I stayed at the Barcelo Marbella Golf with a group of six friends. Having read glowing reviews of this hotel we were badly disappointed. It's fine if you are a golfer, ie out first thing in the morning and not having to use any of the hotel facilities, including the evening dinner which was a very reptitious buffet and staff very thin on the ground.

The restaurant lacked atmosphere because it was empty most nights. However, the breakfast was fairly good, ie lots of choice. The pool facilities were not only dangerous in my (and others) opinion, having witnessed at least four people slipping on the algae, but also the water was not clean. The management were aware of the problems but did nothing to ensure the safety of the pool area. At least 60 per cent of the sun beds were broken and most hadn't been cleaned. Pool toilets were a disgrace. No poolside service for drinks etc.

The biggest compliment I can pay this hotel was Susana and Sophie on Reception and the Dutch waiter in the restaurant, all of whom gave excellent service. The rest of the staff were tired and off-hand.

With no evening entertainment provided, the isolated location of the hotel could be a problem. Also, amazingly, the hotel bar did not serve glasses of medium or dry white wine - we had to buy a bottle every time! So we will not be returning to the Hotel Barcelo Marbella Golf.

You do need a car when staying at this hotel as it isnt near any local amenitites. 10 minute car ride to Puerto Banus.
Excellent breakfast buffet. All staff were efficient and friendly.
Pretty pool area. Could do with a few more somebeds out though as there is a lot of space for them to fit more in.
Would go back to this hotel if visiting Marbella again.

I stayed here for a week at the end of Sept, with my wife & 6 year old daughter. We booked a junior suite, which was located on the "road " (not busy or noisey) side of the hotel on the 3rd floor. The room was spacious, with a seperate living area, 2 TVs, Dvd player, Hifi system. Only option for our child staying in the room with us, was a portable fold out bed, ok for a 6 year old but would be too small & unsuitable for anybody over 12 yrs or so, definately not for an extra adult staying in the room. Air con worked well & kept the room at a nice temperature without too much noise. Large bathroom, with whirlpool bath, seperate shower, vanity area & well stocked with towels/robes/shampoo/gels etc. Housekeeping was ok, but did notice if you walked around tiled floor in your bare feet, the soles of your feet would be dirty after a few steps, but the rooms did have the outward appearance of being clean, floor just need mopping more regularly. Balcony was small (long & narrow) at this side of the hotel, with a table & two chairs available. Not really an area you could comfortably "lounge" in, but ok for sitting out in the evening for a couple of beers (only wide enough for 2 people).
Breakfast was served buffet style, with a chef on hand to cook eggs etc, to order. Nice spread of fresh fruits, meats & breads, with hot items also on offer (hot items in name mostly, as air con in rest. cooled uncovered food fairly rapidly). Pleasant way to start the day, sitting outside on patio area. There was no a la carte restaurant available during our stay, only an open buffet, which we availied on our first night due to late arrival. It was a reasonable spread for a buffet, with chefs on hand to cook your choice of various meats & fish. Buffet is not really our thing though, so we only ate there one night. I think it was priced at around € 38 for adults & € 15 for kids. Better value to be had close by in proper restaurants. Don't come to the hotel expecting a wonderful "food" experiance. Ok for convenience though.
The pool area was well kept & supervised, with attendants fairly sharp on unreserving, "reserved" loungers in the morning times. It seems to be predominantly British people who engage in this lounge reserving. Have they become paranoid about the Germans beating them to it !!? No big deal though, loungers are reasonably plentiful. Gym appeared to well equipped.
Public areas in hotel were spacious & well presented. Staff were very good humoured, pleasant & professional.
Hotel is approx 1 mile from San Pedro, using the road passing the hotels secure underground car park (€10 per night) on your right, which leads directly into Town center. There are plenty of good restaurants/bars in San Pedro. The Hotel is approx half a mile from the A7, which is the main artery linking up Puerto Banus(10 min drive) , Marbella (15 min drive)etc. I would strongly recommend a hire car. You could find taxi fares mounting up. But like booking any Hotel for a holiday you should make yourself aware of it's location. It's very simple to check this out, with a little bit of research on the internet before you leave. I personally liked the quieter location.
Overall I would recommend this hotel & if I found myself back in this area, I would stay again.

We stayed at the Barcelo Hotel, Marbella for 11 days in September 2007. We found the hotel very comfortable and clean. The staff were courteous and helpful, the public areas are maintained to a high standard and the breakfasts were okay.

We have been in the Costa del Sol several times but not in this area. We were pleasantly surprised at San Pedro, which we found completely Spanish and devoid of tourists. Marbella and Puerto Banus are well worth a visit, as is Estepona.

We did not have a car, as we always use local transport when in Spain. However, the hotel is a good 20 minutes' walk from the nearest transport links - mostly uphill. Fine if you are fit and enjoy a stiff walk every time you leave the hotel but, by the last couple of days, we were struggling with the walk and the heat. We recommend anyone staying at this hotel to hire a car.