Hacienda del Mar member of Meliá Collection

Restaurant is not worth being in a five star hotel.
We asked food without salt.
It was more than salty
You get the bill only on a tablet .
When i asked for a fysical bill, i saw they let 2 me pay 2 bottles of wine in stead of one.Other drinks were also miscounted.

A perfect holiday and would definitely recommend. Everything was 5 star standard from rooms to pools/facilities and the food and drinks. As always it’s the staff that make the difference and they were all really friendly and helped make our stay very enjoyable. So special thanks to Juliana in the El Burladero restaurant (fantastic food), Christina in the bar and Sole at breakfast. All three were lovely and made our stay especially memorable. We also loved the 50 minute coastal walk into Estepona.
Looking forward to returning in the future.

A really lovely hotel with great amenities and super rooms. Friendly staff. Suitable for all age groups. Food was great. I must mention Stephen who works for Benibeca one of the exclusive boutiques within the hotel. He was probably one of the genuinely nicest souls that I have ever met. Always happy, helpful and a credit to your team. He made our trip most memorable. He was very kind to my elderly mum. Just the sweetest person. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will be back soon.

Lorna

A mixed review from me.
There are three good things here. The staff, the staff and the staff. Nothing is too much trouble. Almost everything that they are in control of is faultless. If it’s not, you need only say and they do whatever they can. All staff greet you with a smile and make you feel like a friend. In this regard the hotel is exceptional.
The negatives are subjective to me and may not be an issue for others. So here goes.
English breakfast: I am surprised at the low quality of the bacon and eggs. The bacon is cheap chopped and shaped pork. Not what I expect at a 5 star place, and the scrambled eggs are like popcorn. For balance, the remaining choice, which is huge, is exceptional.
Poolside: we were disappointed to find other guests were free to bring their own speakers and play their own music. This spoilt the poolside days for us.
We also chose the hotel from pictures which suggested lots of natural shade. There wasn’t really any natural shade. There are plenty of umbrellas which staff are keen to position for you, but I burnt through the shade, no one’s fault but mine.
The adjacent beach is almost deserted due probably to it being very stony on the waters edge.
The architecture means the balconies are very dark and most are semi restricted in view. We saw the darkness as a negative for the first few days, then realised it was helping to keep us cool.
On that note, the air con is restricted to 19 degrees and above. Given the price of the superior room I was disappointed by this.
Location is 10 minutes taxi to town. Nothing else nearby but flats etc.
That’s all the negatives. We had a largely relaxing stay.
The staff are a credit to the organisation. I enjoyed all my interactions regardless of the subject matter.

Everything was perfect, staff, rooms, hotel, pools etc.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We had an amazing stay at Hancienda del Mar, member of Meliá Collection.

The rooms are beautifully designed, everything is brand new, spotlessly clean, and smells fresh. You can really see the attention to detail throughout the hotel.

The breakfast is of excellent quality, with a great selection of fresh and delicious food. The staff is highly professional, friendly, and always happy to help, making us feel welcome from the moment we arrived.

The pool is perfect for relaxing, and the beachfront restaurant serves incredibly tasty food. The view from the terrace is absolutely stunning and gives the whole experience a true luxury feel.

The beach has pebbles, but we didn’t see that as a drawback at all.

We highly recommend this hotel and would definitely love to come back!

A really fabulous hotel, rooms were great, excellent facilities and staff were superb. Special shout out to Abel and Grace and also Ruben, Antonio and Antonio Jesus who went above and beyond to ensure we had a great stay! I would highly recommend this hotel.

We are presently staying for five nights at this hotel, and previously stayed at the Melia Zahara hotel prior to being here. We much prefer this hotel.

Our experience here is presently great. The lobby area is impressive. Our check in was dealt with smoothly and we were offered a drink on the terrace while our room became ready. We had booked and paid for a sea view room and were directed to 531. It had a large terrace and a sea view, but the way in which the building was constructed meant that this particular room had a very narrow view of the sea, plus a couple of wooden planks across the balcony which cut the view of the sea quite significantly - toughened glass would have opened up the view somewhat. We asked if there was another room available, but not until the following day, when we moved up a floor to 621 - a much smaller balcony but with a larger sea view. Again, the view would be made better with the addition of toughened glass rather than the one plank of wood across the balcony.

We had our first evening meal at the beach restaurant, and the staff went out of their way to give us something we had thought was on the evening menu, but subsequently found out it was the lunch menu we had been given at reception. Staff made it for us anyway and we had a great meal. Breakfast is vast and there’s something for everyone.

The staff are a real asset at this place and so willing to please. Everyone from reception, to the waiting staff, the ladies who clean the rooms, and the garden staff. All very pleasant and helpful.

Somewhat annoying are the workers maintaining the trees in the gardens while people are trying to relax during the day. Today they were already here while we were having breakfast and are still here with their machinery at past 1.15 pm. However, it has to be said that the gardens are beautifully maintained, and there are plenty of beds and parasols. People who insist on reserving beds then not using them for some time are always a nuisance.

On balance we would love to come to this hotel again - It’s just lovely.

I have family living in Estepona so have been visiting this area for nearly 30 years, but this is the first time that we have stayed in this property and it will definitely not be the last.

We visited for my daughter’s 18th birthday and everything was amazing, the staff, food, rooms etc.

We particularly enjoyed spending time at the Neguri Beach Club where the food was excellent.

Special mention to Stephen in the hotel mens boutique, what a wonderful person, he was so friendly and helpful, the store was beautifully presented and he was very knowledgeable. Most definitely an asset to the hotel and their team.

Just a very quick thank you for a superb short break we had at the hotel in early June. Having spent many of the last 20 years at Don Pepe we were looking at an alternative due to its closure for its much needed and long overdue refurbishment. The room we stayed in, at the hotel, was the Del Mar suite and the decor, position on the front were second to none. The views were superb.

We were aware that Abel had moved to Hacienda Del Mar and after chatting with him we decided to give it a try in a hope of finding an alternative for our family holiday this year. We tried it and have now booked all the family in, in August🙂

As always, Abel’s attention, consideration and overall effort to please again shone through, backed by a great team. The location of this hotel is superb albeit the time of year we went the beaches were a little barren of furnishing, activities etc., but you are only a short walk/taxi drive from a selection of excellent restaurants and the ‘old town’ which is beautiful.

That said, we tended to stay around the hotel in the day and Neguri was a favourite spot for lunch over looking the sea, the food was always excellent. Whilst unfair to select any members of staff as all were very good we developed a good rapport with ‘Naughty Nina’ and ‘Noa’ in this restaurant and look forward to the same when we are back in August. We ate in El Burladero on the first evening and steak was very good.

The whole team from the reception staff (Juan, Isobel etc) to the bar staff (Christina and Jules?) maids etc., were exceptional and their acknowledgement of us was much appreciated.

Breakfast was excellent with a very varied choice and again the staff were all part of the team and worked hard to tend to your needs.

The drinks service around the pool was also very good however we felt unsure as to the process of obtaining beds and towels unlike at the Don Pepe where Raul and Raff attended to everybody’s needs. This is not a criticism of the staff just more I think they need direction as to their actual role.

The whole design and feel of the hotel has been worked through to an exceptionally high standard, so well done Gran Melia on that.

Abel, again, many thanks for encouraging us to stay at Del Mar as we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and look forward to see you all in August.

Mark & Jenny

We know the area well and had often stayed at the Don Pepe, a sister hotel, which was closed for refurbishment. So we booked and were delighted with our choice.
Many of the staff were with the Kempinski before Melia took over but their enthusiasm and expertise had not dissipated. The new managers were abslutely spot-on. Highly professional, always "visible" and clearly concerned to beat what was already a high standard. No hotel stay of any length is without the odd problem but anything we mentioned was dealt with immediately. We made a couple of suggestions for the future and were confident that they would be actioned. We were there for 2 and a half weeks and have booked again for even longer later in the year.
We found a friend at the Benibeca Boutique. Stephen Jaundrill is a great personality and brightened every day with his warmth as well as stocking some great merchandise in which his pride and depth of knowledge were impressive.
The Hotel isn't cheap but it's worth every euro.

Hacienda Del Mar
The hotel is just a short taxi ride from Estepona, where you'll find a huge choice of restaurants, bars, and shops

There are two on-site restaurants. We didn't try one of them as the menu didn't particularly appeal to us. The other, Negroni, is where we had lunch on most days. It enjoys a wonderful setting, and while the menu wasn't entirely to our taste, we always found something enjoyable and appreciated the relaxed atmosphere. The position of this restaurant is amazing and although it’s within the hotel grounds it’s literally on the beach.
The grounds are beautiful, with plenty of sunbeds, several pools, and lots of space to relax and sunbathe. ✔️ We stayed in a very large suite with panoramic views, the room was outstanding.
Breakfast reminded us a little of the main restaurant at Don Pepe, everything fresh, beautifully presented and served on the amazing outside patio area.
Would we stay again? The answers, YES!
as long as we had the same room.
It was also nice to see two familiar faces, Helvia and Abel, both of whom were in their usual positions and as always, ready and willing to assist with anything and everything.
Most evenings we took a taxi into Estepona. The fare was around €10 each way, and we typically spent between €100 and €150 per couple on an evening out
The hotel has taken on many staff from the former Kempinski Hotel. Some did not appear to be quite as polished as the team we were accustomed to at Don Pepe. However, as the hotel has only been under Meliá's management for two months, we're sure there will be many improvements and refinements over the coming months and we are truly looking forward to our return visit in September.
Following this stay l will update you all with another review and I’m sure I will be reposting that there will have been many improvements under the GM Celine who was extremely helpful when making our original reservation, no doubt we will make contact and meet up with her on our September Visit.

We had an amazing stay at the recently refurbished hotel.

From the moment we booked, we had Abel, one of the managers, get in touch and offer us his welcome to the hotel. He was available and assisted us throughout.

All of the staff are extremely friendly and welcoming.

We had an amazing room, which was immaculate. The cleaning team were fantastic and so friendly. Stopping to engage with our daughter on every visit.

We had an amazing 10 days and could not recommend the hotel, team and facilities highly enough!

5 stars!!!

I stayed here with my partner and 3 year old daughter from the 8th-11th May and I can not stop thinking about this hotel!
It is expensive but it is worth every penny!

My daughter had an unfortunate accident during our stay and cut her head open and within minutes staff were available to administer first aid. Abel the guest service manager went ABOVE & BEYOND to assist our family. He personally drove us to the hospital and collected us to take us back to the hotel, once back he arranged champagne on ice, dessert and a fruit basket to our room with a teddy for our daughter! He also assisted my partner with finding a way for him to watch a football match when it was not being shown on TV.
A pool attendant (I am sad to not remember his name) administered first aid calmly and promptly and was a pleasure everyday to help us around the pool, bringing us sunbed cushions and laying towels as soon as we arrived to the pool. He often chatted to my partner about football and martial arts around the pool, he is very personable and also a credit to the hotel.
The ladies at kids club also came and found us at the pool to see how our daughter was as she visited everyday to do activities with them. They are very polite and did arts & crafts with her very patiently as she is shy.

ALL staff are polite and you really feel you have the best service Spain has to offer, all staff greeted you as you pass.

Rooms are very modern and exceptionally clean, there is twice a day housekeeping so upon returning from dinner of an evening your room would be reset all over again with new towels, bottles of water & chocolates left and belongings tidied up which was amazing.
Rooms have everything you need from tooth hygiene kits with toothbrushes and toothpaste. There’s mini handcreams for your bag and lip balm which get replenished!!
Hair straighteners and hair dryer. Even a clothes steamer.
You really could just pack clothes and come here with nothing else!

Food is exceptional, for breakfast everything is fresh and amazing quality. You can choose from fresh fruits strawberries, dragon fruits,
Passion fruits etc which other hotels do not offer freely. Baked goods, continental breakfasts/cereals. You can also order from a menu and it will be cooked for you such as avacado on toast, English breakfast, pancakes.

The hotel grounds and pools are stunning and so peaceful. We often felt like we were the only guests as it was not busy. We had the pick of Bali beds and any sun loungers we wanted, there is no getting up early and reserving loungers at this hotel, there’s no need.
We did not visit the adults pool but of the two others one is heated very nicely.
Staff from the beach club come around and you can order drinks to your lounger.

Beach club where you can get lunch has lobsters in a tank to order and fresh fish in an ice cabinets you can view. Cocktails are amazing and fresh. All drinks were the highest quality.

Handy info: Aldi is 10mins away if you need any bits. Also some booking sites say kids club starts at 4 years but it is actually 5 years.

Overall if you want luxury this is the place to book you will not regret it!
We would love to stay again and will have to start saving up to do so as it’s a place I definitely want to return. I miss it already!

Recently stayed at this hotel, everything about it was amazing. The staff was incredibly helpful at all times, the hotel itself was beautiful, very modern and comfortable.

I’d also like to extend my gratitude to the Guest Experience manager Mr Abel Lopez Ybarra Muñoz who ensured that my partner and I had a memorable weekend.

Definitely recommend this hotel for anyone looking to stay in Estepona.

We stayed at Hacienda Del Mar for a week starting 29th April 2026.
First impressions of the hotel were that of a beautifully appointed hotel and carefully curated grounds.
Check in was very relaxed, no standing at a high desk we were comfortably seated with a glass of cava in our hand. Our luggage was then whisked away and we were offered to take our time to finish our drink in the terrace, a really lovely touch.
We were very impressed with the fine detail. Everything seemed considered, from the beautiful furnishings and art in the hotel lobbies to the well equipped and comfortable bedrooms.
The grounds were immaculate and beautifully maintained with lush green lawns and tropical plants. An amazing place to relax on a sun bed. The staff bringing towels and cushions, putting up a parasol whenever needed.
There are three pools, all sparkling and again kept immaculately clean.
The hotel backs straight onto the promenade and we took advantage of walking both directions. Beautiful views and plenty to see.
We stayed on a half board basis which suited us really well. There were three restaurants, one for breakfast, one for lunch and one for dinner.
The breakfast restaurant was stunning with seating inside and out. Outside overlooked the beautiful grounds down to the sea, we even saw a dolphin jumping in the distance one day.
Lunch was offered in Neruda, a chic beach lounge offering fresh fish dishes, meats and salads. We enjoyed sea bass perfectly cooked over coals served at the table.
Evening meals were in El Burladero restaurant, again, gorgeous surroundings to enjoy great food and drinks.
Service here was amazing too with Ramon and his colleagues going the extra mile to make our evenings special. We particularly enjoyed the steak.
The staff and service team were all marvellous, they worked happy together as a team and it showed.
Room service, the room was spotless, serviced every morning and night, and the little chocolates were delicious, a nod to old fashioned hospitality.
Loved everything about this wonderful hotel. A lovely experience.

Great hotel, service was excellent, Abel was exceptional taking care of everything.
Really enjoyed dinner at the Burladero, Antonio was really helpful.
Special thanks to Elvia who is always willing to go a step further to make our stay extra special

Great resort with some really great employees. Alan from Tortugas Restarant allowed us to stay in our pool lounges and still get excellent lunch service! Thank you Alan!

The recreation department was terrific. Alejandro made me an ankle band to wear home and remind me of wonderful memories. Nathalie, our water aerobics instructor was inspirational AND she had a beautiful voice when she sang along with her favorite songs! Thank you Rec department!

Go into pitahyas restaurant and get the best service from Naftali or have breakfast at Tomtoes and be met by Fatima’s smiling face.

The staff is not only friendly but also competent. Nothing to complain about here!

Beautiful property in a great location. Be aware the hotel is rebranding from Kempinski to Melia and will be closed from Oct 1, 2025 until April1 , 2026 when it reopens under the Melia banner. Hope a large portion of the staff is retained as the service and hospitality were awesome (especially the breakfast ladies!)

Lovely hotel right on the beach with fabulous gardens and pool. Well appointed rooms. Quiet location 8-10euro cab ride from town.

If i had to gribble then i would suggest that accessible access for the disabled to the gardens and pool is not good with a steep slope and uneven crazy paved path. The alternative is lots of steps. Either way its not good. I couldn’t see a pool hoist for those in need.

Sadly the hotel will close for the winter as the new owners Melia come in. Let us hope they keep the quality and improve the accessibility in their improvements.