Don Carlos Special (Don Carlos Hotel Costa Del Sol)

Member Name: shopop

Product:	Don Carlos Hotel Costa Del Sol
Date:	06/12/04 (299 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Location, Scenery, Food & ambience

Disadvantages: Expensive

I stayed in the Don Carlos hotel whilst attending a friends wedding in Marbella. It is rated as a five star hotel From approach, it looks like a tower block rather than a hotel, but once inside its tall ceilings and marble floor give it a grand entrance. No expense has been spared in decorating the interior of the hotel,in an eclectic fashion. It has pieces of modern furniture, art and sculpture ( including a mickey mouse stone sculpture!!) mixed with traditional sofas in the seating area. I personally like the indoor waterfall features that are a theme in both the interior and exterior of the hotel. The staff at the hotel are pleasant. if not a bit aloof, compared to the 'usual' cheerful disposition of most Spanish hotel/restaurant staff. My particular favourite part of the hotel is the piano bar. It is a spacious bar, festively decorated in gold, bronze and reds with unusual ceiling lighting that gives the bar a warm and inviting feeling. They bar itself has an extensive selection of wines and spirits, and I would recommend trying the infamous ' Don Carlos Special ' cocktail! ( A delightful if not addictive mixture of brandy, champagne, angostura bitters and brown sugar! ) During the Summer you can sit outside on the Piano bar terrace, overlooking the heated swimming pool and restaurant terrace. It has a lovely view, and is worth just popping in to the bar for a drink, even if you are not staying at the hotel itself. There is nightly entertainment and a small dance floor ( should the urge get too much after a few San Miguel's) The bedrooms themselves are comfortable, and have impressive views of surrounding Marbella. The food in the restaurants is definitely of five star quality, and I would highly recommend the fish,( especially 'John Dory' ) as it is caught locally and so extremely fresh. It is a little on the expensive size and so it probably would not be economic on purse strings to eat their every night. The heated pool in the winter is surely a luxury,yet 7.50 Euros a day for a lounge chair in the beach club I think is outrageous new feature of The Don Carlos s Nikki Beach, the infamous beach side bar, also located in San Tropez and Miami. This is well worth visiting ( Id recommend at night, daily it is full of 'posers') as it has large white mattresses surrounded by Gothic style candle lighting that you can sit, drink, and watch the sea. All in all it was a lovely experience, but as I was their for a wedding, I was mainly just using the hotel to sleep and eat, so I didn't have time to use all the facilities, which is a shame for me personally, and well as for my purse.
Facilities include:
- 241 rooms and suites
- Two outdoor pools (one heated in winter)
- Children's pool (not heated) and playground
- Sun terraces and beautiful gardens
- Beach Club (Easter-October), about 50 steps down to beach
- Water sports (seasonal)
- Children's club, free, 2-12 years, 11am-2pm and pm-7pm, Mon-Fri, main school holiday times
-Top golf facilities, best tee times
- Tennis Academy, 10 courts (9 clay, 1 quick), 2 paddle tennis courts, pro facilities clinics and bar-restaurant
- Turkish bath and gym - free (subject to availability)
- Hydro massage bath and massage
- Lounges, bars
- Choice of restaurants
- Free access to Casino Marbella
- Boutique, various shops
- Beauty salon
- Baby-sitting arranged
- 24-hour room service
- Conference centre
- Private transfers included - approximately 40 mi-mutes from Málaga airport.

Summary: