HG Maribel

The room had a cigarette and some rubbish left on the balcony throughout our three-day stay. Bathroom amenities also felt quite ordinary for a hotel at this level and price. The spa is small but pleasant; the outdoor jacuzzi was much colder than the pool, and there was nowhere indoors to stretch out on a lounger. We booked this as a Christmas treat and had a lovely stay in many ways, though some things need work. The rooms look gorgeous, with plenty of drinks, cakes, and snacks included, the beds are comfortable, and the decor is great. We also enjoyed the warm outdoor pool, good cocktails, and bedroom views. Being able to ski to and from the hotel was great, though it could be tricky for beginners. Reception, the valet, and taxi staff were amazing: always polite, quick to respond to our WhatsApp messages, and happy to help with our very large case. The ski hire team were friendly and helpful too. One staff member often working at breakfast was especially lovely and helpful. The restaurant service didn’t come close to that standard. It was very slow, mistakes were made with food orders, and delays didn’t seem to concern the staff much. Even when the restaurant was nearly empty, we sometimes had to go to the bar to order drinks. On Christmas evening, we ordered two steaks with béarnaise sauce. One steak and the mashed potatoes arrived very cold, so we sent them back. Fifteen minutes later they returned, and the steak seemed to have been reheated in the oven. It was well done despite our asking for rare. They brought red wine jus and called it béarnaise. We sent that back, then waited another ten minutes and it never arrived. My husband had finished his meal long before. They didn’t say how long the wait would be and only seemed sorry when we said we wanted to leave. Room service arrived quickly, but the pizza was expensive and poor quality for a hotel of this standard.

Even with our large corporate group, the Maribel team looked after every client so well. They arranged what felt like practically unlimited shuttles around the city, and we could ski straight from the hotel. The whole experience was wonderful. I’ve stayed in plenty of amazing hotels, but Maribel’s service and attention to detail really blew me away. Thanks to the team for pampering us so well!

We came with our family over the Christmas holidays. Since we visit Marbella regularly and often stay at Marbella Club Hotel, which belongs to the same group, we expected a similar level of service. That wasn’t our experience at all. The hotel is in a good location, but the service felt like three-star quality at a five-star price, so it simply wasn’t worth the cost. At lunch and dinner the restaurant was unacceptably slow, and the menu was uninspired. The food was average at best, which was especially surprising in Spain, where good cuisine is the norm. The staff seemed disorganized and poorly managed. At one point, our food sat on a tray behind our table for more than ten minutes, so I had to serve our table myself.

Our Christmas dinner was ruined for the whole family. I can’t recommend this place, especially for families, until management sorts out the confusion and trains the staff properly. If rules can change from one day to the next, guests need to know before they book, not after they’ve planned a holiday around it. My family and I ate at Maribel at 5 pm on December 24th with our teacup chihuahua. Nobody objected. The staff welcomed us and service went ahead as usual. So we booked Christmas dinner for the whole family on December 25th, only to be told then that dogs weren’t allowed. That was unacceptable. The dog was allowed one day and barred the next, with no warning or explanation. The hotel itself is dog-friendly, but the restaurant took our booking without telling us about the restriction and changed the rules at the door. This wasn’t a misunderstanding. It was disinformation, arrogance, and a complete lack of professionalism. Calling it a “policy” doesn’t excuse that inconsistency; it shows incompetence.