Andalucia Princess

We visited the Andalucia Princess for the second time this year. Admittedly this hotel is not quite as good as it was 3 years ago but then what busy hotel wouldn't degrade marginally over time.
The hotel rooms at this hotel are clean and well maintained. The facilities are more than adequate although it was a shame that there was no facility to make hot drinks in the room. The only other downsides on this front was having to pay daily for the use of both the mini-bar and safety deposit box and also having to leave a hefty deposit for a TV remote.
The complex is large and rooms are spread between 6 or 7 blocks. There are pro's and con's to each block in that you will either be closer to the sea, pools or restaurant depending on your allocation but you can't get it all. Over 50% of rooms will have some kind of view i.e. Sea, Pool or Garden with the remainder facing the rear. High floor rooms are best and are still easily accessed as each block has its own lift.
The pool area at this hotel is extensive with 2 large free-form swimming pools and one circular pool. As this is a shared complex with the sister hotel, Costa del Sol Princess it is also possible to use the large outdoor or small indoor pools here too. There was no shortage of sun beds during either of our stays.
The food at this hotel is above average for the area and both the choice and quality on offer at both breakfast and dinner is good. At lunchtime the options are very limited with only one restaurant serving meals and a pool bar offering sandwiches.
The gym was fairly well equipped 3 years ago but unfortunately now lacks any decent equipment for a proper work-out. There are two private saunas which double up as shower rooms for guests with later flights who have not paid to keep on their own room.
The ground floor of the main building is where you will find the restaurant and main show bar. In addition there is a games room and a shop. Be warned the shop is very expensive and bottled water here costs over 5 times as much as the hypermarket in Estepona.
Princess Hotels in my opinion are a safe option when booking a holiday and I base this on having now visited 4 of their properties. They are not the ultimate in luxury but they don't cost anywhere near as much as luxury class hotel. The staff are generally friendly and helpful and the buildings well looked after.
Previous reviews have complained of the location of this hotel however all I would say is if you want to stay in Puerto Banus don't book Estepona. Most of the action on the Costa del Sol is in Puerto Banus and Marbella which is 15-20 minutes away. This hotel offers the best of both close to the quiet Spanish resort of Estepona and not too far from the livelier Puerto Banus area. A car for the duration of your stay will enhance your holiday providing you with complete freedom and removing any reliance on taxis or the once daily hotel bus (which incidentally is free). The hotel offers free car parking and driving in the area is surprisingly painless with only the odd exception of careless Spanish drivers.
In summary, this hotel offers good value for money with good service and facilities. Hire a car, stock up on drinks and snacks from the hypermarket, enjoy relaxing in the sun by day and drive-off exploring by night. A good base which shouldn't disappoint.

Just arrived home from a weeks stay in the Andalucia Princess Hotel. First impressions were excellent it seemed a lovely hotel. After the first night in our room all you could smell was a dreadful smell of sewage, which seemed to be coming from the air-conditioning. In their favour they did solve the problem quickly but the smell did linger for the week.
There were no activities or night entertainment for any age group at all and any sort of drink was completely over priced e.g.: a large coke was 6 Euros. If there was any bars, restaurants or even a shop nearby this wouldn't have been as bad.
You are completely tied to the hotel for your stay and feel stranded as the nearest restaurant or bar is a 20min car drive. This is a total resort holiday, so if you don’t mind paying ridiculous prices, seeing the same faces and eating the same food for your entire stay then you'll love it.

1 reader found this review helpful

Hotel photographs well but let down by moody Dining Room staff who kept getting our drinks wrong then angry with us when we pointed this out.
Manager too busy to listen to necessary complaints about the poorly cleaned room we were offered, stinking of sewage, cigar ash and smelly bedding.
We were moved to another room but only when I threatened the manager to contact the British Embassy, Thomson staff were just fed up with their guests complaints.
Our expensive holiday was spoilt by the managers lack of care or direction to his staff.
Rather than simply whining like most of the other unhappy guests we met, I wrote a much needed (unfortunately) 3 page letter to the manager while I was there but received, not unexpectedly no response.
I wrote once again on my return to the manager, as well as the owner of the Andalucia Princess and to Thomson Holidays.
I was iqnored by the hotel and the owner, Thomsons wrote offering nothing.
Most disappointed holiday we have had since 1981.