Catalonia Molina Lario

We enjoyed our stay at the hotel. The location was superb, and the room was comfortable and clean. The staff was extremely friendly, and we felt very welcomed throughout our stay. However, I would have preferred a larger closet, as there was only a small one for the three of us staying in a triple room.
The breakfast could definitely be improved with a greater variety of food options. We stayed for seven nights, and the breakfast selection was exactly the same every day; a four-star hotel should offer a much better and more varied experience.
The rooftop pool was quite small and included a bar area, so we did not end up using it.

The hotel was perfectly located close to the Cathedral. It had a nice feel and was well appointed. Room 701 was spacious and better than expected for the rate we were paying. However, we realised in the middle of the night the air conditioning wasn’t working properly (as mentioned on other reviews) and the room was at an unbearable temperature of 23.5 degrees. The mattress was broken on one of the sides so my husband kept on sinking going to the side, we didn’t sleep well and were too tired to call reception so late at night.
The swimming pool area was nice and had great potential but lacked attention to detail and supervision. The staff was friendly but it was clear there was not a senior person taking ownership of the space. The singer Dani Marquez was excellent, we weren’t expecting live music so it was a real treat to see him perform whilst enjoying the views.
The receptionist on check out was efficient but didn’t ask if we had enjoyed our stay perhaps she was aware of the air conditioning issue and was avoiding dealing with a complaint.
We didn’t have breakfast, €24 per person was far too much for Spain considering the better value options nearby.

We stayed 1 week in this hotel. Great location, 5 minutes away from the Cathedral and 10 minutes walk from Alcazaba, Picasso museum. So close to Malaga port. All the attractions are do close. Shopping centre, so many restaurants and plenty to choose. We watched Fleminco show near port. We walked everywhere. Because of it's location we really enjoyed our holiday. Rooms are very nice, bed was comfortable, bathrooms were clean. Service was good. Food in the restaurant was good. We enjoyed views from the roof top bar.

⭐⭐⭐☆☆

We stayed here for one week and, although the location is excellent, our overall experience was disappointing for a hotel advertised as four stars.

Check-in felt quite basic. We were told the breakfast and rooftop bar opening hours, but nobody explained where the breakfast room was until we asked. We also weren’t introduced to any of the hotel’s facilities or services, which made the welcome feel rather impersonal.

The service at reception was inconsistent throughout our stay. Some staff members greeted us warmly, while others completely ignored us when we entered or left the hotel. Nobody ever asked whether everything was going well or if we needed anything during our stay, which isn’t what we expected from a 4-star hotel.

The room was comfortable enough and the bed was very comfortable, but there were several maintenance issues that gave the impression of poor attention to detail. The shower seal was loose, causing water to leak onto the bathroom floor, the bathroom extractor fan didn’t work, the toilet roll holder was loose, there were no clothes hangers in the wardrobe, and the bathroom sink didn’t drain or flush residue away properly, often leaving toothpaste and small food particles behind. We had to manually rinse the basin several times with our hands to wash everything away.

Housekeeping was also inconsistent. Although the bed was always made, other areas were often overlooked. A plaster we had accidentally left on the floor remained there after the room had been serviced, crumbs on the bedside table weren’t cleaned away, and the area around the bathroom sink wasn’t always properly cleaned.

The lifts were also surprisingly slow throughout our stay. One of them was temporarily out of service before being repaired, and even when working they took a long time to arrive. We also noticed that the door sensors didn’t always detect people entering properly. On one occasion, the doors almost closed on my boyfriend before reopening.

We appreciated the complimentary bottle of water on arrival, but once it had been used it wasn’t replaced during the rest of our stay.

The rooftop pool looked much larger in the photos than it actually is. We also noticed litter floating in the water, there were no sun umbrellas around the loungers, and the service at the rooftop bar wasn’t particularly friendly despite the complimentary welcome drink.

Breakfast was probably the biggest disappointment. The selection changed very little from day to day, the pancakes were often overcooked and very hard, and we only discovered by chance that freshly prepared breakfast items and barista-made coffee were available because nobody ever informed us.

The breakfast staff were generally not very welcoming. During our week-long stay we were repeatedly asked to confirm both our room number and our name, even after seeing us every morning. On one occasion, after giving both correctly, we were told that our details didn’t match and another guest’s name was mentioned instead. It turned out to be a mistake, but no apology was offered. No one ever came to our table to ask whether everything was okay while clearing plates, and overall we never felt particularly welcomed or looked after.

One final point that made us uncomfortable was that one member of staff in the lobby repeatedly stared at me whenever we walked through reception. Both me and my boyfriend noticed it, and it didn’t feel professional or welcoming.

The hotel’s biggest strengths are definitely its central location and the comfortable bed. However, the inconsistent customer service, housekeeping, maintenance issues and lack of attention to detail made it feel much closer to a 3-star experience than a 4-star one.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t choose to stay here again. While the location is excellent, I believe there are better hotels in Málaga offering much better service and better overall value for a similar price.

The good
Location: unbeatable.
Rooftop bar: brilliant (especially when there’s live music).
Pool: small, but great for cooling down under the hot Madrid sun.
Price: (£131 for a Sunday, via Expedia for late May) represented excellent value for money.
The bad
A/C: wasn’t up to the job and the lowest we could get the room was 22.5 (warmer in the bathroom). Bed: sagging on one side.