Hotels like Puente Romano Marbella

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We’ve just come back from an amazing stay at Puente Romano Marbella and it’s genuinely one of the best holidays we’ve ever had.
What we loved was the whole atmosphere rather than just the hotel itself – the beautiful grounds, fantastic restaurants, lively but relaxed vibe, great service, being able to walk everywhere, and having plenty going on without it feeling like a huge resort.
We’re already thinking about next year and would love some recommendations from anyone who has stayed somewhere with a similar feel. It doesn’t have to be in Spain, but we’re looking for that same combination of luxury, atmosphere, excellent food and a social buzz. Any recommendations greatly appreciated 🙏🏻

PR is dated, the pools are rubbish with a limited number of sunbeds (€100 tip on first day needed to secure somewhere decent to sit during school holidays) and the restaurant are flashy international chains (Nobu, Coya, Cipriani, Gaia, LPM).

There is far better. Try the Mandarin Oriental at Costa Navarino or Bodrum, Four Seasons Athens, One&Only Montenegro, Maslina Resort in Havr, Hotel Tremezzo and Passelaqua on Lake Como, Borgo Egnazia in Puglia, Finca Cortesin in Marbella, Abama in Tenerife.

And if you love flashy, Atlantis Royal in Dubai is off the charts, although the One&Only is far nicer.

Thanks for the recommendations. Borgo Egnazia has actually been on my list for a while. I will take a look at the others. We’ve been to Finca Cortesin and loved it but I think it’s somewhere we’d go as a couple rather than with the children.

Atlantis The Royal probably isn’t quite our style. We love One&Only Royal Mirage, although we do find it a little quiet in the evenings and probably won’t be visiting Dubai any time soon.

Interestingly, we didn’t find PR dated at all—the rooms have been renovated recently and were a great size for a family.

My kids absolutely loved LPM—they nicknamed it “the disco restaurant”! We skipped Gaia and Nobu as we tend to prefer more relaxed, less scene-y restaurants. Pica Pica and El Pimpi were much more our kind of places and good with the kids.