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 traveled in July 2023 with Jet2 in a party of four families. The apartments are obviously privately owned and whilst they are well sized each apartment has differing furnishings and kitchen equipment. The rattan garden furniture in three of the four apartments our party occupied was perished and breaking up on either the chair arms or the top of the back of the chairs. Some didn’t even have cushions. The pool area has an overpriced restaurant bar and pool activities are overly subdued by the lifeguards who enforce the “no balls” and “no inflatables” rules. This seemed to be at the bequest of the residents as although Jet2 and Cortijo Del Mar websites claim the resort is family friendly there isn’t actually a lot for kids to do. So the restrictions on “no balls” and “no inflatables” in the pool seem to fly in the face of this family friendly claim. Neither website highlight these rules. The rules however seem to be flexible for residents as although there is a sign at the resort entrance highlighting dogs are not allowed there are signs around the resort highlighting that residents are responsible for cleaning up their dogs waste. During our trip we saw dogs in the resort and at the pool area on more than one occasion which surely must raise questions on the cleanliness of the pool area. The water in the pool seemed clean enough, however the plastic overflow grating around the pool is degrading due to exposure to the sun and whist some of it has been replaced, this seems to be in response to it breaking rather than a preventative measure. The sun beds around the pool have also seen better days and also show signs of degradation due to sun exposure with some of them exhibiting cracks which could make them dangerous. In fact one of or party sat on one and it collapsed under them and luckily they were not injured. Pros - comfortably sized apartments - apartments frequently cleaned Cons - not a lot for kids No pool table No table tennis table No entertainment (which we knew) - Wi-Fi was extremely poor and struggled with social media let alone web searches - No Balls and Inflatables allowed in the pool - Pool overflow grating breaking up and possibly dangerous - Sun beds some cracking and possibly dangerous

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.

Just back from a one week stay. The appartment and complex are very nice ,well maintained grounds. The appartment itself was well equipped and spacious .We were two up and overlooked the pool and pool bar and you could see the sea. The staff at reception are very helpfull. I broke a couple of things and there was no microwave and within fifteen minutes maintenance had arrived and all sorted. The cleaners and ground staff are friendly too.The pool bar is way overpriced for what it is. Got a tuna salad,chips and two beers,45Euros. Do not know how families with kids do it. There is a ten minute walk down a lovely road with some beautiful villas to the main road where there is some bars and restaurants and a supermarket. Highly recommend Masala Indian and Cabana was lovely for drinks. We went a walk over the bridge, which was quite daunting as theres traffic speeding fast underneath, so not for the faint hearted, and headed to the Robin Hood Inn which was closed. It was early in the morning but there is a long alley there that takes you to the beach. Not much of a beach as no one there and no sunbeds. Walked quite a bit along to the right and it is just villas and Hotels. No bars or restaurants looking out to see which was disappointing. Would recommend going into Puerto Banus for the day. We met up with family for lunch at La Sala by The Sea,a beach Club. Food was amazing and a walk to the Marina is eye opening with the Yachts and cars. Overall we had a lovely stay and it was boiling hot. The Complex is in a lovely affluent residential area but just a bit too far out for us. You need to go into Estepona for nightlife and shopping. We are used to places like Palma Nova and Playa Blanca with everything on your doorstep. If you are looking for a quiet relaxing holiday then this is the place for you.

Our apartment itself was gorgeous, spacious and had everything we needed. The reception staff were very helpful and quick to respond to what’s app messages. Not enough sunbeds around the pool, and families were reserving them all day, despite not being there for hours and the lifeguards didn’t do anything about it. They were just sitting playing with their phones. There was a little bit of mud by the pool but didn’t bother us too much. The bar/restaurant was pricey and closed early at 9pm. Not even a happy hour like most places we have been too, and the staff weren’t too enthusiastic. Nothing for teenagers at the resort (or nearby). Could have benefitted from a pool table, ping pong table or just even board games. There’s no entertainment which we were aware of but as there isn’t much in the area, it would have been nice for something a couple of times a week. There are a few nice restaurants nearby but we didn’t find anything traditionally Spanish. As a family the area wasn’t for us - it was quite a residential area and it didn’t quite have the ambience that we like. Didn’t help that there was a busy dual carriageway alongside and there wasn’t any chintzy shops to browse in the evening. We were not confident enough to hire a car, so used buses and Ubers. Most things to visit are a fair distance - Estepona town is lovely but is still a good drive. Would recommend Selwo Zoo for a day out.