Where to Stay in Andalusia (My Real Hotels Across Multiple Trips)

02 Apr Where to Stay in Andalusia (My Real Hotels Across Multiple Trips)

My relationship with Andalusia started back in 2018, when I spent 15 days traveling solo across southern Spain during Semana Santa.

I moved from city to city. Seville, Cadiz, Jerez, Cordoba, Ronda, Setenil, Granada, Nerja, Frigiliana and Malaga, experiencing one of the most intense and authentic moments you can witness in Spain.

In 2023, I returned for 10 days with my fiancée, wanting to show her this region during the same Semana Santa period. We focused on Seville, Cordoba, Ronda, Setenil and Cadiz.

And then, in January 2026, we went back again – this time for a much longer trip.

We spent 22 days exploring both places we already loved and new destinations: Marbella, Estepona, Mijas Pueblo, Malaga, Nerja, Frigiliana, Almuñécar, Granada, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Bolonia and Tarifa, with a short detour into the Sierra Nevada mountains.

This guide is built on all those experiences – not research, not assumptions, but real stays across multiple trips.

If you’re planning a trip to Andalusia, this might help you choose where to stay based on what worked for us.

Small note before we start. For a long time, I have ignored this site, I stopped working on it, writing, telling stories etc. I honestly didn’t think I would use it ever again, so I stopped taking pictures of our accommodation during our trips. We photographed the food because we do love food but totally forgot about taking pictures of the rooms we picked for our trips. What I can promise is that if I search through more than 20k pictures on my phone and find out that I took some of these places, I will upload them immediately.

In the future, seeing that this site is up and running again, our future guides will have accurate pictures again.

Malaga – Pinar Malaga Centro

We spent four nights at Pinar Malaga Centro, located right in the old town, within walking distance of most attractions, restaurants, and bars.

It is a bit further from the beach, but that didn’t bother me at all. I usually choose accommodation based on location in the city rather than proximity to the beach — especially in places like Malaga where you’ll likely explore a lot on foot.

Parking was arranged through the accommodation, about 350 meters away, and we paid around 72€ for four days.

This is something to keep in mind when planning a longer road trip through Andalusia — parking can be expensive. While it might not matter much for short stays, over multiple days it easily adds up to 15–20€ per day.

Overall, this is a very good choice if you want to stay in the historic center and explore Malaga on foot.

Now, to better understand this accommodation, this is not an actual hotel. They have a few locations and our location turned up to be very close to their main office and the parking lot.

When it comes to room size, cleanliness, hot water there is nothing to argue, everything is very nice and well maintained.

The room was decent in size, clean and the bathroom was also of a large size.

I think the only downside to this particular location is the fact that downstairs, under our room (we were on the third or fourth floor I think) there is a bar and knowing Spanish people they do love to get a bit loud during the evening and early night.

Luckily for me, I sleep with earplugs in but for someone who sleeps lightly, it can be a minor minus.

👉 Check availability and prices here

Marbella – Hotel Baviera

We stayed at Hotel Baviera in Marbella and, looking back at the entire trip, this was probably the best accommodation we had.

The hotel is very well located, close enough to everything while still being quiet at night — something that mattered a lot after long days on the road.

The room was spacious, the bed was extremely comfortable, and everything felt clean and well maintained. Even though we stayed on the fifth floor, the water pressure was excellent and hot water came instantly — something that wasn’t always the case in other places during this trip.

The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the overall experience felt smooth from check-in to check-out.

Parking was available at the property for around 15€ per day, which is very convenient if you’re doing a road trip through Andalusia.

We chose a room without breakfast, as we preferred to explore local cafes each morning — something I would recommend doing in Marbella.

I think the only minus here is that due to a severe thunderstorm which really flooded most of the Andalusian coast in that period, the elevator got affected and we couldn’t use it for two days. That meant stairs for us but we like to think of ourselves a bit fit so that wasn’t a problem for us.

However, things would have been different if we were of older age or had trouble walking, etc.

👉 Check availability and prices here

Sevilla – Pension Perez Montilla

When I arrived in Seville in 2023, we stayed here for five days during Semana Santa. If you visit during this period, you should expect higher prices, especially for well-located accommodation.
Pension Perez Montilla was one of the few places where my fiancée and I had different opinions.

For me, it was more than acceptable:
• very good location, close to the Alcázar of Seville and the Barrio Santa Cruz
• rooms… average, nothing special, but fine for a few days
• right next to one of our favorite restaurants in Seville

The downside:
• cleanliness was not exactly at the level we expected

From my fiancée’s point of view, the experience was weaker:
• She didn’t find it clean enough
• The bathroom had issues (the toilet didn’t always flush properly)
• The space felt quite limited, especially if you care about comfort

It probably depends a lot on the type of traveler you are. If you pay close attention to comfort, bathroom quality, and space, this might not be the ideal choice.

Another thing to consider – we stayed on one of the upper floors, and the water pressure was quite low — it might be better on lower floors.

For me, however, the balance clearly leaned toward the positives:
• central location
• decent price for Semana Santa
• great flexibility thanks to the luggage locker (very useful on the last day)

That last part mattered a lot: after finishing our Andalusia trip, we came back to Seville for one more day. We left our luggage at the accommodation, went out to explore the city again, and only later returned to pick it up before heading to the airport.

I would stay here again without any problem if I found a good price.

My fiancée, however, would not choose this place again.

In Seville, we didn’t have a car at all.

We only rented one after leaving the city, so I can’t really comment on parking here.

Most likely:
• If you stay in the center, it will be complicated
• and quite expensive during Semana Santa

Córdoba — Hospederia Luis de Gongora

In Córdoba, I had already been once, during my first Andalusia trip, and I came back here many years later.

I don’t really know what happened to the first hotel I stayed in — I think it was either closed or transformed into something else.

This time, however, the hotel we chose was liked by both of us.

We had a good, large room with a big terrace, which was nice.

The location was also very convenient:
• relatively close to the car park outside the old town where we left the car
• and close to the Mezquita of Córdoba and the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos

Everything was clean — very clean.

Hot water worked perfectly, no issues at all.

It’s one of those places you can recommend anytime, with just one small downside.

I think it had the smallest sink I’ve ever seen in my life.

Seriously, I could barely fit my hands in it.

Luckily, the shower was completely normal, so it didn’t really affect the overall experience.

Overall, I was extremely satisfied — with the room, with the people at reception, with the whole check-in process.

I would come back here.

Finally, one more practical detail: we left the car in a public parking area outside the old town, a few hundred meters away from the accommodation, and the price was very good — honestly, one of the easiest and most convenient parking experiences we had in Andalusia.

Nerja — Hostal Boutique Luna de Nerja

In Nerja, this was our second difference in opinion when it came to accommodation.

For me, I liked it. It didn’t bother me at all.

For my girlfriend, it felt too small — both the room and the bathroom were quite basic.

Now, to be totally honest: this is a hostal, not a hotel.

So, we shouldn’t really judge it on the same scale.

What this place had going for it:
• extremely close to the Balcón de Europa (around 100–150 meters)
• also very close to the main parking area near Balcón de Europa
• constant hot water, no issues at all

And probably the biggest plus: the owner, Franck
→ one of the nicest people I met in Andalusia
→ we talked quite a lot
→ he also offers an olive oil tasting experience as part of the guesthouse

For me, this was clearly a big plus.

I was genuinely impressed by the combination of price, location, and overall vibe.

For my girlfriend, however, I’m not sure she would book this place again.

If you stay here, you really need to follow Frank’s advice when it comes to parking.

He can guide you to free parking areas, but you need a bit of luck to find a spot and in high season, it can be quite difficult.

There is also the option of parking near Balcón de Europa — this is where I ended up leaving the car.

It’s expensive, yes.

But in my case it had rained and the parking was about 300 meters away and I simply didn’t feel like walking long distances with luggage in the rain.

So, I chose comfort over saving money.

For me:
→ location + price + owner = strong enough to come back
For her:
→ too small and too basic to choose it again

Granada – Hotel Sacromonte

In Granada, everything was very good overall.

The accommodation was right in the center, which made everything easy.

We also managed to leave the car in a parking recommended by the hotel because they had a deal with it and we paid around 15€ per day.

For Granada, that’s a very good and convenient option.

The person at the accommodation was very nice, very easy to deal with.

The room was large, clean — very clean.

I think cleaning was done daily as well.

Everything worked as it should.

The only inconvenience was something a bit unexpected:

The bathroom was extremely cold. Really, extremely cold.

The room itself was perfectly fine — warm, comfortable, no issues. But the bathroom felt like a completely different environment.

Because of the cold:
• the walls were literally covered in condensation
• you could see water droplets forming on them

It was a bit strange, especially compared to how good the rest of the room was.

That being said, you should keep in mind one thing:
→ Granada is generally colder than other places in Andalusia

So this probably depends a lot on the season.

In summer, spring, or even early autumn:
→ I don’t think this would be a problem at all

Overall:
→ clearly a place I would return to

Especially knowing that this one downside is likely seasonal.

Ronda – Hotel Polo

In Ronda, compared to my first stay here many years ago when I was traveling solo, this accommodation was much better.

A clear upgrade.

We left the car in a parking recommended by the accommodation:
• the price was acceptable
• from there, we walked a few hundred meters to the hotel with our luggage

Very simple, no stress.

The location is a big plus because it is extremely close to the main road that leads to Puente Nuevo

The rooms were very good: large, clean, hot water, no issues at all

The hotel staff was also very nice, easy to interact with.

Another important thing:
• the place is close both to the bridge and the old town
• and close to one of my favorite restaurants in Andalusia

So, everything is within walking distance.

Overall, it’s a place that simply works:
→ nothing over the top
→ but everything is exactly as it should be

Clearly, I would choose this accommodation again over the one I stayed in many years ago.

Cádiz – Plaza de la Luz

In Cádiz, things are actually very simple.

We stayed in the same place twice: once in 2023 and again in 2026.

And I’m pretty sure that when we come back to Cádiz, we will stay here again.

The staff is a solid 10/10:
• always available
• always ready to help, even with small things

The rooms are large, well maintained, and there were no issues at all with hot water.

There is parking at the accommodation, but it can fill up quickly.

You also have 2–3 other parking options nearby.

Parking in Cádiz is not cheap with prices usually around 18€ per day and can go up to 20–22€ per day

Now, I know there are cheaper parking spots at the entrance of the city.

But in my opinion it’s not worth it.

Walking 20–30 minutes just to get to your car:
• in very hot weather
• or in the rain
• or carrying luggage (especially if you have kids)

It simply doesn’t make sense.

The difference of a few euros per day — let’s say 3, 4, maybe even 10 euros — over a 5-day stay (and almost nobody stays 5 days in Cádiz anyway) doesn’t compare to the comfort of having your car 200–300 meters away.

Another big advantage:
• the accommodation is close to some very, very good restaurants where we ate multiple times
• it’s also extremely close to the beach, around 200 meters away

And this is the kind of detail that makes the stay memorable:

During summer evenings:
• we would grab drinks from downstairs
• walk along the beach
• and go back from time to time to get another round

Simple, but exactly the kind of experience you want on a trip like this.

Plaza de la Luz is without a doubt, one of the best accommodations from our entire Andalusia trip.
→ a place we return to
→ and will continue to return to

Tarifa – Surfers Residence Apartaments

In Tarifa, things were a bit more complicated.

We wanted to give this place a good rating, especially because the girl we were in contact with seemed very nice and helpful.

But in the end, we couldn’t.

The public parking is about 600 meters away:
• the walk is easy overall
• just one street slightly uphill
• cobblestone, but nothing too difficult

So, from a parking perspective, it’s acceptable.

First room (major issue)

The first room we got… we didn’t like it at all.

It was on the ground floor, to the street and literally everyone passing by could look inside.

At one point, in the evening an old woman sitting in her parked car, just stayed there for about 15 minutes, looking straight into the room.

That already felt uncomfortable.

But the biggest problem was the smell.
• the room had a very strong, unpleasant smell
• it felt damp
• the bed and sheets felt wet

It was the only accommodation on this entire trip where we got back to the room in the evening and immediately wanted to leave.

During the day I didn’t fully notice it because we just threw the luggage inside and got out, because we went out quickly, but in the evening it became very clear.

We spoke with Lourdes, and to be fair, she really helped us and we were moved to another room.

The second room was much better, large, spacious, no strange smell

So that part was handled well.

However, there was another issue that affected the entire stay.

For all 4 nights right next to our wall (probably another building) there seemed to be a dance school.

Every evening:
• classes started around 5–6 PM
• and went on until around 9–9:30 PM

Which meant hours of music, constant noise, dancing practice.

Every single evening.

With some regret, I have to say I would not return here.

Even though the staff was helpful and the second room was good.

The overall experience just didn’t for well for us.

Final Thoughts

After multiple trips through Andalusia, one thing became very clear:
→ location matters more than anything
→ parking matters more than you think
→ and not all “good reviews” reflect real experience
Some places surprised me in a good way.
Others looked good online but didn’t really work for us.

If I had to simplify everything from this guide:
• in cities like Seville or Cádiz → stay central, even if it costs more
• in places like Nerja or Tarifa → expect trade-offs
• in cities like Córdoba → you can find great value

And maybe the most important thing: comfort is not always about the room, sometimes it’s about location, parking, or simply avoiding stress.

That’s how I choose where to stay now.