La Fonda Hotel

The breakfast was only okay. The coffee came from a large machine with no espresso, and at busy times there weren't enough staff, so plates and bread ran out. Tables were also left covered with old plates and glasses, sometimes 10-20 or more. Although the hotel, restaurant, reception and spa were well kept and looked good, the hotel was doing major maintenance while guests were staying there. There was daytime noise, and public areas were cluttered with tiles, bathtubs and paint supplies. The spa itself was very nice. We booked a classic room through booking.com for two nights, 10.05-12.05. The room shown in the listing wasn't comparable to most of the rooms. Classic rooms face a high patio, and two or three on each floor are right by the elevators. There was almost no natural light, and we couldn't open the curtains without people passing by every minute. Rooms like 108, 109, 208 and 209 felt like prison rooms with modern furniture. The bathroom was partly very rusty (see picture). When we asked about switching to another room in the same category, the receptionist already knew about the issue. I felt the hotel was misleading guests, and the booking process should show the actual rooms. This was probably the worst hotel stay I've had in more than 100 stays. I'd never return, and it was my worst stay in Spain.

The views were stunning, some of the best in Benalmadena, and the spa was relaxing and well kept. Our room was beautiful and comfortable too. We had an amazing time at Hotel La Fonda, a lovely place to relax and enjoy the area. We'd definitely come back.

The view and interior at La Fonda restaurant were beautiful, but the meal was a letdown. We waited 30 minutes before anyone came to take our order, then another hour for the paella. They brought catering bread and bitter olives while we waited, and I had to ask for olive oil because the bread was boring. The chicken and seafood paella with tomato sauce was overcooked and completely dry. We asked for extra sauce to make it less dry, but what arrived was lukewarm and tasted strange. We'd planned to have coffee and dessert, then gave up and left. It was extremely noisy in there, probably because of the acoustics, and seems like a stressful place to work.

The room and spa were nice, but the service left a bad impression. Breakfast staff were chatting among themselves, and I couldn't get an omelette, so eventually I gave up. While it was raining, I was told to move the car into the parking area, then charged 10 euros for it the next morning. Nobody mentioned that street parking was free. When I asked about that, the receptionist just shrugged, so it felt a bit scammy.