Need to know
Rooms
197, including 105 suites.
Check–Out
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
More details
Rates include breakfast.
Also
The hotel has six accessible rooms suitable for wheelchair-users.
At the hotel
Gym, tennis and paddle courts, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: air-conditioning, TV with Chromecast, premium linens, minibar, free bottled water, free tea and coffee, a beach bag, bathrobes, and BelArt bath products.
Our favourite rooms
The open-plan Signature Suite has a convivial free-flowing layout, shades-of-cream detailing, and a spacious, furnished terrace made for sundowners.
Poolside
There are three pools at La Zambra, including family friendly options. There’s a heated indoor pool at the spa, which is open from 10am–8pm for over-16s only; an outdoor, unheated pool, kid friendly pool with lifeguard; and La Bartola’s outdoor, unheated and kid-friendly pool. From April-October the lifeguard-served pool is open from 10am to 8pm, while the rest of the year it closes at 6pm.
Spa
Mood Spa occupies a bright, relaxing and plant-dotted space, framed by archways: tucked into its cosseting quarters are 12 treatment rooms (choose from one of five spa ‘journeys’ before commencing your spa day). Mood Spa is open to hotel residents and day guests; those staying in junior suites and above get free access to the spa’s water circuit and hot areas. After a sauna/steam, take a dip in the pool or a whirl in the Jacuzzi, then head out to the spa’s terrace to relax. Sign up to a yoga class (adaptable to all levels and held daily) in a light-drenched 500-square-metre studio or head to the 24-hour gym kitted out with Technogym machines. There are also tennis and paddle courts on-site (from €25 an hour).
Packing tips
Swimwear and cover-ups are de rigueur… Take sports kit for runs in the sun and games of paddle tennis; outdoorsy threads for foothill forays; Flamenco-inspired glamour for balmy Andalusian nights.
Also
One-to-one as well as private group yoga classes are available on request.
Pet‐friendly
Dogs up to eight kilogrammes of weight are allowed, though not in certain areas of the hotel. There’s a €75 charge a night for each dog (no more than one dog in each room). See more pet-friendly hotels in Marbella.
Children
Bienvenido! Cots are available on request, there are two-bedroom family suites and interconnecting-room options. The kids' club is free for the first two hours on the first three days. After that, it’s available for an additional fee.
Best for
Kids of all ages.
Recommended rooms
King Rooms with a terrace sleep up to three. Two-bedroom Family Suites come with special amenities for little Smiths. There are connecting room options, too. Cots are available upon request.
Crèche
Open all year round, from 10am to 6pm, and included with your stay, the Baby Club, for infants aged from six months up to three years old, is overseen by specially trained staff and focuses on developmental play. For children aged four to 10, the Kids Club provides daytime entertainment, equipped with indoor and outdoor play areas and a choice of structured activities, including those with a focus on nature such as gardening, outdoor treasure hunts and eco-themed crafts.
Activities
The sandy shores along this stretch of the Costa del Sol are your beachy playground. Picasso’s art is visually striking enough to provide a family-friendly culture fix, so head to the museum in Málaga. Marbella’s marina is excellent for yacht-spotting (and lined with cafés), and check whether the donkeys are around for evening cart rides in Mijas Pueblo.
Swimming pool
Take a dip in the outdoor swimming pool dedicated to families, which is staffed by a lifeguard in high season.
Meals
Palmito’s children’s menu spans penne Bolognese to battered, boneless hake fillet with chips. And for dessert: a trio of ice-creams.
Babysitting
Available for a charge; two days’ notice required.
