Sol Los Fenicios

We had breakfast facing the beach, and it was included and lovely. The hotel is at the far end of the playa, in a quieter spot than the central beach, with several nice beach clubs and restaurants just across the way. Inside, it's simple but tasteful and has a very friendly feel. Parking in the garage was convenient, though €22 a night seemed steep for a small town. In mid July and August, though, street parking is scarce. A great place to relax by the beach after exploring Andalusia, especially if you want to avoid the tacky mega hotels along the coast. I'd definitely recommend it.

The location is great, and breakfast was good. A friendly young receptionist also gave us useful restaurant recommendations. Still, the service and facilities didn't meet what I'd expect from a four-star Meliá hotel. When I dropped my wife at the entrance with two large suitcases, two reception staff saw her struggling up the stairs and just kept talking. At breakfast, we arrived at 9:30 as usual, but were rather rudely stopped and left waiting outside for 10-15 minutes while a group ate. No other guests could enter. If the dining room can't handle groups and other guests at the same time, people should be told in advance so they can plan around it. We had booked a superior room facing the beach, but apart from the small terrace, the room and bathroom weren't up to standard. The TV was in a strange position and had no international channels. We found street parking nearby easily, so €22 a day for the private underground garage was surprising. The rooftop pool isn't appealing either, with a long row of buildings and terraces overlooking it.

The rooms were really nice, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The bar and restaurant were great, the indoor garden lovely, and the rooftop pool was a great feature. It's only about 100 meters from the sea, too. But after a shower, walking just over five meters left my feet brownish-grey from the unwashed floor. What a pity. Clean the floors and it'd be close to five stars.

The best part was how friendly and helpful everyone on staff was, and the food was very good with enough variety for most tastes. At Sol Los Fenicios Hotel in La Herradura, the rooms are generously sized, most have balconies, and the attractive hotel sits right across from the beach. There's also a rooftop pool if you prefer swimming, not huge but plenty adequate, with a nice sun terrace around it. One little suggestion: it would be nice to have information in English in reception about the history and attractions nearby.