Oh Sol Timor-ay, give it to me, justa one quick trip-a, to the mediterranean sea! (Sol Timor Apartments and Hotel (Torremolinos, Spain))

Member Name: dkm1981

Product:	Sol Timor Apartments and Hotel (Torremolinos, Spain)
Date:	26/04/09 (176 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, cheery, fabulous location, family friendly.

Disadvantages: Getting a bit dated in it's old age!

I've been to this hotel countless times over the years, both with family and with my partner and would go back every time. The staff are great, the acommodation is great and the facilities are great. But the major selling point for me is the location - a stones throw away from the beach, a leisurely walk to the lively and picturesque Benalmadena Marina and a (sometimes slightly death-defying!) 15 minute journey from the airport.

-Booking It-

Originally, my parents took me and my sister here about ten years ago and they booked it through a package company, but with the vast number of low-cost airlines now regularly flying in to Malaga airport, it now makes more sense to book it independently. This couldn't be easier - simply log on to the Sol Melia (the international hotel chain) website - www.solmelia.com - and see how easy it is.

There's a menu for entering your date of travel, party size and preferred location (with an option for entering specific hotels) and then it returns a list of rooms available and their prices. Simply select the one you want and enter your credit card details. They don't take payment there and then (you pay when you check out of the hotel), but they take your details for administering cancellation charges should you cancel your booking less than a week before you are due to arrive.

There is also an option for entering any special requests (such as sea-view, late check-in, etc), which they don't guaruntee, but they do try to accomodate (I've always had may special requests accomodated).

-So you've booked it, packed it and set off, what next?-

Well simply get a taxi from outside the airport - the hotel is well known by drivers and at Spanish speeds, you'll be there before you can say siesta.
Check-in is very simple (you fill in a short form) and then you are given your key (which is a tiny key on a giant piece of wood making it impossible to lose - yeah!).

There are two buildings at the Sol Timor and if you've ever stayed at a Sol Hotel before, you'll know exactly what to expect. They're exactly the same as all the others - tiled floors, large open spaces and thousands of rooms! You aren't getting luxury, but it is more than adequate for somewhere where you want to spend most of your time on the beach catching rays.

-The Rooms-

There are lots of different types of rooms - from family rooms that accomodate up to six, down to studios that accomodate two. I've stayed in most of the different kinds, but to be honest the studios are more than comfortable enough for two and are the best value at around E35 per room per night for self catering.

The rooms are bright and airy, all have bathrooms with hairdryers and an over bath shower, small kitchens with everything you need (including a microwave and boil-on-the-hob kettle), dressing table, wardrobes, phones and televisions. I will concede that the rooms need an upgrade, as the furniture is beginning to look dated now, but they have always been more than adequate for our needs - everything is in good working condition and is clean.

Like I said we tend to book the studio rooms as they are the better value for our needs, however you should probably know that they have two single beds rather than a double, so aren't great for a romantic holiday. They are brilliant though for those of us who need our own sleeping space when in hot climates!

-This all sounds good, but what are the facilities like?-

Sol Timor is an apart-hotel so if you go self catering as we do, you get the good value factor coupled with the use of all the facilities you'd expect in a hotel.

There is a restaurant and bar for those who choose all inclusive, full/half board and B&B options, although because of the multitude of local bars, cafes and restaurants, I can honestly say I've never used them sorry. The food always looks good though when I've wandered past.

For those who choose to go self catering, there is a supermarket near the main games lounge, which has everything you need including English brand items if you choose. There is also a Spar about 5 minutes walk from the hotel, which is slightly larger and cheaper. It also has the added bonus of giving you a small element of exercise to counter-balance all the food!

The hotel is very child friendly, with a Flintstones theme running throughout - Stoneage Crazy Golf, a Flintstones gift shop and kids clubs for both infants and older kids run by qualified carers. There is also a small children's pool near the normal sized pool, as well as tennis courts and football courts. There is an action packed schedule for kids and big kids alike, with plenty of activities for all.

-Other Facilities-

*Games room, with pool tables, arcade games etc.
*Launderette
*Gift shop
*Hairdressers
*Small library
*Computer consoles with internet access
*Lounges
*Discotheque
*Outside beach bar selling snacks
*Stage where they have daily performances

-So it seems like it has everything, but what if that's not enough?-

In all honesty, we use the hotel for it's fabulous location rather than the facilities. When we go abroad, we like to see what the place we're visiting has to offer rather than the hotel and this is a great place to do that.

The hotel is right on the beach front, where you can hire sunbeds (with super thick mattresses that make snoozing in the sun a must!) and take part in watersports.

Round the corner is the Marina, where there are some fantastic restaurants offering everything from tapas to seafood, chinese to indian and Burger King too (!). Be sure to visit Pacino's, an excellent Italian restaurant with brilliant staff, great views and delicious food at very affordable prices.

It's also easy enough to get to Torremolinos centre, for shopping, by taxi, or if you're feeling energetic, an hour long walk. And if you're looking for sight seeing, there's a travel shop just outside the hotel that offers trips to Gibraltar, Morocco, the Andalucian Mountains and many more, at very reasonable prices. You can go to the information area in the hotel to speak to holiday reps, but I think this tends to be a lot more expensive a way of doing it.

-Overall-

Like I said, this place isn't luxurious, but for value for money and location, it can't be beaten. I've done my fair share of travelling and am fortunate enough to have a few holidays a year, but this is somewhere that I love going for it's familiarity, it's relaxed atmosphere, it's friendly staff and great location.

There's no reason not to have a look at this place when you're booking your next getaway - your kids will love it, your friends will love it, you wallet will love it and you will love it!

Summary: For the price, it's definitely recommended.