Kempinski Hotel Bahía

This was an exceptional holiday, from beginning to end, and we would return in a heartbeat! Every year, we plan a family holiday to celebrate a special occasion - this time it was for my 40th birthday. The hotel organised everything seamlessly. Starting with Victoria in Reservations who responded quickly and helpfully to all of our booking requests, which meant we were confident that our rooms were going to be great and that we were getting a reasonable price for our stay. She handed over to the one and only Bianca. There are not enough words on a page to describe what a gem Bianca is. She wrote in detail in advance to understand our needs and generously organised a fantastic birthday treat on arrival. To meet her is to meet the sun personified. From everything to excursions to restaurant recommendations, Bianca was always available with helpful and practical advice, lists of local restaurants, ideas for visits (Gibraltar is a must do day trip!). To say goodbye to her felt like saying farewell to a family member. In Baltazar, Youssef provided us with outstanding service with a perfect touch of humour (when you're travelling with 4 kids, that is much needed!) and excellent beverage recommendations. At the front desk, Olaf was super responsive, especially when we had to order taxis at the last minute to get to the airport, as we couldn't secure an Uber for our party size (unusual - generally Ubers were great there). And let us not forget the "best kids' club in the world" (the children's quote). With joy and laughter, the staff greeted the children every day and entertained them with activities, art, dancing, climbing (there is an indoor climbing wall!), Halloween crafts (leave room in your suitcase for the many creations that need to be transported back) and so on. As parents, we were very grateful to know that our children were well taken care of so that we could use the lovely facilities (pool, steam, spa) or just relax on a sun lounger. Speaking of the spa, Miriam is super responsive over email and will find you exactly the right treatment that you are looking for on holiday. What more is there to say? Book this gem now for your family break!

A beautiful resort that feels like you are in the Caribbean rather than Europe. The grounds are so well kept and the pool area is great. Lots of chairs. Need a car as you can’t walk to any towns from the hotel but it was a great location with comfortable beds and large bathrooms. A little dated but very comfortable. The gym had everything you need to stay committed to your fitness too!

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...