Having read the reviews and being in need of a little R & R, we drove to Nerja and stayed at this hotel. It was disappointing and average. The worst was our arrival when the person who met us took nearly an hour to show us to our room - we had to be taken all over the hotel including the garage with many anecdotes all of which would have been interesting in a different context - all we wanted was to relax in our room, take a shower and change after our journey. The room was shabby, the bed was narrow (but comfortable), the bathroom ridiculously large and badly designed. The breakfast, which our gatekeeper had told us was extraordinary, turned out to be very ordinary and we went out to a local cafe. This is probably a great place for families who want a beach holiday but certainly not for a couple seeking a quiet comfortable interlude.

We stayed at this hotel for a week after making a last minute booking. This meant that we had to change rooms twice, however this was perfectly acceptable in view of the last minute booking.

This is a friendly family run hotel. The owners and staff went out of their way to make our stay a pleasant one. The decor of some parts of the hotel is in need of updating, but is spotlessly clean and cared for.

As a base for a beach holiday you would have to look a long way to match the location overlooking the beach with it's own private access. Be aware though that the access consists of a very steep stairway which would be unsuitable for elderly or disabled persons. The hotel gardens are very pleasant and provide an elevated view of the Costa del Sol. A small swimming pool and hot tub are available to residents and there is free wi-fi available to residents in the reception area lounge.

A short walk into the centre of Nerja with it's many bars and restaurants make this an ideal location for a family holiday. If you are using a car there is limited underground parking in the hotel garage.

It's very hard to know how to review this hotel without sounding like a bitter troll with an axe to grind in light of the other glowing reviews here. I'll give it a go though...

The hotel is not bad. But it is certainly not a "boutique" or "special" hotel in any sense that I would recognise. It is, at best, the equivalent of a just-about-satisfactory B&B.

Good points:
-Large room
-Nice view (though not from the room!)
-Pleasant terracing down to the beach.

Bad points:
-Wildly over-priced. It was more expensive per night than the genuinely luxurious, 5-star AC Palacio in Malaga for example.
-Breakfast choice and quality was poor. Sweetened cordial instead of orange juice, tinned fruit salad, slimy sliced banana and (on one occasion) a literally rancid danish pastry.
-Very dated decor with large dirty hand marks, dirt and scuffs throughout.
-Smelly plumbing. Perhaps inevitable 30 years ago, but unacceptable now.
-Noisy air conditioning that blows directly at the head of the bed. Everywhere else I've ever stayed has it placed so it does not blow directly at you as you sleep.
-The weekly complimentary barbecue on the occasion we were there descended into a drunken sing-along that ended towards midnight and kept us awake.
-Rooms facing the road are noisy with a loose manhole cover that clanks very loudly whenever a car drives over it. Perhaps not the hotel's fault, but something they can and should fix given the disturbance it causes.

It's not terrible, it's not awful, but it's not good. It's no where near as good as the other reviews here led me to believe, I was very disappointed.

We checked out half way through our booking and moved to the Palacio in Malaga as mentioned above. While the staff were pleasant and did not charge us for the unused nights, they were not surprised and did not ask if there was a problem they could fix.

I get the distinct impression that we were not the only ones misled by reviews here and elsewhere who felt it better to move on...

If you're paying for and expecting a cheapish B&B you'll be happy. If you're paying for and expecting some sort of "boutique" experience, you will not find it at the Paraiso Del Mar.

We stayed here for two nights in August and we are so happy we booked it.It's a boutique hotel and on arrival we were greeted by Enrique the owner who gave us a guided tour of the hotel. He was absolutely wonderful and really hospitable. It's so nice to see such passion for your own establishment and we raved about the hotel to friends and family. We couldn't ask for a better level of customer service from himself and all of the staff at the hotel. We stayed in a suite, room 109 and it was fab with a roof terrace that had amazing views of the coastline and our own place to chill out. It also had a jacuzzi bath in the bathroom and rooftop shower, so you can leave your modesty at home but that's what makes Spain :) There are steps down to Burianna directly from the hotel too. I was getting married in Nerja and had a hair and make up trial on Saturday morning and they let me use their facilities downstairs for it even after check out time. They also presented us with a bottle of champers when we were leaving to check into our apartment for the rest of the week. We almost wished we had just stayed here for the whole duration of the trip. Fantastic hotel and excellent staff. We will certainly stay here again when we go back to Nerja.