempt and dirty with lots of dogs passing through. Most of the owners seemed to remove their dog excrement but we still found a few examples. I certainly would not allow my children to play there. The pool could have been lovely but it was full of leaves and branches!
The final straw amongst too many to list was the toilet pipe started leaking and was very smelly. I reported it and was told not to worry as it was only 'poco poco' Oh well only a little bit of Salmonella, no problem there then. I think this hotel would be all right for a stopover but that is about it at the moment. by the way, we did not go there for the 'Golf' but we could see no golf course at the hotel at all. There was a nine hole golf course across the other side of the dual carriageway about a mile drive [you could never walk there!] and I was told it had nothing to do with the hotel. So there you are. A brilliant example of how a very good website can fool you entirely. We put up with this for two nights but when we couldn't get a drink at the bar due to this special smoking guest having taken up residence, we thought enough was enough. However, it is quite cheap and if i was backpacking or something it would be OK. I have to say their website producer deserves an Oscar! On the whole I would give this one a miss.
Room Tip: Stay somewhere else
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
