Kempinski Hotel Bahia Estepona

I have just finished reading a negative review of this hotel and I have got to put the record straight! This is by far one of the most outstanding hotels I have ever been too. Like the gentleman who left the negative review, I too have been to many 5* hotels all over the world and have never been so impressed as I was on my first stay at The Kempinski! Firstly the overall look of the hotel is unbelievable, with an outstanding lobby that looks right onto the pool area, with beautiful marble floors and a luxurious finish.

We had booked to stay in a fairly standard room and when my partner told reception that it was a birthday trip for myself, they upgraded us to a 'Diamond Suite'. This room was absolutely gorgeous, I don't even know where to start! The huge queen size bed was the main feature with a beautifull soft linen cover, the bathroom was also immaculate with a huge tub and large 2 persons shower, his and her bathrobes and double marble sinks. I think the balcony had to be my most favourite part of the room though, it could not have had a better view, overlooking not only the pool but also the private beach and beautifull sea- my partner and I had so many lovely evenings sitting out there and just admiring the stunning surroundings.

The rest of the hotel was also completely flawless - the pools, sun loungers and private beach were all fantastic. The restaurant outside where you could get lunch had impeccable service and the food was to die for, the snack bar was also extremely handy and full of tasty treats and cold drinks.

We didn't eat at the hotel every night but we did spend our first night dinning at the a la carte restaurant and again I could not fault this in any way. My partner Daniel has a wheat allergy and the staff could not have beeen anymore helpfull in producing him with a completely gluten free meal. The food is very expensive and also very fiddly food but it melts in the mouth and is exactly the quality you would expect to find at a top class London restaurant. The breakfast was also out of this world with the buffet including cavier and champagne- every type of fruit juice - freshly made pancakes and omlettes at your request and all eaten overlooking the beautifull pools and sea.

I really cannot fault this hotel and no 5* hotel I have been to since has ever matched up to this one. I do think that the gentleman who gave a negative report was unlucky in that he went at a very busy time of year where there was alot going on and I can imagine it is not a very relaxing time to visit this hotel. I went in June and the hotel was quiet, the weather amazing and I had the best holiday of my life.

Daniel and I are returning this June for 10 days this time and we would never stay anywhere other then the Diamond Suite. I cannot wait! Please do not be put off by any negative comments because this hotel is certainly a 5 * class if not more!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ive thought long and hard in writing this review, but can not give it a better rating that what i have done.

I consider myself a traveller who knows what to expect from a hotel especially in the 5 star category and I do my research.

We had booked from the 28 Dec- 1 Jan - 195 euros plus tax at 7 percent.

I did a lot of research in booking this hotel, i made it clear with hotels when looking to make a reservation that i was visiting Estepona to see friends and would not want to participate in the full gala NY celebrations at the hotels which worked out about 400 euros plus tax per person, my preferred hotel the Gran Elba wouldnt take a reservation because it was compulsory for guests to do the NY eve celebrations... I booked the Kempinski because i was told not a problem and the hotel would be full service,

The good bits.

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Firstly the hotel has a nice lobby area a wonderful terrace, the gardens and pool are outstanding so is the spa, the lifts are a bit tired and the rooms quite bland for a 5 star, need a bit more luxury as i feel they are quite corporate, and not worth the money. The H10 down the road and only a four star is much better value, and the rooms are quite similar, I would rate the hotel more of a 4 star, not a leading hotel.

The bathroom is very good and large with a huge seperate shower, the maid and turndown service was excellent, the balcony is also very nice.

There is nice selection of shops off the lobby, although not cheap.

The doorman service on arrival was not there

The porter service was good on arrival but no assistance on checking out.

Now the complaint- total misinformation

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Far to much obvious maitenance going on, painting window cleaning, repainting in the spa, totally not on for 5 star hotel.

On arrival and during my stay i was advised there was only one bar open and lunch/ dinner was only in the lobby resturarnt, a bit strange for a leading hotel, with a limited lobby menu and seating.

Only on our third night did we find out the hotel had a lovely bar next to the resturant where breakfast was served and this was only becuase when we arrived back to the hotel on the 30th Dec at about 8pm the hotel had closed it self down in the bar and lobby area, i was told i could only eat off room service. But there was a bar down stairs but it didnt serve food.

Imagine my surpise to find attached to the bar was an a la carte resturant with an approx 2 hour wait, the service in the bar was really bad, one girl serving drinks in the bar and also for the resturant, totally run off her feet and it wasnt busy, 2 men for the resturant, i witnessed guests getting fed up waiting approx 2 hours for there dinner reservation and on one occassion one guest asked three time over a period of an hour for a bottle of wine to be served to him in the bar.

Then i saw people in the bar eating club sandwiches so i complained that i had been misinformed about food, i was given a complimentary cheese platter.

The resturant advised it was open on new years eve, which would have been ideal for myself and my friends then the manager said it wasnt. Concierge told me it was.

i asked to speak to a duty manager at 10.30pm to be told no one was available as they had all gone home.



This was a big concern for me as that same morning i had been told nothing would be open after breakfast on New Year Eve, even half board guests would have to eat off room service, and i would not be able to even return to the hotel and have a drink later on in the eveing unless i paid 120 euros plus tax per person to join in the celebrations after 11.30 and this only permitted me to drinks.

At the same time the NY eve reservations were limited and they couldnt accommodate us at that moment, they did say they would look into us being able to join the later celebrations if we wanted to but they never came back to me. So then we started to panic as it was apparent we could not enjoy the hotel on the 31st. This actually took place from 4pm on the 30th.

As on the the morning of the 31 a board appeared , informing that from the previous night the hotel had a very limited service.

We had also been told taxis were on srike so could not leave the district of Estepona as we would not be able to get back, eventually the conceierge made a call to a taxi company to be advised there was no strike.

On the morning of the 31st i requested to speak to a duty manager as i wanted some clarification of what was going on, the lobby area and terrace was out of use as this whole area was being set up for the gala dinner, the main doors to the hotel you couldnt even access and to leave the hotel meant climbing over drum kits, wires etc.

A duty manager Stephen Post came to see at about 11am, this was my third request, at this point we had decided to check out and to go to the Don Pepe in Marbella.

This duty manager was absoutely useless, unhelpful and not bothered, they took our money and let us leave with out even trying to make our stay better for us, i was nice, calm didnt shout, but they clearly didnt give a damm, there big earner for new year was the priority.

I have a reservation at there new hotel in dubai, i would never cross the doorway of a KemPinski hotel ever again.

I am making a formal complaint.

Mrs Watkins

The hotel was absolutely amazing. This was the third time we returned to the Kempinski and we would still return again. The reception are very helpful and the concierge knew every hotel around Marbella, Peurto Banús and Estepona and he made all the reservations. When the hotel make reservations, the table given is always one of the best in the restaurant to promote more Kempinski guests going to the restaurant. The atmosphere is always great and the other guests there are very friendly. The food is very pricey, so ensure that when bringing children, have them order of the children's menu. When travelling with smaller children (under 12), they will get a free gift each time they order off the kids menu from the 4 restaurants. We had 2 interconnecting diamond rooms which are always the best for what we need. Full sea view to wake up to every morning it, it was truly spectacular. Well recommended!

Went to this hotel for a 3 night stay this July. The service at reception was really good and the rooms (we had an interconnecting with the two boys (4) and (6) were really great. The kids were really made to feel welcome with kids menus at each of the restaurants and they were even given toys the first time they ate at each of the them. The big disappointment for us was the kids club. My boys did not even want to go to a kids club until they met lots of other kids at the hotel so when they all decided they wanted to go to play football, do some clay, painting (the activity menu in the kids club is quite comprehensive) we were over the moon as this meant a few hours lounging by the delightful pools in the tranquil setting all by ourselves. Sadly this was not meant to be. We all arrived at the kids club with great expectations and were met by a lovely girl who could barley speak English - we were all english!! She did not ask for our room numbers nor where she could find us in a an emergency. We asked about the football and were shown this deflated ball which she said was all they had. Also no clay to be had in the whole place. We went from great expectations of a lovely lounge by the pool to baby minding all the kids on a rota basis. We could not leave them there alone as we were not confident, so each parent stayed to keep an eye on each others kids for an allotted time - not quite the relaxing time we had in mind. Someone did complain to the management about the lack of 'kids club' facilities, bearing in mind they had offered a comprehensive program, and to the hotel's defence they rushed out to buy all different clays in various colours - by this time we had to give up on the kids club. It is a great shame as the rest of the hotel is fab and the food a real treat. If they did something with the kids club - even if parents had to pay -it would be a dream place to go.

I can agree with all reviews in all aspects. The hotel is really wonderful and the best in Marbella area. We have checked another member of the Leading Hotels of the World - Puento Romano - which is closer to Marbella. Be sure Kempinski is much better though less expensive.

However you should bear in mind some very important things when planning your stay in Kempinski:

1. Car is essential especially if you plan to stay for more than a week. Taxi is not a problem at all. However we found that the car was absolutely necessary when travelling around and going to nearby restaurants and beaches.

2. The hotel doesn't have any promenade along the sea. So please do not expect this when planning your vacation.

3. The beach is absolutely terrible. It looks more like a construction site (by the way one of such sites you will see on the right hand side when facing the sea from the hotel). The only positive feature of the local beach is that it is quite lonely which may be explained again by its poor quality.

4. The sea is full of sea weed all the time. It is also quite cold most of the time even in the end of July.

In fact if you are ready to spend all your vacation around the pool this is the right place to go. If you enjoy sea this hotel cannot be recommended.

I can only agree with all the other reviews here. The hotel is excellent in all aspects. The food is first class - don't miss the seafood buffet on Friday nights served in the beachside restaurant and the Sunday Jazz lunch (make sure you book). The breakfast is also amazing. The pools and grounds are lovely and even though the hotel was full, you wouldn't know it as there is so much space in the grounds. We upgraded to a diamond room which was very large with a large bathroom. Estepona is a 10 minute drive away. Marbella is 20 minutes away and worth a trip, especially into the old part. Also visited Rhonda which is an hour away, but also worth a visit. I would definitely recommend the Kempinski to anyone to is visiting this part of Spain..it is the best!

Never been to Spain before and what a very pleasant and unexpected surprise this hotel was. An hour from Malaga airport, the Kempinski is extremely well appointed and deserving of it's 5 stars. Quiet and relaxed, it is surrounded by immaculate gardens and situated on a private stretch of beach. The bedroom was first class with a huge bathroom, the staff are unfailingly courteous and attentive, and the two restaurants are quite simply world class - in particular the fine dining restaurant - which was one of the top five meals we have ever had. Highly recommended, we shall return soon.

The Kempinski is a superb hotel, I cannot fault it

- we just wish we had been there longer! Direct

onto the beach with fabulous rooms (we had a

partial sea-view and small balcony). The beach

bar and hotel bar serve excellent food (and

desserts!) and the breakfast was

incredible..freshly made omelettes to order were a

dream. The spa is also fantastic and there is

every possible treatment available - I highly

recommend the reiki and reflexology. Truly the

best hotel I have ever stayed in. Short taxi trip

to Estepona was worth it - nice beach front and

shops and walk along the promenade - watch the

sardines being cooked on the beach. Slightly

longer taxi trip into Puerto Banus which is also

great fun - not to be missed. The Kempinski is a

luxurious hotel which made us feel like royalty!

Me and my girlfriend stayed at the Kempinski last summer for a week, wow what a place! I had previously gone there for some lunch with my parents whilst on holiday with them 3 weeks before, the moment i entered the reception i fell in love with the place, and knew i had to go there!! immediately i booked for a deluxe room, and was given a special rate for the times i wanted to stay there, bonus!

When i stayed there it was a suprise for my girlfriend, and i hadn't told her that was were we were staying, when the lady showed us to our room my girlfriend opened the balcony doors and saw the breathtaking view, she cried her eyes out!! She had said she couldn't believe how beautiful the place was, and i have to agree. The room was very comfortable with a nice balcony overlooking grounds and the beach, beatiful bathroom, marble all over, bedroom spotless. As for the grounds, you have a choice of about 3 different pools to swim in, and in the gardens around you will be able to find your own private area with sun loungers and table to top that tan up, meanwhile the waiters and waitresses are around to see if people would like drinks or food, which will be taken to you. Just at your feet you have the lovely beach, which is sand! with some sun loungers and straw umbrellas to keep you out of the sun. The beach stretches for miles and miles which is lovely to walk and get some sea air. As for the restaurants, every morning you have breakfast buffet style, i have never seen such a selection of foods, fruits, drinks, cereals, meats, cheeses, fish, you name it they had it, even a lady in the middle cooking you an omelette or a boiled egg, pancake whatever you desired and more importantly with a smile, very friendly people. There are 2 other restaurants both lovely but for me personally a bit to fussy for me, elegant dining. Nearby things to do are estapona port with nice restaurants and little bars, and a market on sunday, to rummage around! A lovely restaurant you must visit whilst there is called Punta Sur. The restaurant is next to the Carrefour supermarket, u need go down some steps by the apartments next door leading to the beach. The sign is tiny so you might miss it, but im sure the local taxi drivers know where it is which the hotel can arrange anyway for you. The food is gorgeous, and very reasonable, another must! All in all this holiday was the best holiday ive ever had as well as my girlfriends. Nearby is Puerto Banus where the rich and famous wine and dine, a very busy place, with clubs, bars, restaurants and an unbeleivable atmosphere. In the square there is a massive shopping mall to buy anything you want. This hotel and overall experience of the place was something me and my girlfriend will never forget, we are hoping to go back this year too! And feel very grateful for the experience. Happy Holidays

My husband and I just returned from 5 days at the Kempiski, Estepona. The resort is beautiful! The grounds are lovely, the food fantastic, the pools tranquil, the rooms large and very nice and the staff top notch.

It lives up to it's five star rating, but lacks that certain something that other five stars (like Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons) have.

There's not much to the town of Estepona, but it grows on you. The harbor area is nice and although the old town it is not nearly as beautiful or large as Marbella (20 minutes away) it seems to be putting forth a good effort to attract tourism.

If you want to get away from it all, relax, eat well, have some great spa treatments and pretty much hang wround the resort, then this is the place. If you are looking to explore charming little Spanish towns and walk down craggy historic streets, go to Marbella.