Vive Costa Azul

I spent three weeks here and soon felt at home, thanks to how warm and welcoming the staff were. I fell for the hotel and the village, which has a lovely authentic feel. The hotel is in a charming, picturesque little village, around 100 meters from the local train station, and close to several other beautiful spots along the Costa del Sol, so it’s easy to explore the area. The breakfast buffet was tasty and filling, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The rooms and common areas are tastefully decorated, making the place feel pleasant and welcoming. There was some nighttime noise from a nearby room. The staff did their best to help sort it out, and I appreciated that. Better sound insulation between rooms would be a welcome improvement. I’m looking forward to a longer stay soon and am curious to see what updates they make for next season.

A good budget hotel, with a comfortable bed and decent A/C. Having the train station right outside made it really easy to get here from Malaga airport. Breakfast did the job.

After we checked out, we left our bags at reception. When we came back a few hours later, we were told every room had to pay an immediate €100 fine, €400 in total, over alleged ‘illegal substances’, ‘proof of smoking inside the rooms’ and rooms supposedly being ‘too unhygienic to clean’. They couldn’t show or explain any proof. None of us smoke or used ‘illegal substances’, and it felt awful to be accused and fined like that. We stayed almost a week, but our rooms were never cleaned. We had to buy our own towels and toilet rolls because they gave us only two of each for a room of three. We cleaned as much as we could, even walking 15 minutes to the nearest bottle bank and bins. Being fined after cleaning our own rooms is ridiculous. There were other problems too. We booked with breakfast included and paid for it, but were told it wasn’t included. The poolside bar was closed, which was extremely disappointing. One friend’s door was coming right out of its frame, and another friend had ceiling tiles falling off in the kitchen. Our keycards also stopped working repeatedly, so we had to replace them almost several times a day. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

The rooms were spacious and clean, and the location was perfect. Breakfast was good, though it’s self service. One guest kept putting her bread on the toaster first even after I repeatedly explained that I have celiac disease and need my bread kept separate. The staff were amazing, if a little overworked, which seems to be the norm now. If you visit, please go to Mijas. Benalmádena Pueblo.