- Costa del Sol Holidays
- Benalmadena
- Hotel Palmasol
1/59
View 59 Photos
Hotel Palmasol
Spain, Europe
Benalmadena
Enjoying a delightful position in front of Puerto Marina and just 250 metres from the wide sandy beach and a stone's throw from the attractive centre of Benalmadena, the Hotel Palmasol is surrounded by beautiful gardens and offers guests an all-inclusive package with a wealth of guest facilities.
Rooms at Hotel Parasol:
Comfortable air-conditioned rooms all have balcony (except Single Rooms) are ensuite/heated and facilities include hairdryer, telephone and flat screen TV. Minibar and safe are available at a fee. Junior Suites are available at a supplement.
Facilities
- Swimming pool
- Indoor pool (open during February till May)
- Children pool
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Pool Bar (open May to September)
- Jacuzzi
- Solarium with sunbeds and parasols
- Gym
- Sauna.
Room Types
The Local Area
Enjoying a delightful position in front of Puerto Marina and just 250 metres from the wide sandy beach and a stone's throw from the attractive centre of Benalmadena, the Hotel Palmasol is surrounded by beautiful gardens and offers guests an all-inclusive package with a wealth of guest facilities
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.0 Very Good1,593 reviews
Excellent
38%
Very Good
27%
Average
20%
Poor
9%
Terrible
6%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
very good location for a stay here
great location, fantastic food ( we went half board ) and not really anything to complain about, would deffo return, if anyone is going, ask for at least a pool view and the basic view will be of the building directly behind so sitting on the balcony wont be the best
Great Location, Friendly Staff and a Relaxing Stay
Overall Experience My partner and I stayed at Hotel Palmasol for 11 nights on an all-inclusive basis during the first two weeks of October. Overall, we had a very enjoyable stay. The hotel was clean, well run, and offered good value for money, with friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere throughout.
Location The location is one of the hotel's biggest strengths. It's only around a 5-minute walk from Puerto Marina and close to the main road, making it easy to catch buses to Málaga and Marbella. There are also plenty of bars, restaurants, and shops within a 5 to 10-minute walk.
The hotel is situated on a slight hill, which may be worth considering for guests with mobility or walking difficulties. During our stay, most guests were European holidaymakers, including British, Spanish, Dutch, French and Italian visitors. The atmosphere was generally calm, with many retired guests alongside some younger couples and families.
Rooms & Accommodation The room was a good size, clean, and well maintained throughout our stay. Housekeeping did an excellent job every day and were always friendly and efficient.
We appreciated some thoughtful touches such as the ironing board and replenished tea supplies, which made the stay more comfortable. The bathroom was on the smaller side, but it had everything needed and the water pressure was consistently good.
We suggest that daily water should be provided as part of the room service - especially if you’re on all-inclusive.
Reception, Lobby & Mambo Bar The reception, lobby, and Mambo Bar were modern, clean, and welcoming. The hotel layout made everything easy to access.
The two lifts were small but generally efficient. During busier periods, additional or larger lifts would be beneficial. The bar service was excellent. Although all-inclusive guests are limited to two drinks per visit, this kept queues moving quickly. The bar staff worked hard and were always friendly. The drinks selection was decent, although a slightly wider choice for all-inclusive guests would improve the experience further.
Restaurant As a city hotel, the restaurant is relatively compact and the food selection is not as extensive as some larger resorts. However, the quality and consistency of the food were good throughout our stay.
There was always enough food available, and items were replenished quickly when needed. The atmosphere remained pleasant even during busier periods. A few improvements could be made:
• More fruit options during evening meals. • Availability of porridge at breakfast. • A review of breakfast service times.
One frustration was the breakfast closure between 07:30 and 08:00. Guests wanting breakfast before 07:30 need to notify reception the night before and are limited to a cold breakfast option. Aside from this, the dining experience was generally very good.
Snack Bar (Chuzo) The snack bar was convenient, but the food selection was quite limited and repetitive. While some items were enjoyable, many felt fairly basic. This is an area where the hotel could make a noticeable improvement by offering more variety and, importantly, better-quality coffee.
Pool Area The pool was a reasonable size and never felt overcrowded during our October stay. There were plenty of sunbeds available.
One thing to be aware of is that the sun only reaches certain areas of the poolside at different times of the day, so choosing the right sunbed is important if you're looking to maximise your time in the sun.
The pool could benefit from slightly more frequent cleaning, as there were occasional flies and wasps in the water. We would also recommend bringing insect repellent, as there were a fair number of flies around during our visit.
Gym The gym was adequate for basic workouts and offered plenty of cardio equipment. However, guests who regularly do weight training may find the equipment quite limited. A modest upgrade to the resistance and free-weight equipment would significantly improve the facility without requiring a major refurbishment.
Entertainment The entertainment team worked incredibly hard and did a great job creating a fun atmosphere. They maintained good energy levels throughout the day and evening and helped contribute to the welcoming feel of the hotel.
Staff The staff were one of the highlights of our stay. From reception and housekeeping to the restaurant, pool and bar teams, everyone was friendly, professional and hardworking. The hotel clearly benefits from staff who work well together, and their efforts made our holiday smooth and enjoyable. A sincere thank you to all of them.
Pros
- Excellent location near Puerto Marina
- Clean and well-maintained throughout
- Friendly and hardworking staff
- Good-sized rooms
- Good quality food overall
- Relaxed and quiet atmosphere
- Efficient bar service
Cons
- Limited and repetitive snack bar menu
- Coffee quality could be improved for all-inclusive guests
- More accessible water should be provided
- Breakfast service times could be more convenient
- Small lifts during busy periods
- Basic gym for regular weight trainers
Conclusion: Hotel Palmasol is a clean, comfortable hotel in a fantastic location with excellent staff and good overall service. While there are a few areas that could be improved, particularly the snack bar, coffee quality and breakfast arrangements, we would happily recommend it to couples looking for a relaxed affordable stay in Benalmádena close to Puerto Marina.
Review by Walid A Essex, United Kingdom
A hidden gem
We’ve just come back from a lovely week‘s stay at The Palmasol.
This is a medium sized hotel in a great location. Our room was kept spotlessly clean as were all the public areas of the hotel. The food was varied and very good and always served at the right temperature. We can honestly say we didn’t have one bad meal during our stay.
All the staff are very friendly. Special mention for Alejandra in the restaurant. She was lovely and worked very hard but always had time for a friendly quick chat. Also our cleaner. She was excellent and was also very friendly. Unfortunately we didn’t get her name but we stayed in room 422 from
12th-19th October.
We were overlooking the construction works but they didn’t bother us at all. There was some noise but we weren’t in our room for most of the day. Anyway, the works are completely outside the control of the hotel.
Our only slight complaint was that we booked an early breakfast at 7 am on our last day which we felt was slightly rushed as we were told at 7.25 that we had two minutes left.. We didn’t realise there was a time limit of 30 minutes.
This was our first stay at The Palmasol but it won’t be the last. Highly recommended.
Review by Anne K Gretna, United Kingdom
Dark and dingy!
Good location for restaurants and pubs Comfortable beds Housekeeping service excellent. Air conditioning is good.
Our room was OK but we heard some horror stories of tiny rooms. One wardrobe with 2 tiny drawers inside for storage, and 1 tiny shelf in the bathroom. Tea & coffee making facilities with no spoons! Choice and quality of food is awful. Bland and luke warm. We have used the restaurant twice being on half board but that is it. My chicken wasn't cooked through which was a serious turn off and guest were using the microwave! Bar service extremely slow. The hotel could have beautiful views if the trees and bushes weren't so huge which results in the majority of rooms billed as pool/garden having zero views. It's miserable and dark at the snack area with dirty furniture and leaves everywhere. Pool opens at 10am and people queue from 09.30 to grab a bed in the sun. Only half of the pool has sun throughout the day due to the overgrown bushes, and the sunloungers need a good clean. There's a scum line around the tiles of the pool and a film of oil on the surface of the water. Sunloungers on the grass but we got bitten alive by mosquitos
Would I come back NO Would I recommend NO This is pushing a 3* at best and needs a lot of TLC
Review by J D Durham, United Kingdom
3 Star. Rooms let it down.
Good location which is literally on the Port. Clean and spacious foyer. Pleasant friendly staff. Room had a bath with a shower over it which was not very comfortable or nice. The bathroom was dated and a bit dirty. Lovely comfortable beds. The room was very small. Clean pool and garden area. Super breakfast with everything you could want.
Review by Nicko231070 Cleckheaton, United Kingdom
