Holiday Accommodation on the Costa del Sol

Going on holiday to the Costa del Sol? Vacationing in the province of Malaga? Find the right place to stay: self-catering accommodation, bed and breakfast, casas rurales, villas, cottages, budget hotels or backpacker hostels.

Spain welcomes over 52 million visitors each year; as such the tourism industry is very well developed in many areas, particularly the Costas and the islands (Balearics and Canaries). There are many types of vacation accommodation available.

See the AngloFILE for Hotels & Holiday Accommodation

A wide variety of accommodation is available on the Costa del Sol, with something to suit all budgets. There is a good selection of low-cost accommodation in most areas the favourable prices and popularity to young travellers means this kind of accommodation is quickly booked up during the summer months.

Paradores

The government created this hotel chain in 1928. Paradors are luxury hotels or inns located in special buildings such as converted Moorish fortresses, castles or monasteries. There are 85 of them around Spain and they remain state owned.

See these websites for more information and to find paradores:

Paradors.net
Paradores of Spain

Hotels

There are over 10,000 hotels in Spain falling into four category types recognised by a letter symbol:

H: Registered hotels
HR: Residential hotel with no dining facility
HA: Hotels with self-catering apartments
CV: Holiday complexes

Hotels in Spain operate with a star rating:

5 star: Outstanding, luxury hotel
4 star: Highly superior hotel
3 star: Highly comfortable, tourist hotel
2 star: Good standard, tourist hotel
1 star: Average standard, tourist hotel

The large number of hotels on the Costa del Sol means that discounted stays can often be found either on web-based reservation portals or via a travel agent. Marbella and Puerto Banus tend to have top-end hotels.

Hostals

Do not confuse a Hostal with a Hostel. A Hostal is small private hotel with limited facilities and services; a competitively priced alternative to a hotel.

Pensión/Fonda/Casa de Huespedes

A pensión is a small but basic hotel usually offering a room but no dining facilities. A fonda is similar but has a small restaurant or dining room. A casa de huespedes is similar to a guest house.

Casas Rurales/Fincas/Villas

These are country houses available to rent. They range from large sprawling houses with large gardens to small, compact cottages in the country.

Fincas are rural properties, often former farm houses that have been converted into tourism properties.

Villas are often located outside the main urban centres and are a perfect accommodation option if you have transport. Villas often have good amenities including swimming pools and kitchen facilities.

Apartment/Apartamento

The self-catering options can vary in size and standard. They are often in large high rise buildings, sometimes with no lift.

Aparthotel

As the name suggests this is halfway between an apartment and hotel in that it is an individual accommodation unit but is usually within the grounds of a hotel and the hotel's services (cleaning service and dining facilities) can be used by the guests in the apartment.

Habitación

This is bed and breakfast style accommodation (it is not always regulated), often rooms rented out in a private house by the homeowner. Breakfast is not always offered.

Youth Hostels

Known in Spanish as an Albergue, these are competitively priced and ideal for those travelling on a budget. They are marked with an Hs symbol issued by the tourist board. A feature of hostels in Europe is the shared, dormitory-style bedroom and bathrooms.

See the AngloFILE for Costa del Sol-based Youth Hostels & Backpackers

Camping

This is popular on the Costa and sites are generally well-equipped with restaurants and toilet facilities. Many campsites are close to the beach and some offer discounts for long stays.