Charan Singh
Great holiday at this location.
The staff are professional, polite and happy. The rooms are tidy, modern and clean.
As we were all-inclusive, there was a variety of choices, though we would have liked more vegetarian options as well. It was handy to have table- tennis and mini golf within the complex. The beach was good.
Will definitely go back again in the summer.
Paul Grubb
Benalma Hotel, Costa del Sol – Honest Review
We stayed at the 4-star Benalma Hotel on Spain’s Costa del Sol for eight nights in mid-October on an all-inclusive package.
Getting There
We flew from Leeds Bradford to Malaga with Jet2, and after a smooth transfer, we arrived at the hotel around 9 p.m. Reception was efficient, and we were pleased to find the main restaurant still open, allowing us to grab a meal after our journey.
The Hotel & Room
The Benalma is set on a small cliff by the beach, with over 300 rooms. The main reception is on the 8th floor, giving great sea views. The hotel has recently been updated, and both the rooms and public areas feel refreshed.
Our grand sea-view room on the 10th floor was spacious, clean, and well-equipped with air conditioning, a TV, a fridge, safe, and multiple USB charging ports. The balcony view was excellent, and the bathroom had both a shower and a bath, with good water pressure and temperature.
Dining
The hotel offers three dining options:
• Main buffet restaurant – A good variety of food with themed nights (Spanish, Chinese, Italian). Service was excellent, and staff like Katie, our waitress, remembered our drinks order each evening.
• Beachside restaurant – Located by the adults-only pool. Some dishes carried an extra charge, which was disappointing.
• B-Thai restaurant – Closed during our visit due to low season.
Overall, the buffet restaurant was the best choice, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and panoramic sea views.
Bars & Drinks
The hotel has five bars, including:
• Lobby bar – Great for sunset drinks.
• 12th-floor rooftop bar – Amazing views day and night, but not included in the all-inclusive package.
• Pool bars – One at the family pool, another at the adults-only pool.
The all-inclusive drink selection was decent, with good beer and red wine, though the cocktails were underwhelming.
Entertainment & Activities
Evening entertainment included live singers, with an Elvis tribute night being a standout. The animation team ran activities like quizzes, pool fitness, and mini-golf. Alessandro and Antonio made the experience enjoyable.
Pools & Facilities
• Family pool – Large, with a paddling pool, jacuzzi, and slides.
• Adults-only pool – Smaller, a bit cramped, with rentable cabana beds.
• Playa Bonita Beach – Right next to the hotel. The sea was chilly in October, but still enjoyable.
There’s also a small gym, a spa, and vending machines for essentials, though no on-site shop.
Location & Exploring
• 30-minute walk to main attractions in either direction.
• Train station (Torremuelle) is 10 minutes away – Easy access to Fuengirola and Malaga.
• Bus stop outside the hotel – Direct route to Benalmádena town centre.
• Benalmádena Marina, the Old Town, and Calamorro Mountain are worth visiting.
• Gibraltar day trip – A two-hour drive but a great experience.
Final Thoughts
The Benalma Hotel offers comfortable rooms, good food, and a beachfront location. While some outdoor areas could use an update, the hotel is clean and well-maintained. The staff are a real highlight, making guests feel welcome.
To see our full review and video tour, search “Benalma Hotel Cledwyn on Tour" on YouTube.
Danila Cabral
We had high expectations for a four-star hotel in the south of Spain, but unfortunately, our experience was far from what we anticipated. Upon arrival, our room was not clean—the floor was dusty, and despite repeatedly flagging this to the hotel staff, it remained uncleaned for the entire three nights of our stay. They just change towels, but not cleaned at all the room. The staff assured us the room would be cleaned, but this never happened.
We also paid extra for sea view, but happens that all the rooms have sea view, so if you want to stay there, don't pay extra for that service.
Additionally, the "adults-only" pool felt like it was caged in, which was far from relaxing. And the private beach in front of the hotel wasn't part of the package, which was a huge letdown given the location.
For the price this hotel charges, the quality and service were severely lacking. I wouldn’t recommend it if you're expecting the standards of a true four-star hotel.
Richard Spence
Lovely hotel right on the sea front, the hotel is absolutely spotless & really nice and opulent. The location is a bit out of the main stretch, about a 40 minute walk if you want a nice stroll or just hop on the 103 bus outside & it takes you there in 10 minutes for 1.55Euro. The sea view room was fantastic, really spacious & a great view from the balcony. Food in the restaurant was great, a good choice for everyone & everything nicely cooked. Would most definitely return as we had a great time.
JI min
Horrible horrible experience. I had to wait 1 hour. and 20 minutes to do the check in because there were like 100 people from a bus and only 3 receptionits. They said there was nothing they could do, but that only speaks poorly of them. As a hotel can you not see that you have 100 reservations and only 3 receptionits? If they had only 1 receptionist for the people who didn’t come from the bus I would’t have missed my dinner reservation. Absolutely horrible, they really ruined my night.