Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavís Marbella Resort

We stayed there for two nights and it was truly magical! We had drinks at the bar and spent the mornings at the breakfast table for quite some time. Taking in the beautiful views and enjoying the best service! We also enjoyed the spa which is a definite must! We did all the circuits. It was a really nice experience overall! Enrique at the parking service was our favourite staff member!

Anantara Villa Padierna Palace is truly a luxurious retreat. Every corner reflects elegance and richness, and the staff are exceptional — friendly, attentive, and professional. The room and bathroom were among the largest I’ve ever seen, beautifully decorated with contemporary style and a modern touch. The amenities exceeded my expectations, and the spacious terrace offered a stunning view of the landscaped gardens. Breakfast was delicious, with thoughtful details from the open-air serving area to the warm smiles of the waiters. The facilities — including the pool, spa, and golf course — are outstanding and perfectly maintained.||Warm thanks to the Anantara management and team for such an unforgettable experience. I’ll definitely be back soon!

Our recent stay at VP was nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment we arrived, everything was handled with such care and attention to detail that it made us feel completely at ease. The setting is breathtaking, surrounded by the beauty of the Costa del Sol, and the entire property is designed to offer both comfort and elegance. Meals were consistently excellent, with a breakfast selection that truly stood out—fresh, diverse, and beautifully presented. The seafood options throughout our stay were especially memorable. The private beach area is a perfect retreat, providing everything you need for a relaxed day by the sea. Evenings were elevated by live music and talented performers, creating a wonderful atmosphere. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Carlota, who always went above and beyond to ensure everything was arranged flawlessly, making our stay not only perfect but also truly personal. A special mention as well to Razvan, whose professionalism, kindness, and genuine care made us feel incredibly well looked after. In short, this hotel exceeded all of our expectations and gave our family a week we will never forget. A truly exceptional place for anyone looking to enjoy the best of the Costa del Sol.

We have spent one week in paradise. All aspects of this hotel are perfect: it is situated in a fantastic area with beautiful landscapes, the staff are friendly and always prompt to serve the guests, and the restaurants offer excellent food. The breakfast is the best I’ve seen so far, with a wide variety of fruits, juices, and other fresh, high-quality options. The hotel has a private area on the beach, with everything you need to enjoy a wonderful time by the sea. I especially loved the excellent seafood options. In the bars and restaurants, you can enjoy great music and professional singers. In summary, my family and I had a fantastic time at Anantara! It is a very good choice for enjoying the Costa del Sol.

Overall, the stay was good but I don’t think it’s truly 5 star (though the price is not outrageous either). The lobby and Eddy’s bar are lovely - service in Eddy’s was always very good. The rooms are nice but a little dated. Air conditioning is not great at all. First room we were given was directly above the entrance overlooking the cars and had to move - not a room they should be offering at all and felt a bit fobbed off. ||Breakfast is nice, although would prefer more homemade breads/pastries rather than tonnes of brought in stuff. Had dinner one evening in the Italian restaurant and thought it was massively overpriced and average - like eating in a generic hotel “fine dining” restaurant in the 1980’s. ||Tip: get the shuttle to the beach club and go to Kai Gastrobar for dinner - much more interesting food, friendly service, and €100 for two with a bottle of wine. Prices in the restaurant are a bit obscene at €20 a g&t, €9 a beer and €40/50+ for a main in any restaurant none of which were great.

What an amazing hotel! Everything is so beautiful, the buildings, the gardens, the facilities, everything.||The staff are so welcoming and genuine. None of that fake yes sir no sir. And nothing is too much to ask, even though you rarely have to ask as they preempt your needs.||It's not only the big things but the little touches that make your stay comfortable. The complimentary hors d'oeuvres while you wait for your starters, and the reading glasses in the restaurant when you forget yours and can't read the menu - yes, I'm getting old.||The spa was amazing and we had it to ourselves and you can too if you go early.||The food was delicious, fresh, and locally sourced. They even have an organic veggie garden you can see from the restaurant terrace.||We've stayed here before this last visit and we'll stay here again. Hasta pronto!

I decided to spend my birthday at this special resort. I love golf and the courses were truly special. The Flamingo course is based around the hotel. The Alferini Course is very close. The short course was fun and a great place to warm up. The resort also had an excellent practice area of which you need to get a ride, the hotel provides this service. Besides the absolute beauty of this property the staff is special. The treat you like family and make you feel like you are at home. Diego and Esteban the bellman were awesome. Celine at the check in gave us an orientation of the property. Adolfo and Jose Luis at the bar provided spectacular service and attention. At the Caddy Master Issac was super attentive. Last but not least , Jackson at the Caddy Master was the unbelievable and truly a special person! My wife and I will definitely return to this magical property next year. It will be a place that I will comeback to many times in the future. Oh and the breakfast buffet was the best I have ever had and I have traveled the Globe!!

So after email communications with the hotel directly (always better?) a grande suite was booked with wrap around terrace as outside space was the priority which came with the promise of a better view… we hoped of the surrounding golf course. It was after all a special birthday holiday. |On arrival late the first evening hotel was full (wedding in full swing) but we’d been upgraded! A 2 floor 1 bedroom villa how promising… uhm … with no terrace looking at a wall downstairs and a carpark from first floor. It also logistically didn’t work for 3. |Back next morning to negotiate with reception. Ultimately after several conversations we were given a very lovely spacious 2 bedroom suite … with a small terrace overlooking the road. What we’d booked wasn’t available (but they’d accepted the booking!) and what we’d got was an upgrade so that was that. A view was available in next category but that would be even more money. Moral of story don’t over invest in your room or take the hotels word for it even when booking direct .. with hindsight we would have been just as happy in our normal junior suite and saved a lot(!) of money. We feel very aggrieved with how this was handled and resolved … sharp practise on the hotels part. |The hotel is like 2 very different worlds. When there isn’t a wedding it’s very calm and sedate.However it is wedding venue central … 2 during the week we were there … multi day affairs with another one rocking up as we left. In wedding mode the hotel becomes very busy, loud, drinking from early morning around the pool, service to non wedding guests is definitely compromised (not just room allocation!) and the wedding disco can be enjoyed by all at dinner as well as the hotel background music! Great if you are part of the celebrations less so if you are a listening observer.|Restaurants staff are lovely, very friendly and I would say overstretched. Service is definitely not 5 star. |We had difficulty with our room key daily and it was quite a hike back to reception … sometimes through wedding guests at the wedding service … we did feel a bit under dressed and I think they thought our passing presence was a bit odd too. |WiFi was also poor in our beautiful spacious room. |The hotel is near nothing .. with a minimum taxi fare €50 round trip to other restaurants. Hence hotel food is priced accordingly … more than 5* expensive .. eg açai bowl at pool €25 … eye watering. |The spa is a fab add on facility at the end of each day. |We enjoyed the golf another researched reason for selecting the hotel as the birthday boy was a golfer. |Our rate included extras which staff seemed unaware of … a signature 3course meal but which restaurant? … massages .. which only applied only to certain ones only identified afterwards … free soft drinks but you needed to ask for them. And guess what they were all on the first draft of the bill! .. very poor attention to detail. |In summary the hotel is very beautiful .. setting is absolutely stunning, luxurious rooms … but the main priority is on weddings. It fails significantly on providing effortless 5* service and in understanding guest expectations.

This place is kind of what you'd get if you crossed Lady Penelope's secret hideout with a honeymoon setting that Europe's chicest young royals might run to. Villa Padierna is a Ritz Carlton property set amidst the Flamingo golf course that was built in the style of a Tuscan Villa. So convincing is the décor with antique furniture, paintings and cool marble interiors it's easy to believe you're in Italy! Only 112 bedrooms ensure that the grounds and public areas feel incredibly exclusive. Beautiful event rooms are enhanced by a purpose-built outdoor amphitheatre for 400 people and 20 private villas. Definite princess potential as you sleep in sleigh beds, lounge in white fluffy robes and bathe amidsy white marble under chandeliers. The lobby and general areas were hushed - we kind of felt like we were a bit too plebby to be there so kept to ourselves, but the gardens and fountains were genuinely lovely to walk in. 5 star to the maximum, but bring your best manners and luggage.