marriott marbella resort input

[dneveu]

Happy Holidays to all! We are planning our first trip to Spain with reservations in May at Marriott's Marbella beach resort. We would love any suggestions for restaurants near by as well as day trips. We will have a car and are also open to tours as we know the property offers those.

Our flights would be from the west coast (Los Angeles, CA) and hoping to fly direct to major Spanish airport or other major European city -- possible stay a few days before or after the Marbella stay. We'd be grateful for input from others who have planned Spain & European trips

My last question is whether this property only has one code per room size. The below information came from TUG many year ago. We have a two bedroom which interval indicates is a TOVI unit.
OBVI....Marbella Beach Club.......N/A............1BR unit.
TOVI....Marbella Beach Club.......N/A............2BR unit.
THVI....Marbella Beach Club.......N/A............3BR unit.

thank you.

 

[Steve Fatula]

We enjoyed Morocco (some did not and note the recent news, though it was rated safer than Spain), and we enjoyed Gibraltar since I am a WW2 naval buff.

We did something you probably would not, we stayed in Madrid at a Marriott hotel for a few days after arrival, and then drove to the resort, which is a very long drive. We did this not to be cheap but to see Spain outside of the tourist zone. We wouldn't do it again were we to go back, but, we really wanted to see Spain.

A second thing we did after our stay in mainland Spain was visit the Canary Islands where we stayed a week, it's part of Spain. Some wouldn't like it since they are volcanic islands, we didn't mind at all. Think not much green.

 

[mjm1]

We stayed there a couple years ago and enjoyed it very much. Good location for day trips by car if you like driving. The roads were all good, but watch your speed on the freeways. They have cameras and will mail a ticket to you.

We flew into Barcelona and spent a few days there. Then flew to Madrid and spent a few days there. No car in either place. Walked everywhere. Then flew to Malaga and rented a car as it is pretty close to Marbella.

Separate day trips from Marbella to: Ronda and Gilbralter; Seville; and Córdoba. We enjoyed each of our day trips.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[lweverett]

Malaga is the airport closest to Marbella. As to a major city in Spain to visit, I believe Seville or Barcelona are the best choices. When in Marbella do not miss the Alhambra in Granada, it is one of the most visited sites in the world. You must buy tickets in advance for a specific time and day if you go. Traveling between cities in Spain you might want to use the trains. You can rent a car at the train station and return it to the airport. Rental cars in Spain are funky, they offer you an extremely low rate but then insist you buy their insurance.

 

[3wheelin]

You're just gonna miss Feria season(Spanish culture to the nines),but trips to Ronda and Seville are a must even Jerez if you can squeeze it in.

 

[Gemini Chica]

We love a few of the restaurants across the road in Elvira, the favourite being La Fondue (amazing fillet steak), Playwright is good too, for takeaway to have in resort we like Thai & Rice and for Pizza we like zoom Pizza. Marbella doesn't have lock off units so only one type of each.

 

[Gemini Chica]

We live in Spain and fly to USA with Iberia who are part of one world and code share with American Airlines + British Airways. Most choice is in and out of Madrid.

 

[Katfan]

We went to Spain for 2 weeks in 2016 and had a wonderful vacation. We flew JFK to Barcelona nonstop on Delta. Stayed 5 nights in Barcelona at the Cotton House Autograph Hotel. Great location and excellent old world atmosphere - fifth night free deal. Then rented a car and drove to Valencia for a one night stay. Really a nice city to enjoy. Then drove to Grenada and stayed at the Alhambra for a night. Expensive but worth every penny. Arrived at Marbella for a week and loved the location and ambiance. Can’t remember much of the specifics but had a wonderful time exploring the old city and surrounding areas. Ronda was a real highlight. One of the white towns accessed by a very winding highway. Just loved the atmosphere and one of our best meals ever. I think it was Cafe Christina - google it if you go. Off the beaten path and just the type of place people ask about. Returned Malaga (forgot to say the Picasso museum was wonderful there) to JFK nonstop on Delta. Really could not have had a better two weeks. Next trip Madrid and Mallorca.

 

[lorenmd]

benahavis. fabulous little town about a 15 minute drive from the timeshare. it is all about restaurants. we ate at #1 restaurant there,
Los Abanicos it is a 3 star Michelin and it was amazing. our bill with wine was only $65. but there are many more in Benahavis. we drove up there 3 times from the marriott. we also ate at the italian place walking distance just across the overpass and it was good and you get 10% off with the card they give you. but i would just drive up to benahavis every night. i can't wait to go back.

 

[ecwinch]

Madrid, Barcelona, and Malaga all have direct service from the US. All three cities are also linked via high-speed rail.

Madrid has the most flights, so you easily could fly into Madrid and hop around to the other cities or drive if you want. Seville is a pretty special place and Cordoba is nearby there - another great site with the Great Mosque as the central attraction. In our first trip to Marbella we flew in/out of Madrid and drove down.

Mabrella Beach Club is a great location for visiting the Andalucia region - which is a unique part of Europe, having been under rule by the Moors for hundreds of years. So a unique blend of Christian/European and Muslim/Moorish influences.

Malaga has a lot to offer, but as mentioned above Ronda, Gilbralter, Cadiz, Seville, and Granada are great day trips if you are up for driving a lot. If visiting Granada for the Alhambra be sure to pre-purchase your tickets on-line well in advance - they typically sell out.

We love that area - headed back for three weeks in Feb.

 

[Pompey Family]

Rental cars in Spain are funky, they offer you an extremely low rate but then insist you buy their insurance.

They don't insist you take the extra insurance, some of the cheaper agencies will be a bit more aggressive on the hard sell (why do you think the price was significantly cheaper than Hertz, Avis, Sixt et al) but you don'tvhave to purchase it. I buy a multi journey global insurance policy for £41 which covers all additional insurance extras and saves on the hundreds I'd pay by opting for the rental agency fees.

As for restaurants there aren't any good ones in the surrounding area. Benehavis is the place to go, full of fantastic restaurants. I'm not sure where the idea that Los Abinicos is a 3* Michellin restaurant came from because it isn't and never has been. It was a 1* restaurant but I'm not sure if it even has that accolade any more. Besides, there are better restaurants there in my opinion particularly some of the newer ones that offer a more modern take on the local cuisine.

 

[Pompey Family]

we also ate at the italian place walking distance just across the overpass and it was good and you get 10% off with the card they give you. but i would just drive up to benahavis every night. i can't wait to go back.

I think you're referring to the Italian restaurant close to Playa Andaluza rather than Marbella Beach Club.

 

[Steve Fatula]

They don't insist you take the extra insurance, some of the cheaper agencies will be a bit more aggressive on the hard sell (why do you think the price was significantly cheaper than Hertz, Avis, Sixt et al) but you don't have to purchase it.

Yep, we did not purchase it. We went with the printout from our credit card insurance which said they were primary coverage and they actually didn't even bother us about it, was easy.

 

[dneveu]

Thank you to everyone for the fantastic tips. We appreciate your input!

 

[heatherw]

If you don't mind driving the the two hour trip to Grenada to see the Alhambra Palace is well worth it. Note though you MUST book tickets before you go as it gets very busy