Hotel Fénix Torremolinos - Adults Only Recommended

“Little gem close to the old town”

After reading some of the reviews I was slightly nervous, but worry not excellent hotel… spotlessly clean, big bedrooms and very nice staff. We went room only, really close to the old town where there are so many options, use the lift and exit on the 8th floor … this avoid having walk up the hill.… more

After reading some of the reviews I was slightly nervous, but worry not excellent hotel… spotlessly clean, big bedrooms and very nice staff. We went room only, really close to the old town where there are so many options, use the lift and exit on the 8th floor … this avoid having walk up the hill. Exit at floor 1 and we were so close the beach. We would defo stay here again!

less

“Great food”

Generally a lovely hotel in an excellent location close to the towns nightlife La Nogalera and shopping area. We booked breakfast and evening meal which both had excellent choices and quality esp the starters, tapas ,salads and cheeses, very Spanish and lovely. Our main criticism was the bedroom w… more

Generally a lovely hotel in an excellent location close to the towns nightlife La Nogalera and shopping area. We booked breakfast and evening meal which both had excellent choices and quality esp the starters, tapas ,salads and cheeses, very Spanish and lovely. Our main criticism was the bedroom which for a 10 night stay had no balcony, just a small window by a fire escape and next to no storage space, 3 coat hangers each and a couple of small drawers, we basically lived out of a suitcase. The hotel is clean and the staff are attentive,

less

“Confusing hotel layout with a dated interior, and an odd pool area”

We stayed at the Hotel Fenix earlier in the month on a bed and breakfast basis, and chose it because it was an adults-only hotel. The location was great. Close to the centre of town. All the staff we met were charming although service, especially in the bar on weekend evenings, can be rather slow… more

We stayed at the Hotel Fenix earlier in the month on a bed and breakfast basis, and chose it because it was an adults-only hotel. The location was great. Close to the centre of town. All the staff we met were charming although service, especially in the bar on weekend evenings, can be rather slow. The buffet breakfast was good and has something for everyone. I would have preferred the outside rooftop dining area to be non-smoking, but I am aware that Spanish laws permit this. And, of course, we could have sat indoors if the smokers had really bothered me. Reception can get busy at peak times, so if you need to depart in a hurry, factor in a little extra time. In addition the storage room that is used for the luggage of guests arriving early or departing late, can also get quite full Our room, 201, was spotless and of a decent size. The balcony was a nice surprise, with a pleasant view of the gardens of the apartments opposite. There was a mini-fridge, kettle and tea/coffee making facilities. A note told us that the first tea/coffee was complimentary and then chargeable afterwards. So we bought our own provisions at a local supermarket and just used the kettle and cups. The safe deposit box in the room, and air conditioning were both free of charge to use. The bathroom was a good size, with a decent walk-in shower, hairdryer etc. However the bathroom window opened onto the terrace of an adjoining room. Why do hotel architects do that? It’s really not a great idea. Both towels and bedding were changed several times during our seven night stay. WiFi is problematic. You constantly have to sign in as you move around the hotel, for example from the pool area to your bedroom, or from your bedroom to the restaurant. It got so annoying that we gave up trying to use it. The pool area is small. And to make things worse, there are a number of double bed loungers that take up a lot of real estate, plus a caravan that sells food and drink - although the food is made elsewhere in the hotel and brought to you. The pool is raised, so there are steps to get up to it, and then steps to get down into it. And when anyone swims with any velocity in the pool, a mini-tsunami floods the immediate sun deck area surrounding it. The hotel wraps around three sides of the pool, which means the sundeck is in shadow by mid to late afternoon. Although we did use the pool, it was no where near as often as we normally do. As a side note, the gym beneath the pool area is also small and has limited, old, equipment. So we didn’t bother using that either. My main thoughts about Hotel Fenix is that it’s rather odd. Some may call it quirky, but I found it frustrating. Admittedly we did speak to guests who stay there regularly, and love it. But I found reception dark and uninviting. Plus being built on the side of a cliff means the corridors on the lower floors are extremely dark too. Then there are things like a lift that doesn’t go to every floor, external stairs from one roof terrace to another that are permanently blocked off, and a peculiar lounge that only appears to be used for musical events. My advice to Palm Experience Hotels would be to knock the hotel down and start again. Add a glass atrium at the rear with glass elevators, to enable natural light to flood into all parts of the hotel, in a similar way to IHG’s Shanghai Wonderland. With careful thought and a major redesign Hotel Fenix could be spectacular.

less