Benal Beach Apartments

2 readers found this review helpful

What a shock to the system, We booked a week thro CLC, So bad I was in tears for 2 days, The lady from Kingfisher did her best but was limited as she was an intermediary. We arrived sat night, receptionist was rude and unhelpful. Certainly not up for receptionist of the year!!!!. It was like a 60's concrete block with nothing to welcome you to the place, 2 parts of a ceiling corridor had gaping holes in them , we had to venture across a block turn down 3 corridors to get to the lift. No sun beds on the terrace, (green tarmac). The list is endless. Will certainly not be going there again and have given CLC a full report of how bad it was. Only thing in its favour was location near the sea.We were there before the season opened.

1 reader found this review helpful

Not up to the high standards that is to be expected of CLC.
Will not be back there in a hurry.Apartments of mediocre quality and hotel just like a rabbit warren with 4 buildings
branching off in different directions and no atmosphere

27 readers found this review helpful

well where shall i start? ahh flights
we flew from eastmiddlands went very smoothly we missed out take off slot by 10 mins because of some fools pratting about. landing was fine soon as you get off you will feel the heat hit you so be sure not to take warm clothing much just 3/4s and t-shirt is fine.
getting bags was fine too if you need a taxi just walk out side and you will see them qeuing up there is loads lol. we payed about 25 or 30 euro's think he scammed us though haha. 9/10
food
ok listen up right now this will save you about 100 euros easy on the first day.
youll need a ruksack. walk out of the complex and on to the main street.
face the other way to windmill island and walk up the long road( make sure your on left side) keep walking up until you find a supermarket called mercadona. its like a ASDA or TESCO everything is cheaper than normal little supermarkets.
if you are eating out most nights ill give you a tip off for 1 of the best restraunts and cheap beer £1.50 euro and £1.50 euro for a can of pop for the kids.
walk out of the complex , face the windmill island stick on the right side, turn corner and keep on right side and walk about 50 meters and you should see a bar called "five lamps" this is the bar we ate at for about 8 nights out of 14 at the end they gave us free shots :) 10/10 food MUST TRY CHICKEN CURRY AS FOR HALF AND HALF
nightlife
nothing in hotel. but walk right on to the sea front and there is a stretch of shops and restraunts.carry on down the stretch and there should be stairs climb them and your at the marina YOU MUST FEED THE FISH there is sooooo many only 1 euro per bag of bread.7/10
scams
ohh yeah nearly forgot IF ANY ONE COMES UP TO YOU WITH A SCRATCH CARD say no sraight away they took us to a hotel for 3 hours made us look around and tryed to sell us a club card so we get holidays for 99 pound NO THANKS MAYJOR RIPP DONT DO IT!!!
beach
beach is OK its got a few big boulders so watch your footing but if you move out you should find it goes like shelving. great sand and sea 7/10
cant think of much else but do try the "five lamps" awsome food awsome staff 10/10

11 readers found this review helpful

had 2 weeks in the benal beach credit crunch dictated a cheap holiday (used to a bit more luxury) but plesently suprised clean and the kids loved the pool room was red hot at night (no air con) rented a portable one from the desk guy that did the job apart from that could not fault the place tivoli world was good but the aqua park in torremolinos was very busy too busy why do they let so many people in mad cheap as chips to eat out alround good value for money

15 readers found this review helpful

Before going on holidays I was really worried as I had read so many bad reports about the complex, but on arrival was very pleased. The complex grounds are amazing beautiful gardens, amazing pool area, and although people have said the pool was freezing it was not when you get in initially its cold but within seconds you are warm. Draw back is no inflatables in pool, but this is only a minor detail. The slides were open for about 4 hours each day which was plenty the pool bar was a nice novelty. There was a little shack in the sunbed area that did cheap food and the little spanish lady that worked there was lovely, ok so 2 euros a day for a sunbed was a bit much but again minor details the wee man that sold the beds was lovely (I am convinced him and the shack lady are in love). The reception staff were lovely and spoke enough english to be able to help us with all enquiries. There was a cute kitty cat that lived in the gardens called sam. Behind the apartments about 5 min walk is a dolphinarium were I got my pic taken with a dolphin :) The beach is a 5 min walk maybe not even so you are right beside the promenade filled with restaurants and shops which leads to the marina which is beautiful about 15 min walk from apartments, which again has more shops and restaurants. The water park is in torremolinos which is not far 9 euro for taxi there. The train station is a ten minute walk (uphill) the train connects you to fuengirola and Torremolinos and Malaga for 2.70 euro very handy. There is also lots of pubs anf clubs and a 24 hr square for all ages so benalmadenas is for those wanting a quiet time and for those who want to party its perfect also. The apartment was basic but it was clean I found the bed comfortable our sheets were cleaned once in ten days and apartment cleaned twice with new towels and toilet roll given as and when needed if you required sheets changed more you just had to ask. The apartment although like I say was basic was clean nothing like a prison block as described previously, had lovely views from balcony location is amazing pool amazing people lovely supermarket in complex. My boyfriend and I loved our time there we were there for ten days and it was amazing we loved the apartments and Benalmadena itself is a Beautiful place. So please don't be put off by reviews and remember some people just love to complain. I would most def and hopefully will return one day soon :) worth every penny

9 readers found this review helpful

Can I just say, we booked with Sandhill holidays, I found this on the internet and all I can say is what a fab 2 weeks we had. All of the apartments were very clean we had 4 in total. We were a large party and we can not complain at all. There were a few minor problems but with in 15 mins of reporting them they had been resolved. (Nothing major may I state). Yes everywhere was expensive but hey we are in a credit crunch and the £ is weak, the pools were fabulous, we had 7 children ranging from 4 to 14 in our party and we never saw them. The pool restaurant was nice though very expensive so only ate there twice in the two weeks. Benal bar was lovelly and relaxing... Go in for happy hour between 7pm and 9pm and you get 2 for 1.
Receptionists very helpful. No problems at all. I would recommend that you use Sandhill and not Benal Beach direct, The apartments are all privatley owned and of a very high standard.
We will all return NO PROBLEM.

2 readers found this review helpful

Anyone going to this complex for a family holiday with their children i would strongly advise against doing it. We are just back from a two week stay myself my partner and our three kids went with a lot of family and booked about ten apartments between us more than half of us had a lot of complaints about our apartments and nothing was done about it. When i did get an engineer out to my apartment after about four days of complaining i was told that the only sofa bed in the apartment was broken beyond repair and would be replaced after i left also there was a chunk of glass missing from the patio door which i was told i wouldn't be charged for breaking even though it was like that. The kitchen area was a disaster i had planned making snacks for the kids so i wouldn't have to go out for three meals a day but when i tried to make a packet of supernoodles on the hob it took over an hour for them to be done no exageration. The apartment was absolutly filthy when we walked into it all the floor tiles were white and with three small children i was mopping the floors every day even after mopping them they were still filthy. No body came near my apartment with clean bed linen or towels and when i enquired about it i was rudely told to was the bed linen myself. they say the apartment sleeps six well it doesn't because there was five of us and three of us shared a rock hard double bed and two of my children shared a very small steel camp bed that wouldn't look out of place in a prison. Im going to be suffering from back problems for life after two weeks on that bed. the rest of the complex was ok there were five pools but they were all freezing even the kiddies pool which was a bit ridiculious. they weren't very clean either. The resturant at the pools was disgusting my friend got a frozen lasagne served to her and when i complained about a frozen hot dog i was pointed in the direction of a microwave and told in broken english to heat myself up. The place is also a rip off i was charged 2 euro for a can of coke in most places whoever said Ireland was one of the dearest countries has never been to benalmadena. I think i've said enough now but thats only a couple of the millions of complaints i have be warned dont book BENAL BEACH for your family holiday next year im staying in Ireland!!!!!!!!

6 readers found this review helpful

Benal Beach apartments when booking direct is fantastic. The best swimming pool and ideal ammunites. I cannot make any complaints about the apartments as the apartments have been first class and modern, even had a DVDF player in it although who wants a DVD player when your on holiday in such a beautiful place. I've been coming to Benalmadena since 2002 and I keep coming back to the same apartments and same place. You dont have to travel very far for any of the entertainment, places to eat & Aqua park for the kids however if you did like to travel then Benalmadena is situated in easy distance for surrounding areas and excursions.
10 out of 10 for me I'm afraid

2 readers found this review helpful

We went to benal beach and stayed in a lovely 1 bedroom apartment with sofa bed in lounge accomadation was really nice although sofa bed was very hard made service was excellent and they where very friendly.
Our appartment was above the outside bar and entertainment started late evening and was very loud the entertainment seemed to cater for spanish mainly.
The hotel itself is lovely although it takes some time to find your way around the different levels for the pool and shops and the exit the shop was just like a little corner shop good for fresh bread,milk,drinks ect.
The pools where excellent clean entertaining always could get a sunbed if wanted one there was grass everywhere so you can just but your towel under an umbrella and you would be set for the day there is a main bar in the middle of one of the pools and also small little shacks which also sold drinks scattered around the pool area we spent most of our time here.
The area is brilliant right next to a lovely park and close to a taxi rank lotts of different places to visit the marina is beautifuul on an evening and buses are only 1 euro to anywhere.
I fell ill whilst away and the hotel staff were great although doctors are expensive and finding a chemist on a sunday is bad all turned out well in the end.
we are planning to go again in 2008

3 readers found this review helpful

My family & I really enjoyed our 2 weeks stay over Easter. We stayed in 2 rooms and they were both well furnished with washing machine, TV, Hifi, micorwave. Beds were excellent. from reading some of the reviews, I think it depends who you book with depends on the standard of the room. I own a week and bought a week RCI. Sunterra & RCI I think are very good and they seem to invest the management fees into the rooms they own. Yes pool was cold but kids loved it and want to go back in the summer when its a bit warmer. The restaurants in the marina are excellent, cheaper than Puerto Buenos.