El Fuerte Marbella

A very pleasant experience in the hotel, from start to finish—lovely room, and well appointed— Lovely breakfast area, and great selection of items for breakfast— Plenty of sun beds around the pool area— Very pleasant and helpful staff throughout the hotel— We didn’t need anything else—

El Fuerte Rank: 5 StarMatch: Above. Location: Perfectly wedged between the "old town" & beach. Great Bits: Staff, property, room (great design), breakfast (one of the best in the world). Good Bits: Location, pools, beach. Bad Bits: Tough to get sunbed.

This is a lovely hotel , but not 5 star , I have been here twice, the balcony is so small you can’t sit on it if u r more than 6 foot,chairs in the room tiny also. Breakfast bar amazing but lunch and roof top pool service is just dreadful , 40 to 50 minutes to get a drink!!!njoyed our holiday but we won’t go back

Lovely hotel right by the sea in the centre of Marbella. We had booked a Junior Suite with sea view and were disappointed to be placed on the first floor. As a Centurion member, we had expected a better room, but instead had a partial view over a rooftop rather than the sea and pool. The terrace included a jacuzzi, which was a nice touch. The room was clean and well-equipped – although the bed wasn’t very comfortable and could use improvement. The minibar was poorly maintained, with items missing almost every day. A small but irritating detail that shouldn’t happen at this level. The hotel is attractively designed, with friendly and welcoming staff. Breakfast was extensive, and access to the VIP Lounge with drinks and snacks throughout the day was a plus. However, the pool area is overcrowded and poorly managed. Sunbeds are tightly packed with no real privacy, and what’s worse: guests are allowed to claim front-row daybeds early in the morning and then disappear for hours. Staff do not remove unattended towels until 11:30 AM, meaning if you actually want to relax poolside early in the day, you’re out of luck. To their credit, the pool attendant tried to help find a spot, but it’s frustrating and poorly handled for a hotel of this category. We also had dinner at The Edge by Paco Pérez, which was a major disappointment. The food was bland and uninspired, not at all what you'd expect from a Michelin-starred name. To make matters worse, service at the rooftop bar afterwards was also subpar, further adding to the letdown. Overall, while the location is excellent and some services are solid, the hotel simply doesn’t meet the standard of a true five-star experience. It's probably better suited to older guests – the general vibe and crowd reflect that – rather than younger couples or families.