Soho Boutique Castillo De Santa Catalina

“Blissful grown up getaway. Well worth the cash.”

Wonderfully relaxing, stylish and superbly comfortable. Top notch getaway and highly recommend. We have just spent two nights at Santa Catalina and wished it could have been longer. We stayed in room 302, right at the top of one of the towers. The room was spacious, well appointed (2 x USBs ei... more

Wonderfully relaxing, stylish and superbly comfortable. Top notch getaway and highly recommend. We have just spent two nights at Santa Catalina and wished it could have been longer. We stayed in room 302, right at the top of one of the towers. The room was spacious, well appointed (2 x USBs either side of bed, hair dryer, coffee machine, kettle, shower gels shampoo & conditioner, toothbrush & mini toothpaste, safe, well stocked mini bar, lovely towels, separate bath, shower, 2 sinks, WC & bidet ) Our room looked out over the hills and sea and had doors out onto a huge shared terrace. The view from the loo was wonderful too! I saw other reviewers have mentioned how comfortable the beds are - I am a self confessed ‘princess and the pea’ and have opted to sleep on hotel floors rather than the beds in the past. Oh. My. GOD. It was the most comfortable fluffy cocooning cloud of heavenliness ever - not too hard, not too soft. With wonderful linens, soft comfortable pillows and a lovely downy duvet. The air con is good and quiet and the water pressure was on point. The staff were so friendly and welcoming. We felt relaxed immediately and even though we arrived early (10am) and were not able to check in until 3pm, we were fed and well looked after. Monty Don would describe the main courtyard as a top notch paradise garden and I would concur! Elegant, tranquil, comfortable and a handful of fairly tame sparrows on crumb pick up duty (from the great array of pastries and breads) as well as a little tuxie cat (who did not succumb to my charms and was suitably aloof with everyone. Several pairs of chattering parakeets nesting in the hills below made us smile repeatedly. The food is superb. I think breakfast alone is enough to satisfy the 30 a week plants rule. The lunch and dinner menu did not change during our stay so after a delicious dinner at the hotel on our first night we went down to the seafront for dinner on the second night. The pool is a great focal point though jolly cold. I couldn’t spot a heater and most people dipped a toe in rather than bathed bare one very brave chap!! There were lots of Spanish guests and locals who had clearly booked tables for special occasions and family get togethers - I don’t think there is much greater compliment really is there? In terms of staying in Malaga itself we found a basic grasp of Spanish was pretty essential. You couldn’t guarantee the spectacular multi-lingual capabilities you often see around Europe - though all hotel staff were pretty impressive to be honest - it was mostly people in the town/taxi drivers etc. We wished we could have stayed for longer but I’m sure we will be back. It was super easy to fly from Bristol 2hr40 and the weather was superb - a balmy 20-24°C throughout in early April. 20 min taxi ride from airport set us back €29. We were very pleased we didn’t bother with car hire.

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“Balm for the soul in Southern Spain!”

This has been one of the best holidays we have ever had! The ambience of the hotel is sensational...partly built around an old Moorish style Fort, the developers have created an oasis of calm, with alfresco dining to the fore. From the hilltop location there are extensive views to the nearby coas... more

This has been one of the best holidays we have ever had! The ambience of the hotel is sensational...partly built around an old Moorish style Fort, the developers have created an oasis of calm, with alfresco dining to the fore. From the hilltop location there are extensive views to the nearby coast, with beaches less than 10 minutes walk away. Well spread out seating areas allow guests to indulge in quiet reading or peaceful relaxation surrounded by potted palms and plants. Topping the bill is the team of friendly and ever courteous staff. Nothing is too much trouble for them. In many ways it is invidious to pick out individuals from such an accomplished team...but we were especially impressed with Manuel. Maria and Alberto. We will return!

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“My little dream came true, as in life there were issues”

It was all I had imagined for my BIG birthday treat, with hiccups. I loved the room , so stylish and characterful but best of all was the courtyard. The fountain, the views and the ruins it was so romantic. Breakfast and lunch were great I did have a problem with the cod dish, even when re presen... more

It was all I had imagined for my BIG birthday treat, with hiccups. I loved the room , so stylish and characterful but best of all was the courtyard. The fountain, the views and the ruins it was so romantic. Breakfast and lunch were great I did have a problem with the cod dish, even when re presented to me. I very much appreciated the birthday treats and wishes from the hotel. On our first morning there was no water, so no shower, no hair wash nor hands either! This wasn’t fixed until early evening. No ones fault it was a main leak but no effort to provide water to us or to compensate. Considering it’s a five star hotel and rather pricey we thought more could have been done to ameliorate the inconvenience.

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“Lovely property but slightly mixed experience”

We stayed 2 nights here at the end of our Andalusia trip. The property is very attractive from an architectural and décor perspective, feeling grand and stylish in the common areas, with well-appointed and comfortable rooms. On the whole, we enjoyed our stay but on the basis of the hotel’s own ma... more

We stayed 2 nights here at the end of our Andalusia trip. The property is very attractive from an architectural and décor perspective, feeling grand and stylish in the common areas, with well-appointed and comfortable rooms. On the whole, we enjoyed our stay but on the basis of the hotel’s own marketing that it is “the most exclusive 5* hotel in Malaga”, having read great reviews, and considering the price we paid for our stay, our expectations were set pretty high and unfortunately the hotel didn’t quite live up to them. Our room and bathroom were lovely and very spacious, but the overall ambience was let down by quite an unpleasant odour, which we suspected was emanating from the drains. Although we raised this with reception a couple of times, they weren’t particularly concerned and nothing seemed to be done to try to resolve the issue (or switch our room), which was disappointing. We also had a slightly mixed experience at mealtimes. The lunch we had on arrival, and the breakfast we had on our first morning (both food and service) were excellent but the next day’s breakfast service was underwhelming – we struggled to get the attention of the staff to order drinks, we had to wait a long time for things to arrive, and when it started raining, they were reluctant to let us move to a table sheltered from the rain. It was a real shame that the service standards were so variable. Otherwise, our stay was fine, and mostly we appreciated the location of the hotel because it was quiet but within walking distance of the beach and the main bus route. The hotel has a very small pool/garden area with a few loungers/chairs but no other facilities so it is helpful to be able to conveniently get to the beach and the city’s other attractions without having to drive/park.

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