Apartamentos Cortijo del Mar Resort

We have visited Cortijo Del Mar almost every year since 2016, which is a testament to how much we have enjoyed staying here in the past. Sadly, our experience this year has made us rethink, and we may now look at other options when we return to Marbella. The resort has clearly changed under the new management and, unfortunately, it felt like a “ghost town” during our visit. On arrival at night, the security guard handed us our keys but, unlike previous years, did not accompany us to the apartment. Instead, we were given a map and some directions and ended up getting lost in the dark. The apartment itself was extremely disappointing and not the standard we have come to expect over the years. The furniture was shabby (some even looked like garden furniture), there was no hairdryer, the coffee machine didn’t work, the shutters in one bedroom wouldn’t close, and unlike before, there were no toiletries provided in the bathroom. We requested a move the following day — which was agreed to — but the process took up most of our first morning, and we had to move all of our luggage ourselves with no assistance offered (not ideal given the size of the resort). We were told that not as many apartments are now available to the management, which perhaps explains the inconsistency in quality. Still, it raises the question: how does Cortijo Del Mar monitor the condition of apartments to ensure guests receive a consistent standard? The contrast between our first and second apartments was huge. The cleaning service was also not what it used to be. During our stay, there was no change of bed linen at all, and the daily cleaning was very basic — just emptying the bins and replacing towels. In previous years, this aspect of the service felt much more thorough and added to the overall comfort of the stay. Another major concern was the pool and pool bar/restaurant. On our first day, neither was open on time, and we found that the advertised opening hours are now much later than before. This is frustrating for holidaymakers who want to make the most of the facilities. On several occasions, the pool barriers weren’t opened properly and guests, including children, had to go around them to get in — not very safe. Only a handful of loungers were ever put out, with the rest left stacked, and the two lifeguards seemed disengaged, often sitting together on their phones and even taking breaks at the same time, leaving the pool unattended. In previous years, the pool opened early, loungers were all set out, and lifeguards worked properly, alternating breaks so the pool was always supervised. When we raised this with reception, we were told that “the community” now runs the pool and restaurant, so the resort has no control. This seems like a serious issue, as it directly affects guests’ holiday experiences. Overall, it feels as though Cortijo Del Mar has lost the charm, quality, and level of service that once made it such a special place. Sadly, after so many wonderful stays

I’ll save my full review for when I get home, but in the meantime the photos say it all. The team here have truly mastered the art of doing the absolute bare minimum. The pool area? Still fenced off with barriers, because apparently moving them is far too much effort. (Saturday 4pm).

Apartment was firstly spacious The biggest issue is that we paid for a private collection apartment and a private pool. We were told the pool would be open on Tuesday - fine as it’s April but with warm weather! Then we were told that it won’t be open - so we have paid extra for a private pool we can’t use! The hotel reception are so unhelpful and really just didn’t care. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such awful and u welcoming customer service

We visited as a family staying in a 2 bed apartment. We knew it was a residential area as we had friends staying at their family villa 5 mins up the road so they were able to direct us to the local restaurants. The apartment we stayed in was well equipped with great air conditioning, we rented it privately so didn’t have cleaners for the week. The pool itself is a good size, but could do with more sun-beds & umbrellas for the amount of properties on the sight. Also, as there is grass around the pool it could get quite muddy. Something we observed was the lifeguards taking peoples sun-beds & giving them to those without a bed if you left it too long. You might think this a good thing, but you should be able to go for lunch or a swim in the pool & come back to your sun-bed! Twice I saw a family of 4 came back to 1 bed. We ate several times at the pool cafe/bar Kambalaya & the food was always delicious. The staff are very friendly there too. We did hire a car. There are plenty of supermarkets close by. We drove into Estepona port one night & Puerto Banus, both not too far. We did try to walk to the closest beach, but it’s over the main road walkway & it’s a bit of a building sight at the moment so you need to drive to find a better one. About 10mins walk down the road there are lots of lovely local restaurants. We ate in Cabana, Lola’s, Sushi House & la Grappa & would recommend them all. We also had drinks in The Victoria & Albert pub, which had a pool table & kept our teens happy. Overall a relaxing stay.

We recently stayed at Cortijo del Mar Resort, and it was a complete disaster. I highly recommend avoiding this place, especially during the summer season. Here's why: 1. Lack of Beach Umbrellas: For an entire resort, they only have nine beach umbrellas by the pool. Nine! With 9 of us in two families, we had to camp out at the pool from 9 AM just to secure one measly umbrella. This is unacceptable for any resort, especially one claiming to be a "luxury" destination. 2. Rude Residents: On our last day, despite being at the pool since early morning, a resident showed up at 5 PM and decided to invade our space. When we politely approached her, she became incredibly rude, and her family joined in, creating an uncomfortable and hostile environment. It was absolutely shocking and made us feel unwelcome. 3. Hygiene Issues: The pool was CLOSED on our second day because someone had defecated in it. Yes, you read that right. 4. Tired Apartments: The apartment we stayed in looked nothing like the photos advertised online. It was tired and lacked the "luxury" we were promised. It was a major let down and not worth the money at all. 5. Unhelpful Management: When we raised our concerns with the manager, he was completely indifferent and basically said there was nothing he could do. Customer service was non-existent. Overall, this was one of the worst holiday experiences we've ever had. Save yourself the disappointment and stay somewhere else. We will never be returning to Cortijo del Mar Resort.

We were a party of 6 ladies who travelled to the Estepona area for the Solheim Cup (Ladies Professional Golfers from Europe and USA), which was being played at Finca Cortesin Golf Course. We were delighted with our very spacious, comfortable and clean apartments which were situated close together. We had 2 x 2 bedroom apartments for the 6 of us. Each apartment had a main shower room and and en-suite jacuzzi bathroom. The apartments were very well equipped and benefitted with free WiFi and electric shutters to keep the place cool when needed. There were TVs in the master bedroom as well as the lounge. Although we were in the area primarily to watch the golf, we spent time in and around the pool which was beautiful. The resort is handy to shops and restaurants, within walking distance. Any help we needed was swiftly dealt with by friendly and polite staff. We would certainly recommend this resort.