Hotel Fenix Torremolinos

We booked a 2-week stay at the end of October with half board (breakfast and dinner).

LOCATION: We chose this hotel due to its location and its easy access from the beach level to the city centre level via its elevator. There are lots of grocery markets, restaurants, bars, and shops very close by. The Torremolinos train station that runs from Malaga to Fuengirola is only short walk from the hotel.

ROOM: We opted for a balcony room with king bed. The room was well-cleaned daily.
• BED: The mattress, pillows, sheets and blankets were very comfortable. It is true that the walls are paper thin, so learning of this through other guest reviews, we requested a room that was very far from the elevator to avoid noisy passerby guests in the corridor.
• CLOSET: The closet contained a small 3-drawer dresser, a free to use digital safe large enough to store a laptop, extra pillows, two blankets, and a duvet comforter. I brought with me several plain drycleaner hangers as I find there are never enough hangers in a hotel closet.
• BALCONY: The balcony was a bit small with the floor tilted a bit outwards to drain water. There were two chairs and a small table. An ashtray can be requested without issue. Tip: Don't leave the patio door opened when smoking on the balcony as the room's smoke alarm is sensitive.
• DESK / COFFEE: The desk contains 2 drawers for extra needed storage. There is an electric kettle and a few instant coffee packets, tea bags, sugar, and creamers available upon arrival. If you request more coffee or tea, these are then charged. If you have the breakfast meal option, there are tea bags and instant coffee packets available at the buffet that you can bring back to your room. There were two small water bottles available upon arrival. Two ceramic mugs were available. Tip: We ordered online some single brand name instant coffee packets that we brought with us from Canada so we could have coffee in the room before heading to the breakfast buffet.
• NIGHTSTANDS: These contained a drawer for additional storage, and the outlet for the lamps included USB ports to charge phones and electronics.
• TV / WIFI: The TV contained lots of channels in English, French, German, Italian, and others. The WIFI signal was strong throughout the hotel.
• REFRIGERATOR: The small fridge is not stocked. It worked well, and was large enough to fit beer, wine, snacks, etc. that we purchased in the local markets.
• AIR CONDITIONING: Worked very well and was extremely silent.

BATHROOM: The bathroom was standard with shower, toilet, and sink.
• SHOWER: It contained a clothesline that you can pull out. There was a rain shower head and a movable spray head. Wall-mounted shower gel/shampoo combo was in a pump format.
• HOOKS: There were two hooks on the wall behind the bathroom door.
• SINK AREA: The counter space and shelf beneath the sink were sufficient to hold our 2 weeks' worth of personal stuff. Some basic amenities are included (body lotion, shampoo, etc.), and there is a wall-mounted hand soap pump dispenser.
• TOWELS: The towels were good, not stained, and comfortable. We had 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels, and a terry bathmat that you can have changed daily if you wished so. Tip: Facecloths are not typical in Europe, so we always bring our own.

RESTAURANT: We enjoyed our breakfast and dinner meals on the roof top terrace with beautiful views of the sea, beach area and the town. Some of the sunrises were magnificent.
• BREAKFAST BUFFET: Every morning the buffet contained a good variety of choices. Hot choices usually consisted of Spanish tortilla, scrambled eggs, grilled eggs, bacon, black pudding, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, etc. – all the ingredients for a full English breakfast. Other warm foods included waffles, pancakes, churros, etc. You can also have omelettes and eggs cooked to order. There was a good variety of fresh fruit, breads, sweet danishes, doughnuts, yogurts, cheeses, hams, salamis, cereals, milk, juice, sparkling wine (cava), water, sparkling water, and lots more. A toaster is onsite, as well a large machine to select coffee, espresso, cappuccino, hot water, etc. Tip #1: Drinks such as coffee, tea, waters, sparkling wine, juice, etc. are only included in the breakfast buffet and not in the dinner buffet. Tip #2: If you need to leave the hotel in the morning before 8 am for an excursion or checking out for your flight, inform reception and they will arrange that the restaurant will open earlier for coffee and some cold breakfast items.
• DINNER BUFFET: There was good variety, and some appetizer and main course items changed from daily. Each evening there was a carving station with either pork roast, chicken, duck, or turkey, etc. The soup changed daily. There were good choices of vegetables, rice, potatoes, meats, and the buffet included a cooked to order pasta station. One evening there was a vegetable stir fry cooked to order with all ingredients to make your own fajita. Every night there were gazpacho verrines, and a choice of individual portions of appetizers as well as cheeses, breads, etc. The salad bar held a good selection, as well as the various Spanish olive oils and balsamic and red wine vinegars. The Spanish wines were offered at a very reasonable price by the glass (approx. 2 euros) or bottles ranging from 9 to 11 euros. When you order a bottle and do not finish it, ask the server to store it for another time and they will include a label with your room number. A good choice of desserts was also in place. We were there during Halloween and the cooks did an amazing job with the buffet items decorated in a Halloween theme.

SERVICES:
• STAFF: From reception, food & beverage, to housekeeping staff, all were pleasant and professional.
• POOL: The beautiful infinity pool is not heated and was chilly in October. Bali beds and loungers in place were well kept. The food truck was not open when we were there.
• GYM, SPA, AND VIP SECTION: I cannot comment as we did not use these.
• NIGHTY ENTERTAINMENT: We did not attend these, but there were a few evenings where either singing or magic acts were scheduled in the hotel's theatre.

OVERALL: We would return to this hotel when in the area as we enjoyed the location, and the uniqueness and practicality of its elevator to easily take us from the beach area to the town area without needing to walk up and down the many stairs. The hotel, although standard, was very comfortable and we would again select the half board meal plan without hesitation. [Détails]