Marriott’s Marbella Beach Resort

We have had an excellent stay as usual. Our room was very clean and spacious. We have found the staff very helpful and friendly. A special mention to David in the chill bar / el med for his excellent customer service and knowledge. He is a real asset to Marriott. We look forward to returning in the future.

Fabulous. This was a 7 week trip (staying in 6 different places) and honestly I couldn’t wait to get to the Marriott. We keep saying we’re not going to bother with other places because we’re always disappointed. But we’d visited southern France and Italy and Marriott only have hotels there. The resort is immaculate, the staff friendly and helpful and the apartments have everything you need. Fully equipped kitchens, washer, dryer, dishwasher, clothes airer, reclining seats on balcony, robes. Just everything (except pegs, I always bring a few pegs since it can be windy at the front). And the beds are so comfortable. The champagne breakfast is wonderful. If I had to find fault (and in the interest of an honest unbiased review I try to). While the apartments had a bit of a refurb several years ago now. They’re not the most modern. But they are comfortable and I relax here. Totally.

For some people this is an excellent resort. It is a fine development with excellent landscape gardening. My apartment was clean, spacious, modern, almost luxurious. It had everything you need for self catering. I have never stayed anywhere better in this respect. There is an excellent shop and late arrivals can buy items ranging from wine and snacks to eggs for the morning. I found the staff to be well trained and managed and of higher than average calibre. I can understand people giving the development a high rating. More important, the development seems to be ran very efficiently as far as what they have decided to offer, little actually went wrong during my stay, so there won’t be the disaster reports that bring down the ratings. But… The location is nothing special apart from the fact that it is on the seafront. The pebbly beach is not exactly of golden sand and is not particularly scenic. There are few facilities, few alternatives to the hotel. To the other side is a rabbit warren of developments and its badly sign posted. There is no “strip” on the doorstep which is a bit unusual. Then you have a very busy road. I wasn’t encouraged to wander out and didn’t fancy a taxi to unknown restaurants by the road. Marbella is a 16 Euro taxi ride away. I wasn’t too bothered by all this as I had come for the indoor pool which was nice though a sauna would have been even nicer. To their credit they have an indoor pool for kids too. I had come to hang out for a few days. But I disliked the atmosphere. I had thought the place something like an apartment-hotel but I was corrected for using the word hotel on arrival! Hmm, interesting. The atmosphere was what the place is-a certain type of efficiently owned property development with a parsimonious, efficiently ran camp for holiday makers which felt like a side-line. The efficiency was commercial rather than hospitable. For example, advertising of Marriott’s other developments was pushed a little too much for my liking. I thought the organization was a little too pleased with itself and preferred to make my own mind up. They had gone to the trouble of having a portrait of the founder and son in reception. But there were a lot of things they had not gone to the trouble of doing. For example, in Spain a place at this price usually has a soft drink for people arriving. I was thirsty and hoped for at least a water fountain but was sent to buy myself a drink. This is commerce not hospitality. The staff were pleasant but I did not actually find them very helpful at reception beyond ordering taxis for me. I’m not sure if that was their fault. They fulfilled their training and commerce got in the way. I asked if they had a map of the local area but somehow came away with a map of Marbella. I know hotels are dropping the old custom of a local map but most of the inmates were like me were old. Advertising got in the way of info. I asked about evening entertainment and was handed a sheet naming a couple of artists BUT NO DATES OR TIMES WERE ON THE SHEET. I had been handed an advertising leaflet. I soon found out why the staff member seemed embarrassed and just how little was on offer. They knew there was nothing whatsoever for my stay! There were only 2 nights a week with a singer and I’d missed them. This was an ugly first for me. The day of my arrival was Spanish Night. I was told it was booked up. I wouldn’t have gone anyway. The thing was you had to pay 42 Euro to attend and eat. I did not want to learn how to make Sangria and already know how to make paella (a lot better than they do it transpired). And I have seen good flamenco for free many times. This was another ugly first for me. THIS IS THE BIGGEST SHOCK. THE ENTERTAINMENT IS FOR DINERS. Another first. In my dozens if not hundreds of hotel stays in Spain the entertainment has always been free after dinner. But another shock. THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT INDOOR BAR in the winter. There is only a tiny strip of a bar next to the restaurant with 4 small tables and 8-9 chairs. I had been surprised the bar closed at 11 and thought it puritanism but I’m surprised it did not shut earlier. It was a grim fag-end of a place by 10 on my first night but on my last night it had turned very cold and they insisted on leaving the door open. It was almost empty at nine. There is only one restaurant open in winter. Its about a third of the size you would expect and not surprisingly this meant much less variety than normal for the buffet breakfast. They had a good omelet maker but no special treats. The gluten free section was very cheap. So it was ok but well below local standards. Not surprisingly I wasn’t going to risk dinner but I caught a cold also not surprisingly. I checked the evening menu during the day as I was suspicious. It would be too generous to say the menu was mid level. It was made up of the 3 basics-some Spanish, some “international” and junk food. This is not a subjective opinion, it was a low grade menu by local standards. You could not have a full Spanish meal as there were no Spanish deserts. I decided to return for a paella anyway. Only on my return did I learn you required a minimum of two. When I pointed out the menu did not say that the lovely staff said no problem. The paella was a disaster. It arrived very soon which is too soon and it was a portion for one in a pan for two which is more difficult. The rice was hard. This was the only thing that actually went wrong if you know what I mean. I didn’t complain. I was broken by my not cheap break. Was it my fault I had chosen the wrong style of place? That was my first thought but no. The place is a property development when it suits but is presented as a jolly resort. The staff were handling expectations and carrying out damage limitation with experience. I had checked in advance if winter was going to screw up things and understood everything was ok. On arrival the receptionist volunteered a check on the same basis which seemed very odd and everything was ok. So why did I have to return to my room when I found the changing rooms closed? Why was there only a temp gym without much equipment? Why did I turn up at Charlies bar to find it closed? Etc. I was not alone. The table to one side of me was shocked to learn they’d have to wait a few days for live music. The table to the other side was shocked there was no other bar and it was bed time at nine pm. So who might like this place in winter? Clearly not lovers of fine dining or live music. Swimming fanatics. People with young kids- mine would have loved the pool but been disappointed by the food and entertainment People who value their room above all else. Self caterers. The very old who need home comforts. People who are using the place as a base for sight seeing People who don’t know Spain and don’t know you can get much better quality of food and entertainment at 60% of the price. No wonder the founder and son looked so pleased with themselves.