Aparthotel - or similar - recommendations

[CatDogGuineaPig]

Hello!

Looking for inspiration for this summer - DH, DD 17, DS 15 and me and thought id see if there are any recommendations here :)

Apart hotel or villa on a small complex with a cafe/ breakfast place but could be a normal hotel too
Shared pool is fine
Walking distance to a beach (as close as possible)
Walking distance to restaurants
Somewhere quite cool or fashionable (DD's request)
More on the boutique side than a really big built up resort
Budget is healthy so doesn't need to be the cheapest place

I really love Greece and Croatia, happy to look elsewhere though

Cheekily following as what you have described fits our ideal holiday too!

Malaga? Not the beach resorts along the coast, but the 'city' itself. More of a large town than a city. I found it a mix of locals and tourists and not as many 'Brits abroad' as you'll find along the coast. Some great restaurants and shops. A beach, long prommenade to walk along, fresh food market, castle on the hill, picasso museum and more We did a day trip via the train to Rhonda to see the famous bridge. I recall seeing the beach, but

It used to be 3euro for the bus direct from the airport to Malaga, with several stops available in town. We stayed in these apartments, but I don't recall a pool. https://www.santacruz-apartments.com/index.php?lng=en

This hotel does have a pool, but not sure if they have rooms with kitchenettes.
https://www.nh-hotels.com/en/hotel/nh-malaga

Both the above are in town, but walkable to the beach. If you want something right on the beach front, Playa La Malagueta would be better.

Mellieha in Malta? Family duplex apartment w shared pool by Homely - Flats for Rent in Il-Mellieħa, Malta - Airbnb - this apartment has a shared pool and is right in the centre of Mellieha, so easy access to cafes, shops, restaurants etc. The beach is a 20min walk, or a 5 minute bus ride (apartment is right on the main bus line). There's lots of historical things to see in Mellieha itself and Malta is very easy to navigate by bus if you wanted to explore other nearby towns.

Thanks for the ideas! I love Malaga, it's such a brilliant city, but I think we're looking for something more like a holiday resort (we've enjoyed Naxos, smaller towns in Ibiza, Sicily recently)

Will look at Malta, know nothing about it at all

Ibiza? Some lovely beach resorts (we stayed in Santa Eulalia)

st nicholas bay-Crete-might be too far for restaurants
memmo baleeira-Portugal
Esplendido-Majorca has a couple of larger rooms