Avali Mar-Bella Collection

"Let's start with the positives. The pool area, beach area and views are beautiful. There is absolutely no way this can be faulted and perhaps one of the loveliest I have seen in all my many years. Every single member of staff is superb, friendly and hard working with a smile. They deserve a tip if you are staying here - they certainly earn it The room was great. Clean, modern, great view and everything you would expect in this grade of hotel So why the 4 rating? Food... Before booking I read lots of reviews on here where people gushed about the Stia rest and the buffet. Notably they spoke about the buffet stating that whilst it wasn't huge the quality was superb. I beg to differ. This was one of the tiniest buffet selection I have seen, with salads and desserts taking up half of it. Actual "main meal" items were few and far between, and what they did offer did not complement one another. I spoke to many other guests and they all said more or less the same thing Stia is nice enough but the menu never changes and the variety of side dishes is minimal. One, or maybe two visits would be enough - but then you are left with the buffet. Rock and hard place. And certainly if you are veggie then you are severely limited. I would point out that I am not. On balance its worth the stay just for the pool and beach but don't expect gourmet food. Maybe be prepared to book a taxi to Benitses and eat out a couple of times. It's a shame as in all other areas they have this mostly right. But at this price point it is questionable I was genuinely hoping to give this 5 but I couldn't honestly do it sadly"

"I am extremely delayed in writing this review but glad I have finally got round to it - what a fantastic hotel and I would highly recommend it - one of the most enjoyable stays I've had in the Med. As many have said before me, the staff make the hotel. Led by Minas and with many others who could be named we were blown away by their kindness, generosity and genuine interest in us. With Minas greeting us on arrival, learning our names immediately and welcoming us by name for every meal we really felt a part of the hotel and not just 'another guest'. We checked in a little early so were immediately seated for lunch - nothing was too much trouble for the staff. The hotel was quiet and peaceful, perfect for a couples getaway and the staff were helpful with any experiences we wanted such as the sunset cruise. I enjoyed use of the gym facilities which was also nice and quiet and there are plenty of bar areas around the pool. If I had to pick up on two minor points (and this is genuinely being incredibly picky I almost feel bad bringing them up!) - it would be worth just double checking the QR codes work at the tables by the pool. Sometimes we would order still water and sparkling arrived so maybe there is a glitch in the system, and also worth being mindful that particularly in peak times sunbeds are sometimes hard to come by with a spirited competiteveness to get the best beds! By the end of our stay I was waking up at 07:30 to try and dash down to get us the sunbeds we wanted or else they would have gone for the day! I probably wouldn't leave the towels out available to people that early in the morning to stop that from happening. But as I say, these are incredibly minor points - we ate well, we got the sunbeds we wanted most if not all of the time and the staff were so friendly and nothing was too difficult for them. The location was fantastic with it being right on the beach with easy access to the sea and the atmosphere at the hotel was calm and tranquil with all parts exceptionally clean. I would highly recommend this hotel to couples or individuals looking for a quiet break - it's probably less suited to those with children - there are other hotels in the Marbella chain which would be better for them with more activities and a louder atmosphere. The team here are running a fantastic hotel and it wouldn't be a tough sell for us to consider coming back again next summer! Keep up the great work!"

"We arrived towards the end of September looking for some sunshine in a high quality resort , Avali delivered on both. Our room (401) on the top floor and the view was wonderful. Gerard July was an exceptional housekeeper always keen to please , and his towel art was the best we have ever encountered. We decided to eat exclusively at Avali with a mix of Stia and the main restaurant. We were very well looked after in both places. For Stia in particular Joanna is an exceptionally talented restaurant manager, Avali you are very fortunate to have her. We would also like to mention Dimitria with a wonderfully engaging personality. The chefs have created a great menu and in particular the cacio e Pepe roast iceberg lettuce . Theodora in the lobby bar was delightful, so keen to please and had the ability to remember favourite cocktails Manis and his team in the main restaurant were genuinely friendly with a professional attitude. The food here was good, a good selection of fresh vegetable dishes , and a variety of cooked to order items. The hotel manager Panos made sure to engage with guests, always good to see when so many hotel managers hide away in their offices , a great example for everyone. We used the gym on a few occasions, it is small and sadly it wasn’t particularly inspiring, the only exercise bike there wasn’t working. I did ask a team member who came occasionally to the gym about it and he confirmed that was the case ( a sign would have been useful ) I mention this in particular as I use a gym bike such as this as part of a physiotherapy routine. There is an outdoor gym area which my husband used occasionally. As the season comes to a close we wish everyone at Avali all the very best for their futures,"