Puente Romano Hotel in Marbella

We stayed at Puente Romano for a week, and overall it is a mixed experience. Some areas truly impressed us, while others fell short for a resort of this calibre.

Firstly, what an amazing resort. You really feel like you are walking through a botanical garden. The grounds are beautifully maintained, and the atmosphere is serene and luxurious. The restaurants are outstanding, and the breakfast selection can easily satisfy even the pickiest eaters. The facilities, including the pools, tennis club, and beach, were all excellent, and we genuinely enjoyed spending time around the property.

However, the room experience was disappointing. For a hotel of this standard, I expected more attention to detail. The handheld shower head is mounted far too low, which means you are forced to use the rainfall shower instead. Unfortunately, the water temperature between the two was very different, with the handheld being much hotter, which was uncomfortable when switching. The bathtub showed visible signs of wear and even some mould, so we decided not to use it. The towel rail setup is also poorly thought out, as there are only two hooks, both used for bathrobes, leaving nowhere to hang towels. The steamer and board were a nice touch, but there was nowhere practical to set them up. The coffee cups in the room were very pretty, but they did not fit the coffee machine, which made it almost impossible to use without spilling.

One night, we had a terrible experience when our room key stopped working at around 1 a.m. I had to walk to reception, after a few drinks, to reactivate the card, but when I returned, it still did not work. After calling the hotel and being transferred twice, concierge eventually sent someone with a new card about 25 minutes later. The receptionist’s handling of the situation was shockingly poor.

Another issue was the language barrier. For a five-star resort that hosts international guests, I expected staff to have a reasonable level of English. On multiple occasions, I had to repeat myself several times for simple requests such as asking for a buggy at checkout. A mix-up at the tennis club was particularly frustrating, as I booked two padel courts but was told I had booked a tennis lesson instead.

Lastly, service at Six Senses breakfast one morning was chaotic. After being seated, we asked three different staff members for coffee. It took around 15 minutes before it finally arrived, twice. I understand that breakfast can get busy, but either more staff or better coordination would make a big difference.

Overall, Puente Romano is a stunning resort with world-class facilities and dining, but the service inconsistency and room maintenance issues really let it down. With a few improvements in staff training and attention to detail, it could truly live up to its five-star reputation.