Hotel Bajamar Centro in Nerja

I probably would have given this hotel a 4 or even a 5 given its location, its cleanliness, the reception staff and the stunning view from my third floor room.

However, unfortunately, halfway through my trip, on Wednesday 2 April, I came back to discover that someone had gone through my luggage, which was locked with a padlock, and an envelope containing Euros had disappeared.

In the interests of fairness it does say on the door of the room that the hotel is not responsible if you do not put valuables in the room safety deposit box and that is what I was told when I reported it.

Fair enough, although they are not foolproof as staff can access them with master keys or codes – after all, how do they re-set it after a guest has used it and have it ready for the next one.

I was a little surprised at the lack of reaction/empathy, just that it is your fault and tough, rather than look at the bigger picture that someone had been into my room, looked for my luggage which was kept under the bed and locked with a padlock. I would have thought that this should have at least raised a few alarm bells with them – could happen to someone else.

This individual(s) had taken the time to look around for the key, which was hidden under a pillow on the top shelf of the wardrobe, unlocked the case, rifled through my belongings and then took the envelope with money in it, locked the case back up and put it under the bed – so clearly in there for a while.

Also to note that this hotel does not have CCTV, at least not on the third floor anyway.

Whilst the views were excellent from the balcony, given my experience obviously not somewhere I would ever stay again and left feeling very disappointed and upset.

I have been fortunate to stay in many places (including a few in Nerja) and something like this has never, ever happened to me before – it has certainly left a very bitter taste in my mouth.

In fact, it is the first time (and hopefully the last!) I have ever had to write a bad review about somewhere I have stayed.

We stayed at Bajamar Hotel and were disappointed by the experience, despite the staff being polite and helpful during our stay.

The hotel was noticeably older and more worn than it appeared in the photos online. Our first room had serious problems: the bed was actually broken (see photo attached), and the air conditioning unit — easily the oldest I’ve seen in a long time — made loud noises all night before eventually shutting off completely. We barely slept.

Staff arranged a room change the next night, which we appreciated, but it meant packing up and moving rooms at 11pm.

We contacted the hotel after our stay to request a refund for the first night, given how unusable the room was. They declined and instead offered a vague “special offer” for a future visit, which doesn’t feel like a fair resolution.

The staff were professional, but the condition of the room and the lack of accountability from management mean we won’t be returning.