El Faro, Marbella

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General Description
El Faro is a three star rated Aparthotel, with around 70 varying apartments and studios with 5 floors and a lift. I believe that it has been renovated within the last couple of years. It has a garden, a pool (a new addition last year), a bar and 24 hour reception. I have only stayed here over the last year, so don't know what it looked it before the renovations, but it's clean, modern, light and very very friendly. ...
...star hotel in Marbella the El Fuerte (which is 5 minutes walk from the El Faro), to compare prices and these are;

£760.34 DOUBLE/ TWIN STANDARD BED & BREAKFAST
£898.60 DOUBLE/ TWIN LATERAL SEA VIEW BED & BREAKFAST
£903.55 DOUBLE/ TWIN WITH SIDE SEA VIEW BED & BREAKFAST
£1042.64 DOUBLE/ TWIN SEA VIEW BED & BREAKFAST

I would suggest you have a good look at other internet sites and compare the ... more

Considered cheap and excellent value for money.

General Description
El Faro is a three star rated Aparthotel, with around 70 varying apartments and studios with 5 floors and a lift. I believe that it has been renovated within the last couple of years. It has a garden, a pool (a new addition last year), a bar and 24 hour reception. I have only stayed here over the last year, so don't know what it looked it before the renovations, but it's clean, modern, light and very very friendly. You can book rooms as B&B or room only. Of course B&B is slightly more expensive, but worth it. A continental breakfast is on offer each morning for the B&B guests, it's self service and consists of croissants, cereals, bread, jam etc and you can have free coffee refills, well I did anyway.

Location
Set on a side street just off the Paseo (promenade) which is lined with bars, restaurants and shops. Along the other side of the Paseo is the beach and the marina which will take you 2 minutes walk to. It's a quiet place considering how close it is to the centre and a 10 minute walk to the old town, which is beautiful and full of designer shops, and yet more bars and restaurants for your entertainment.

Rooms
The apartments are very clean, comfortable and spacious, decorated in a modern style not like the old dark wood traditional Spanish decor. The apartments have a combined living and kitchen area that has a fridge and a cooker, glasses, plates and cutlery. A separate bedroom and a bathroom with a shower.
The Studios are a lot smaller and are all in one as you can imagine, with a kitchenette it has a fridge, ring hob, plates, glasses and cutlery.

All the rooms have the same décor just different sizes. As far as I am aware all rooms have balconies, although none have a sea view. Depending on your stay I would suggest an apartment, but after all you won't really be living in there with so much to do and see all day.

Towels are also provided and toilet paper, sheets on the bed and tea towels. The towels are changed every couple of days and beds are made everyday, with a sheet change the same as the towels. They sweep and mop the floor and clean the bathroom every day too, but they don't do your washing up!!

Hotel Facilities

Reception
Impressive, large (combined with the lounge/bar) marble floor and a large modern reception desk. This area of course takes you to the whole of the facilities, the pool and terrace at the back, the bar and the lift to all floors. It is manned 24 hours a day by very friendly English speaking staff, which makes it easy to ask for your room key and to tell them if something is wrong with your room. They are very conscious of noise and will ask you to be quiet and respect the other quests late at night. (I wonder how I found that one out?)

Lounge/bar
This has lots of tables and chairs and is to the left of the doors as you enter the hotel. It is open all day but not at night, in order that it won't upset guests, but with so many other bars close by open till the small hours, this is not a problem. You can get all kinds of food and drink here at reasonable prices about 5 euros for lunch to say exactly what is on the menu is difficult but toasted sandwiches and chips where on there.

Outside
There is a sun terrace with a swimming pool newly put in last year, with umbrellas and sun loungers available. The pool isn't Olympic size but it's more than adequate especially if you have young children. Because the beach is so close not everybody uses the pool, I tend to use the beach. The area is clean and pleasant to sit out in all day, and you can get lunch and drinks from the bar you've got it made really. The gardens are small but a very welcome sight.

Beach/Marina
The beach is very sandy with lots of sunbeds and umbrellas to rent, about 8 euros a day, or 4 euros for half a day. Most of the attendants are happy to serve you food and drink on your beds as well, but you will have to work which ones, not all do. As the sea is the med of course there is no tide which makes it safer for swimming etc. The Marina has more bars and restaurants around and it's nice to see the boats. There are also marina fish there and you can feed them with bread!!

Prices/booking
As I said this Aparthotel is considered value for money. I book the rooms on alpharooms.com and a typical week in July for an apartment with B&B (the prices are always on room rate not per person;

£312.57 Double/twin standard self catering/room only
£312.57 Studio (2people) self catering/room only
£343.21 Double/twin standard Bed& Breakfast
£343.21 Studio (2people) Bed & Breakfast

Of course the prices can go up and down throughout the year depending on when you want to go.

I looked at the four star hotel in Marbella the El Fuerte (which is 5 minutes walk from the El Faro), to compare prices and these are;

£760.34 DOUBLE/ TWIN STANDARD BED & BREAKFAST
£898.60 DOUBLE/ TWIN LATERAL SEA VIEW BED & BREAKFAST
£903.55 DOUBLE/ TWIN WITH SIDE SEA VIEW BED & BREAKFAST
£1042.64 DOUBLE/ TWIN SEA VIEW BED & BREAKFAST

I would suggest you have a good look at other internet sites and compare the prices for yourself, as they do vary depending on when you want to go and how long for. You will not find this hotel featured in the brochures high street travel agents, as not many do package holidays to Marbella. The best and probably only route is to book your own flight and hotels, this way you can catch the flight you want a time to suit you too. This is what I do three times a year. Alpharooms are brilliant, I book on line print off the paperwork and turn up at the hotel and there is never a problem.

Places of Interest
Puerto Banus, probably the classiest and best known in the area, with it's large expensive yachts in the marina to gloat over, the night life, the bars, the restaurants and designer shop, it is a must to experience. You can get there by a long 45 minute walk along the beach from the hotel, or by taxi which is 8 euros each way or there is the water taxi 4 euros available from the marina two minutes walk from the hotel, this is probably the best way to get there as long as you don't get sea sick too easily!! If the weather is bad the water taxi gets cancelled anyway, it leaves every hour.

The bus service in Spain is fabulous, you can get a bus to just about anywhere. I haven't actually done this myself, so don't want to give a false impression on prices but I have been told it's good. You can get to Gibraltar by bus but there is one change apparently.

Taxis' are available in abundance in Marbella, but you need to go to the taxi rank about 5 minutes walk, but the hotel reception will be pleased to order one for you.

Summary

The hotel is clean, friendly, fantastic rooms, helpful friendly English speaking staff, centrally located and very reasonably priced for what you get. I can highly recommend this hotel. 

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