- Costa del Sol Holidays
- Benalmadena
- Medplaya Hotel Bali
This hotel in the holiday resort of Benalmádena lies some 250 m from the sprawling, wide sandy beach and 1 km from the centre. A bus stop is located within just metres of the hotel, while scores of bars and pubs lie a short distance away, shops and restaurants as well as a nightclub are to be found in the centre of the town a mere 200 m to 400 m from the establishment. Surrounded by lush gardens, this elegant hotel is a perfect option for all those who wish to escape from hustle and bustle of the city life. The rooms are ample and well-equipped to provide a peaceful ambience in which to kick back at the end of the day. Guests may take advantage of the 2 swimming pools with integrated children's pool, bar, parasols and sun loungers. The in-house solarium is available for use by hotel guests. Sports enthusiasts may find leisure facilities in the vicinity of the establishment. The hotel runs a seasonal entertainment programme.
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
My brother and I have just returned from another lovely holiday at the Hotel Bali in Benalmadena, our third holiday at the hotel this year. This for us is a very special hotel, it is in an ideal position, between the seafront and the town centre. The hotel is on a hill but it's not that bad, we are in our late 60's and we find it fine. The hotel is kept spotlessly clean by an army of cleaning staff and many of the main areas have recently been refurbished. Our room as always was kept immaculate by the housekeeping team and the view from our balcony was amazing. The restaurant has a huge selection to choose from and caters for all tastes and we always have a good look along the buffet first before we choose. The bar is well stocked with all the premium drinks and the team will always give you a warm welcome. The pool areas are kept clean and are washed down every morning and if you have read previous reviews about the poor sunbeds then I can reassure you that the upper pool now has new ones and yes they do have adjustable backs so no more complaints please. The lower pool area I have no doubt will follow soon. The reception team are always very welcoming and will try their best to help you with any issues you may have. But the single most important thing for us are the staff. Starting with Stuart who runs reception and is like the foundations of the hotel. Silvia who used to work in the restaurant but now works in the bar who is not stop rushing around the bar and has the biggest smile you've ever seen. Virginia who is the guest manager who has a desk opposite reception, Virginia works tirelessly with the impossible job of trying to keep 1300+ guests happy. Even the manager of this huge hotel is so pleasant to talk to and checks all parts of the hotel daily and is meticulous for detail. Finally a special mention for Guillermo, who works in the Games Room maintaining all the equipment. Such a friendly and kind person who daily spent his meal break talking to me and as result we have become good friends and keep in touch regularly even though I'm back in England, if you get the chance and you are in the games room look out for him and say hello. He is a credit to the Hotel Bali and to MedPlaya Group as are the staff in general. This sums up our experience of the hotel, you arrive as a guest but you leave as friends and as you pull away heading home you feel sad, not because your holiday is over but because you're leaving your friends behind.
A 3 star hotel. Very clean but a little worn in places and could do with a refurbish. Rooms good size comfortable and sound proof. Small fridge. No tea/ coffee facilities in room and you have to pay for the safe. Nice size balcony. Food is very good. Great breakfast. Good salad bar for lunch and dinner and a good variety of food. Tea/coffee machines have long queues. Would benefit from larger cups/mugs and a separate boiled water station with tea pots for those preferring tea. All hotels should have a tea-coffee machine in lobby with some basic food for late arrivals. Especially if there are no facilities in the room. I would be prepared to pay for the coffee. Pool area very good and plenty sun loungers
A brilliant 3 star hotel - from start to end the staff we're welcoming and helpful.
Check in and check out was easy and stress free, there is even a room and lockers to leave your bags/cases.
Rooms were clean and modern, our room cleaner was so friendly and did a great job. The balcony had a beautiful sea view.
The bar and pool were lovely, we went all inclusive and the drink ranges were great, there was lots of food options at meal times and snacks throughout the day.
Evening entertainment was fun and inclusive of families/couples and just friends.
The location is stunning, with the beach only 5 mins away. I would 100% recommend this hotel and I am already planning my next holiday here.
A really enjoyable 10-day stay – don’t be put off by the reviews! We recently stayed here for 10 days at the end of August. I had read some of the TripAdvisor reviews before we arrived and, if I’m honest, I was a little apprehensive. However, we had a really enjoyable holiday and I’m glad we didn’t let some of the negative reviews put us off. We were warmly welcomed on arrival and our room was in Block 1. We were a little surprised by just how small the room was. It was a twin room with a drop-down bed, which our 12-year-old son slept in. During the day it was absolutely fine, but with three of us in the room, it was very, very tight on space. If we were to return, I would definitely look at booking a larger room. The room itself looked like it had recently been decorated. It was fresh-looking and, most importantly, really clean. The bright orange bathroom was a little dated, but it was perfectly fine and, again, spotlessly clean. We booked all-inclusive, although we did eat out a couple of times as that’s something we always do when we’re on holiday. The restaurant is absolutely massive and, yes, it can get very busy, but we never waited more than five minutes for a table. I have to mention the two older gentlemen who seemed to be there every single day! One was on the desk and the other directed guests to their tables. They were absolutely brilliant and always seemed to be working hard and keeping everything organised. The rest of the restaurant staff also worked very efficiently throughout our stay, clearing tables quickly and getting them reset for the next guests. I’m definitely the pickiest eater out of the three of us, but I always found plenty to eat. There was a good variety of choices at breakfast, lunch and dinner. People who complain that the food is repetitive seem to be the same people who put a little bit of everything on their plate every night! There was enough choice for us to have something different each day if we wanted to. We also had no issues with the temperature of the food. Everything we ate was hot enough. There is also a snack bar, which we used a couple of times for lunch. The food there was fine, although the choice was more limited. The all-inclusive drinks selection was also very good, with plenty of branded spirits included. We spent all of our pool days at the upper-level pool. The area was clean and spacious, with what looked like new sunbeds. The pool was lovely for cooling down, although a few more movable parasols wouldn't go amiss. There is only a very limited shallow end at this pool, although the pools on the lower level have much better options for smaller children. My only real complaint was the inconsistency with the lifeguards. On some days, floaties and rings were allowed in the pool, while on other days a different lifeguard wouldn't allow them. This wasn't because the pool was particularly busy, as there were days when it was busier and they were still allowed. I could have understood it if older children were causing problems, but they – including our son – simply wanted to sit in them and float around. The location was absolutely fine for us, even with my arthritic hip. Yes, the hotel is up a hill, but it isn't a particularly long one. There are more steps if you head down towards the beach, but we found alternative routes that avoided the steps both down and back up. My advice would simply be to get out and explore a little rather than assuming you have to use the most obvious route. Overall, we had a great holiday. Would I have liked a bigger room? Absolutely! But apart from that, we really couldn't complain. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow, relax and enjoy your holiday – and that's exactly what we did.
We came here as a family of 3 with our 4-year-old and our experience was definitely mostly positive.
Starting with the room, I thought it was very clean and a good size. The shower had great pressure and stayed at a good consistent temperature. The beds were decent too, maybe a little hard, but honestly nothing much to complain about.
The food was excellent. I’m saying that having previously stayed in a top 5-star hotel in Lara Beach, Turkey, and I genuinely thought the choice here was fantastic, especially for Irish and British guests. The desserts were particularly good — proper chocolate cake! There was also a good selection of seafood on most nights and plenty of choice overall.
The staff were lovely and friendly throughout our stay. The pool area was clean and had pretty much everything you would want.
We went All Inclusive and thought it was very good. We never had to wait long to get served at the bar, although this might obviously be different during the peak summer months as we visited in September.
As for the famous "cardiac hill" 😂 — honestly, it really isn't that bad! We had a pram to push up and down it and it wasn't an issue at all. You're talking about roughly a 5-minute walk, and once you reach the bottom it's mostly flat with loads of bars, restaurants and shops around you.
Before coming I was a little worried after reading some of the negative reviews, but seriously, for the price I think this is an excellent hotel. Don't expect absolute 5-star luxury, but for what you pay it offers brilliant value.
We had a great family holiday and I would easily stay here again.
