This is my second time I have stayed in Aparthotel Monarque Sultan this year, and this time I brought my camera to show you around.
Affordable hotels in Marbella are quite sparse – the city is known more for flashy holiday resorts and beach clubs than value for money accommodation.
I found this hotel on booking.com and it really stood out from the rest thanks to the generous size of the rooms, complete with fully equipped kitchens, large terrace with sun loungers and reasonable prices.
As we travel as a family of three, having that extra room with sofabed makes a big difference, and in this hotel you get double the space for the same amount of money you would pay for a tiny 40 square meter room in standard hotel.
It is also in a very convenient location, just a few minutes walk to the beach promenade and located near the bus stop.
Here is a review of my stay at the Aparthotel Monarque Sultan Marbella.
Location
The hotel is located in a quiet residential area, overlooking lush gardens with hotel pool on one side and palm lined street on the other side.
If you continue strolling down the Calle Arturo Rubinstein, in just 5 minutes you will end up at the beach promenade next to the Comercial Plaza del Mar shopping center (which looks like an old derilict building). From there, you have plenty of options for dining and access to a number of beaches.
Bus Connection
If you’re arriving with a bus, the nearest bus stop is on the main road just a short walk away – the bus stop is called Porcelanosa stop, and buses number L-60, L-77, L79, M-220 (Fuengirola bus), L-80 and L-82 stop here. For return journey you will see a bus stop on the opposite side of the road where you got off.
Parking
If you’re coming with a car, your first question will be probably parking options.
The hotel has on site parking which costs 15 euros per day but cannot be booked in advance.
If you prefer to park elsewhere, the nearest parking will be One Park at Av. Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe 97 (just a 5 minute walk from the hotel), which costs 13.60 euros for 24 hours, and discounts available for longer stays.
One week will set you back approximately 35 euros, according to their website.
Stores & Other Shops in the Area
I often like to have breakfast in the room, so the first thing I normally look for are food stores. Near the hotel, you will find a big Mercadona shop just accross the big main road, and if you want to drive down a couple of kilometers towards Puerto Banus, there is a big Lidl and Carefour supermarket too.
If you want to pop for breakfast outside of the hotel, there are two small cafes at the Calle Ramon Gomez de la Serna, only 2 minutes walk from the hotel – Cafe de Ronda, and La Terraca (I haven’t tested them myself).
For a healthy bite with a nice view, I would recommend strolling down to the promenade and turning left – at the ground floor of the shopping mall you will see Manuka restaurant.
Closest Beaches
The hotel is very close to a number of beaches: La Fontanilla Beach (250m), Casablanca Beach (300m), El Faro Beach (700m), Venus Beach (1.2km).
Distance to Places of Interest
What’s there to explore near the hotel? Old town and Plaza de Naranjos are 1.4km away (an easy and pleasant longer walk), Monte Paraiso Golf is just accross from the hotel (1.1 km). Marbella Bus Station is 1.4km away, Roman Villa of Rio Verde 4.2km and La Canada Shopping Centre 2.7km.
The Reception Area & Restaurant
The hotel looks very nice and polished from outside, but inside its a completely different story.
Yes, it is fairly dated.
The decor feels quite tired and looks like it hasn’t been updated since the 90s.
The lobby area is very spacious with reception desk on the right side, and the entrance to their Palmyra restaurant on the left side. This is where the breakfast is also served.
On my first stay here, I had breakfast in the hotel restaurant – as expected it wasn’t really great value for money with fairly limited selection, but at the same time it was certainly better than I had in other more expensive hotels (for example the Parador de Gibralfaro hotel, where the breakfast costs twice as much).
I would say the common areas of the hotel look very dated, but the rooms I found were in much better condition, which is why I wasn’t put off booking it.
The checkin was smooth and without any hassle, and upon checkout we were also able to leave our luggage behind in a storage room, which is always a big bonus.
Standard One Bedroom Appartment: The Living Room
The apartments are really spacious – around 60 square meters each with a very large terrace.
The room opens up to the living room area, with a small kitchen on your right side as you enter, and entrance to the double bed room on the left side.
With clean lines and minimum clutter, the room felt very stylish and inviting.
The sofa expands to a single bed, and there was also a small dining area with round table and chairs.
The Kitchen
The small kitchen is well equipped for longer holiday stays – it has cups, glasses, plates, cooking pots, cutlery and everything else you need. The only thing that was missing for me was a kettle, so I couldn’t make any tea in the morning.
It also had a small dishwasher, which saves you a lot of time – the last thing you want to do on holiday is to clean the dishes.
The Bedroom
The bedroom has a lot of light coming in from the terrace and features two single beds (often described as double bed in hotel listings) and very spacious closet space with full length mirrors on each side.
As I was visiting in the winter (November), I was expecting a proper duvet to be available, but they only put an extra blanket on top of a very thin cover. Needless to say, its impossible to get cold as you can set the air conditioning unit to the temperature you want.
The room opens up to a small corridor with the built in wardrobes and an en-suite bathroom.
I was really happy with the size of the room and the quality of the furnishing, the only thing that was a little annyoing was the thin walls neigbouring with the next room. You can hear conversations from the next apartment pretty clearly, especially if someone raises their voice.
The Bathroom
The bathroom was pretty big with grey tiles all over and blue furnishing touches. I had a large bath tub with shower and all the other standard utilities.
The only thing that was dissapointing was the amount of plastic used on their toilettries – every single thing was individually wrapped in a separate plastic package, and stuffed into a big plastic envelope, as seen on the photo below.
The Terrace
The terrace is really the show stopper of the apartment – its huge!
I’m not sure how much sun does it get in the afternoon, but there were two sun loungers available in case you prefer to rest on the terrace. The terrace is divided from the next door by a wall with a gap on the top, so privacy might be a bit of an issue.
The terrace in our appartment overlooked the gardens and the hotel pool. With no busy street behind, it felt really peaceful and quiet.
Final Thoughts
I was really happy with my stay at the hotel and the overal value it provides. Yes, its not a shiny flashy place like most of those in Marbella, but its excellent value for money and in unbeatable location.
If you’re travelling with a family, or want a holiday on a budget, this place is a great option!
More Places to Explore in Malaga
The Glamorous Gran Hotel Palacio Miramar, Malaga
Dining at Muelle Uno: Cambara Restaurant, Malaga
Castillo de Gibralfaro, Malaga
Hotel Parador de Málaga Gibralfaro
Where is Malaga? All Your Questions Answered
Thanks for your time showing me the Monarwue Sultan, it looks beautiful and I’m sure we will enjoy our stay
Thank you Glen, I will be back in that place soon too! Lucia