Kempinski Hotel Bahía

It's like many other five star hotels we've stayed at. Beautiful lobby, attentive staff, lovely gardens. Some elements were excellent and others could do with an update. The good: lovely building with large relaxing lobby. Easy to approach reception with very good staff. The garden and pools are outstanding, especially in the way that there are numerous sun loungers available all over the lawned area with no rows of regimented beds. You can lounge wherever you like and there are always many free loungers available at any time of day. We were told that the hotel was 70% full on our first day and it became busier during our stay but there were always many free loungers available. The pools are all heated and this makes a big difference in comparison to all the five star hotels in the Canaries where it's rare to find a properly heated pool. The location right on the beach with the gardens being open to the beach feels really luxurious and exotic. There's no wall or fence (though there are gates!) and between the hotel garden and the beach there is a public path which forms part of the coastal promenade. The breakfast is also very good with lots of choice. The bad: The hotel location is good for enjoying the hotel itself and the surroundings but there aren't really any other restaurants or facilities close by. There is a beach bar seven minutes walk to the west but everything else is a long way from the hotel. Estepona is a (pleasant) one-hour walk down the promenade and the town has a large selection of shops and restaurants etc. but it is a long walk or a ten minute taxi ride. However, the taxis were good and fairly cheap. Because of the location it's easy to take the easy option of eating at the hotel but the menu is both limited and expensive. 7 Euro for a beer, 16 Euro for a glass (not a jug) of sangria. Burger and chips is 22 Euro. The cheapest bottle of wine is 41 Euro. The Pool Bar, the Spiler Beach Bar and the Black Rose Bar all have the same limited menu and the same prices. The prices in the town are cheaper but not by a lot. Charging so much feels a little insulting in that it isn't really looking after the guests but they know that people will pay after having already payed £5,000 for a one-week holiday in a sea view room. The ugly: although the pool and gardens are huge and beautiful there is only one toilet and it's inside the hotel. If, like us, you take a lounger in the far part of the garden near the sea then you have a long walk any time you want to go to the toilet. The garden is around 500 feet long and the toilets are up and down numerous flights of stairs. Maybe that's why the pools felt so warm...

My recent stay at the Kempinski Bahía was quite disappointing, especially for a hotel that claims to be 5-star. First, the hotel and its facilities are extremely outdated, and a complete renovation is urgently needed. The lack of staffing was also apparent throughout our stay. Requests were not handled promptly due to the shortage of personnel. We arrived at 3 AM, and to our surprise, there was no one to greet us or assist with our luggage—no bellman in sight. Additionally, we had requested a king-size bed, but instead, we found two single beds pushed together, which was quite uncomfortable. At the pool, the service was equally disappointing. Not only was the quality of the pool bar poor, but we had to get up ourselves to retrieve a menu, as no staff approached us to offer one. The cocktails we ordered were subpar, and when we requested towels and mattresses, it took an unreasonable amount of time for them to be delivered. This hotel unfortunately falls short of its 5-star rating. Based on my experience, it does not even meet the standard of a luxury hotel."

Hello For our Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve we have decided to stay in Kempinski Hotel Estepona Hotel is located near interior Estepona highway. Due to this issue while staying in the hotel and its gardens you fell completely isolated and comfortable. It is also easy to drive everywhere. Hotel is a bit old property but maintained in very good condition. It’s a truly 5 star standard. Due to my research in autumn or winter time of the year you will not find anything better with a sea view - especially while traveling with kids . There are two much more luxury hotels - Villa Paderina / Finca Cortesin - but this places are focused on golf players. I’m putting 4 stars instead of 5 stars as to deserve for 5 stars from my side it is a far way :) All in all it is a perfect property at this part of Spain . You have to know that in this part of Spain there is a total lack of properties like in Italy or southern France . No Belmond /Ritz or four seasons