Ona Marinas de Nerja Spa Resort

We have been at Ona Marinas de Nerja for less than 24 hours and I am already ready to go home. Our stay started on a genuinely positive note, which unfortunately makes the decline in our experience all the more disappointing:

We arrived late last night due to a delayed flight, and the gentleman who checked us in was welcoming and thoughtful, even providing bottled water and snacks. My husband had also accidentally made the reservation for three guests instead of four, inadvertently leaving our younger son off the booking. The gentleman at reception was very understanding and told us not to worry, that he would “take care of it in the morning.” The cafeteria staff have also been consistently kind and pleasant.

Initially, I was willing to overlook some smaller cleanliness issues, including crumbs and food debris on the kitchen dining chairs when we entered the apartment. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that this was not an isolated oversight. We discovered ants in our room, which I mentioned to the front desk either the evening we arrived or first thing the following morning. The issue was acknowledged, and we were told someone would be sent to address it.

That has yet to happen.

The internet connection has also been extremely poor. Again, we raised the issue and were assured that someone would “take care of it.” Again, nothing has been resolved. As I write this it has been on hour since they told me they would “send someone” on both issues. The tone at reception also changed considerably when the front desk later called regarding adding our fourth family member to the reservation. What had originally been presented as a simple issue that would be handled in the morning suddenly became an interaction that felt unnecessarily curt and unfriendly.

Parking is apparently an additional €10 per day, which is totally fine, but the individual communicating through the parking buzzer was also surprisingly rude. Guests should not feel as though they are inconveniencing staff simply by trying to understand or access a service for which they are paying.

Most concerning is the cleanliness, or lack thereof, of the apartment. The floors are filthy. This is not a matter of normal wear during a family stay—they were visibly dirty upon our arrival and do not appear to have been properly cleaned before we checked in. Combined with the food debris on the chairs and the ants, it raises legitimate questions about the standard of housekeeping between guests.

Any one of these issues might be understandable on its own. What is frustrating is the pattern: we raise a concern, it is acknowledged, we are told someone will “take care of it,” and then nothing happens.

We chose Ona expecting a professionally managed resort apartment. Friendly cafeteria staff and a pleasant initial welcome are appreciated, but they cannot compensate for an inadequately cleaned apartment, ants, unreliable internet, inconsistent customer service, and repeated promises to resolve issues without any actual follow-through. At this point, we would appreciate less reassurance that things will be “taken care of” and more evidence that they actually have been.

Hotel was ok but not as nice as the photos suggest and certainly not worth the money we paid for all inclusive. Some staff were lovely, smiley and friendly but some of the bar staff were quite rude at times, particularly if you made the mistake of ordering drinks for your family of 4 (only 2 drinks allowed each time!) The room was big with plenty of storage space but the air conditioning had an awful smell (like drains). Maid service was really good and rooms were kept clean, with fresh towels whenever you wanted them. Food was generally good but be prepared for long queues during the busier periods. I would recommend hiring a car which you can use to see various beautiful places around the area and will also act as your transfer to and from the airport. I would recommend staying no longer than 1 week as hotel not large enough to keep you entertained for any longer than this. Tip: parking in front of the hotel is free as it's a public carpark whereas parking at the side (past the barrier) is 10euros per day.

Excellent holiday Hotel well equipped and very clean. Only downside is that it is a long walk from the centre of nerja