(3/5) - Marked up from 2.5 due to one standout staff member

I’d rate Hotel El Puerto Fuengirola a 2.5 out of 5, but I’ve rounded it up to 3 stars as that’s the only option available.

The main reason it’s not lower is due to one exceptional receptionist who helped me during check-in and with parking.

She was genuinely fantastic and made a strong first impression. Without her, this would comfortably be a 2-star review.

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✅ The Good
• Comfortable bed - The bed was large (empress-sized) and very firm, which made for a great night’s sleep.
• Room (at a glance) - Initially, the room seems decent and fairly standard.
• Sky bar - A pleasant surprise. The nachos were great, and they were happy to make a vegan version.

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❌ The Not-So-Good

?️ Air Conditioning Issue
This was a major downside. The hotel uses a centralised system, meaning the AC was locked on heating mode-even on warm days.
Result: the room was consistently too hot and uncomfortable, even with the balcony door open.

This feels outdated and unnecessarily restrictive.

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?️ Room Layout
• No bedside tables at all, which is surprisingly inconvenient.
• Nowhere to place or charge your phone except the floor, which just feels poorly thought out.

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? Bathroom Experience
• Very small shower area
• Presence of tiny flying insects, which wasn’t pleasant
• Water temperature constantly fluctuated between hot and cold

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? Paying for the Safe (!)
This was the biggest frustration.

There is a safe in the room-but to use it, you’re charged €4 per night.

This feels completely unreasonable. A safe is a basic expectation in any hotel room, not a premium add-on.
Speaking to other frequent travellers, this is highly unusual and honestly undermines trust.

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?️ Breakfast (Especially for Vegans)
As a vegan, I don’t expect a huge spread-but some basic effort would go a long way.
• The beans on toast with mushrooms were genuinely awful
• Very limited alternatives beyond fruit and bread
• No peanut butter available (a simple staple!)
• No allergen labelling whatsoever-just item names, with no indication of ingredients

If you have allergies or dietary requirements, this could be a real issue.

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? Dining Area

Clean and functional, but nothing particularly memorable.

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? Final Verdict

There are some positives here-particularly the staff and the comfortable bed-but overall, there are too many avoidable issues.

Between:
• the AC restrictions
• poor room practicality
• extra charges for essentials like a safe
• and limited food options

…it’s not somewhere I’d rush back to.

Would I stay again? Probably not-unless some key changes are made.

Super