Tryp Guadalmar

We have just arrived back home from Malaga today and I had to come on and give this review. It is honestly one of the best hotels I have ever stayed at and I have stayed at many hotels. From the moment we arrived the staff couldn't be more helpful, the check in staff were so helpful and pleasant no matter what we asked of them and ordering taxis at night. We participated in Aquadance with Ivan and actually had the best fun. He is so entertaining and knows how to get the participating group going. The cleaning staff were always cleaning around the hotel..(smells so nice) it is honestly the cleanest hotel I've ever stayed in.. the restaurant /bar staff were also so pleasant. The pool area is lovely, plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas. We had the a room with 2 double beds and they were spotlessly clean. Location wise, we loved it as it was nice and quiet and there is a beach literally across the walkway at the back of the hotel. Unfortunately there wasn't a shop close by but the hotel has lots of vending machine for drinks and snacks. The breakfast which was included was absolutely amazing . There was so much choice from hot food to pastries, bread , fruits, cereals and much much more..It is only 10 mins from the airport and about 12/ 15 mins from Malaga city which is an absolute must to visit. Overall cannot recommended this hotel enough and we will definitely be back.

I would personally recommend avoiding this hotel, especially if you plan to explore the area during your holiday. The biggest problem is the location. The hotel is extremely secluded. There isn't even a single independent shop immediately outside the hotel. The nearby restaurants are connected to the hotel/resort area, and there are no bars or much else within easy reach. Public transport is also poor. Buses appear to run roughly once an hour, although we never attempted to use them because of the limited service. This leaves you heavily dependent on taxis, which are extremely expensive. We paid roughly €50 between the airport and the hotel, and getting to the city centre costs around €30. If you want to explore regularly, a significant part of your holiday budget ends up going towards taxis. For a hotel charging over €300 per night during our stay, the standard was disappointing. Even basic necessities were an issue. Water is provided through a vending machine system, and basic toiletries such as a toothbrush and toothpaste were not provided in the room unless requested from reception. The room itself was extremely basic and did not feel like the standard I would expect from a four-star hotel at this price. There was a lot of dust underneath the bed, parts of the bathroom shelving were broken, and several things around the room appeared poorly maintained. Breakfast was average at best. The eggs had an unpleasant smell and did not seem fresh to us. The croissants and other pastries were basic and lacked taste. There was nothing about the breakfast that reflected the premium price of the hotel. Some of the pools and facilities were also not operating during our stay, and construction work was still taking place. The building itself feels dated, and overall there was little that made the property feel special or worth the price. The location remains the biggest issue. When you're paying more than €300 per night, you expect convenience, good facilities, proper maintenance and a premium level of service. Instead, we found ourselves spending even more money simply getting away from the hotel and travelling to places we wanted to visit. If your plan is to stay inside the resort for your entire holiday, the secluded location might suit you. If you want to explore, eat at independent restaurants, visit the city or experience the surrounding area, I would strongly recommend staying somewhere more central. For the price we paid, the overall experience simply wasn't worth it.

We had such an amazing stay at Meliá Sol Guadalmar. We really enjoyed our time there, from the location, right in front of the beach, to the atmosphere and, especially, the people. Everyone was so nice and welcoming, and the customer service was amazing throughout our stay. We really enjoyed the activities at the hotel too. Hugo, Cristina, Andrea and Iván were all lovely and made the activities even more enjoyable. Celia at the front desk was also really friendly and helpful, and we always enjoyed chatting with her whenever we saw her. A special mention to Elena, who was amazing throughout our stay. She helped me organise a surprise for my friend, gave us some great tips for Málaga city centre and was always lovely whenever we saw her afterwards. We really appreciated everything she did for us. I’m sorry I can’t remember everyone’s names, but everyone we met was genuinely very nice and welcoming. We had a great stay and would definitely come back.

What we liked: * Great location, close to both the airport and the beach. * The lobby, pool area, and restaurant are beautiful, modern, and have a lovely resort atmosphere. * We really enjoyed the evening entertainment for both children and adults. The kids’ disco, acrobatic show, and magic show were especially enjoyable. * The staff were cheerful, friendly, and welcoming. What could be improved: * The rooms feel a little dated, especially the bathroom, which could have been cleaned more thoroughly. * When we arrived, both the hand soap and body wash dispensers were empty. We informed reception right away, but only the hand soap was refilled. It sometimes felt like communication between the staff could be improved. * Our biggest disappointment was the cleanliness of the plates in the restaurant. At both breakfast and dinner, many of the stacked plates still had visible food residue, and sometimes even sauce left on them. We noticed the same issue with the coffee cups. Unfortunately, this really affected our enjoyment of the meals. * The breakfast buffet was good, but we felt the dinner buffet could offer a little more variety.