Occidental Torremolinos Playa (ex. Smy Costa del Sol)

After staying at this hotel for seven days, I wanted to leave an honest review to help future guests. Before booking, I read a lot of reviews and didn’t come across many negative comments. Had I known what my experience would be like, I would have chosen to stay elsewhere. Firstly, it’s important to know that there is no lift. If you’re travelling with heavy luggage, be prepared to carry it up several flights of stairs. I don’t recall this being made clear when I booked, and it would have been useful information beforehand. The air conditioning was another major issue. It was set to 19°C and we were told this was the “ideal” temperature, but the room still felt far too warm, making it difficult to sleep comfortably. The fridge was also disappointing, as it barely kept anything cold. One of the most uncomfortable parts of our stay was the bathroom window. Although it has a frosted film, it is still surprisingly see-through, leaving very little privacy. My friend and I ended up hanging a towel over the window every time one of us showered because we felt so exposed. The shower itself caused several problems. The door repeatedly jammed, leaving us stuck inside on multiple occasions. One evening it became so bad that I had to climb out onto the balcony to call reception for help. Although we were told it had been fixed, the problem continued throughout the rest of our stay. On top of that, the shower drainage was poor, leaving water pooling around our feet. As someone who is a picky eater, I appreciate that all-inclusive food isn’t always going to suit my tastes. However, this was the poorest food selection I’ve experienced despite travelling frequently. If you enjoy fish or are pescatarian, you’ll probably have more options. Otherwise, the variety is very limited. I also found it unpleasant that birds were regularly flying into the restaurant while people were eating. Unfortunately, I also found the reception staff to be unhelpful whenever we needed assistance. The issues we raised were either not properly addressed or continued for the remainder of our stay. Overall, this was a very disappointing experience. I genuinely cannot understand how this hotel has a four-star rating based on the standard of accommodation, facilities and service we experienced. If I’d known beforehand what our stay would be like, I would not have booked this hotel. I hope this review helps others make a more informed decision before choosing to stay here.

Very good location and all inclusive service. Close to the train station. Very good beach area. Clean rooms. Highly recommended!

We had a wonderful vacation in your resort. All services were great..the food, the room and the staff. Thank you for this great ospitality!

Food terrible. Lack variety. Food from table not removed quickly. Birds landing on food. Room cleanliness not good. Only facilities for family entertainment ping pong and a small crazy golf. Some pool activities but very poor. Entertainment quality terrible. Staff unhappy. In 34 degree heat they are not allowed to wear caps. Would not return. Also no information on check in on bus service, activities, tours etc

We experienced a very good stay thanks to the Cornelia group (French group) especially the best one Lilian an amazing guy that was soo nice to our kids. My 8 years old son loved hanging out with him and watched football games together really a sweet person. Merci beaucoup Lilian! Tu es le meilleur on espère te retrouver la prochaine fois. All the team cornelia was good. Jairo very funny and talended gymnast that our doughter who loves gymnastics learned so much with him.

Overall Holiday Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5) Staff Effort: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) We have just returned from an 11-night stay at Occidental Torremolinos Playa as a family of four (2 adults and 2 children), staying in a Family Deluxe Room. We chose this hotel because our daughter was having eye surgery in Málaga, so we needed somewhere close enough to the hospital that we could easily reach it by taxi while still enjoying a family holiday. Overall, we had a great stay and would happily return. First impressions were excellent. The reception area is modern, spotlessly clean and beautifully air conditioned after arriving in the Spanish heat. Check-in was smooth and, although upgrading from half board to all inclusive took a little time, everything was handled efficiently. I found the male reception staff particularly friendly and welcoming, although some of the ladies were a little less approachable. The hotel itself is very well looked after. The public areas are immaculate, and although the bedrooms are beginning to show their age, everything is kept clean and in good condition. We actually stayed in two rooms during our holiday. The first had a much larger balcony than the second, although both were a good size with plenty of storage for a family of four. The adult beds were comfortable, the children’s sofa bed was perfectly adequate, and the air conditioning was honestly the best I’ve experienced in any hotel. The Wi-Fi was also excellent throughout the resort. Unfortunately, our first room developed a significant leak which meant we had to move. Then, in our second room, a wardrobe door came off and hit my wife on the arm. While this obviously wasn’t ideal, I genuinely can’t fault the way the hotel dealt with it. Staff helped us move rooms within about an hour, refunded what we’d paid for our upgrade and gave us additional vouchers for the à la carte restaurant. Problems can happen anywhere—it’s how they’re dealt with that matters, and I thought the hotel handled everything professionally. I also want to mention how accommodating the hotel was around our daughter’s surgery. They kindly gave us a complimentary late check-out so we didn’t have to rush back from the hospital, which made a stressful day much easier for our family. It was a thoughtful gesture that we really appreciated. The housekeeping team deserve a special mention. They work incredibly hard. Our room was cleaned every day to a very high standard, with fresh towels, made beds and spotless floors. In fact, cleanliness is probably the hotel’s biggest strength. The restaurants, public toilets, pool areas and gardens were all exceptionally well maintained. Every morning you could see staff out watering the gardens and keeping the grounds looking immaculate. The food was another highlight. There was plenty of choice every day, with themed evenings alongside the usual favourites. The fresh grill serving steak, chicken and fish was excellent, and there was always a great selection of salads, desserts and options for children. Drinks were available throughout the day and the snack bar between meals was really handy. My only suggestion would be to keep somewhere serving food until the evening entertainment finishes, as we often fancied something later on. The bars were never overly busy thanks to there being four across the resort, and the cocktails and drinks were surprisingly generous! The pools are huge, clean and a lovely temperature. Yes, people reserve sunbeds early, but that’s pretty much every hotel these days. Pool towels are provided free using tokens from reception. The gym is decent enough for a holiday workout, although it could definitely benefit from proper air conditioning. The entertainment team were excellent too, especially for families. Our children loved the mini disco every evening and really enjoyed the kids’ club. The location worked perfectly for us. It’s right on the beachfront and although there isn’t loads immediately outside the hotel, there’s a handy little shop across the road for essentials. One tip I’d give anyone travelling with young children is to pick up a booster seat if your child needs one. We bought one for around €16 from the supermarket near Quirón Hospital. Most of the smaller taxis don’t carry booster seats, so having your own makes getting around much easier. It’s also a great supermarket for stocking up on drinks, snacks and other holiday essentials. Overall, we thought the hotel offered good value. We did pay around €1,200 to upgrade from half board to all inclusive, which felt a little expensive, and I do think the bedrooms could do with a refurbishment. However, the excellent food, spotless cleanliness, great facilities and, above all, the effort the staff put into looking after guests more than made up for those shortcomings. A special mention goes to all of the staff. Every member of the housekeeping, restaurant, bar and management teams worked incredibly hard and were always polite and helpful. They are a real credit to the hotel, and I’d happily give them 5 out of 5 for their effort throughout our stay. Would we return? Absolutely. If you’re looking for a clean, well-run beachfront hotel that’s particularly suited to families, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Occidental Torremolinos Playa

This hotel is totally outstanding I’ve been all over the world in 5 star hotels very posh hotels and your hotel was well up there if not the best I’ve ever had the food was so so nice. Spotless your staff went well above and beyond and was so nice to my 4 year old Son hope this review gets past onto all your team. The room was stunning we got a ground floor for our little boy what was important to me. The food area was so so clean and the choice of food was unreal nicest food I’ve had on a holiday in a long time. Was stayed in room number 20401 village 4 Dean Emma Zac Woodward

We only stayed few nights and we appreciated: the food the cleanliness the staff at reception was very friendly and helpful, especially Sara. Far too many kids, maybe we didn't do enough research. If there are 2 pools we usually expect that one is for fun and the other more relax, this is unfortunately not the case here. Good thing is the pool areas are closed until the opening time so just show up on time and you can get sunbeds. Parasols are not many and can't be moved so they are the price of the rush. They state that towels used to book sunbeds are removed after 30mins if nobody is there, this is not applied. Entertainment by the local team was mediocre, usual aqua gym and activities. At least the evening shows were better.

I stayed at this hotel for 3 nights in June 2026. The hotel looked great, nice furnishings and gardens throughout. It was very well maintained. The pool areas were clean and tidy and the water was crystal clear. The restaurants and bars were well managed. Nothing ever ran out. The selection of foods were varied for all tastes with some different foods each day. The staff throughout the hotel were friendly and happy to help. All spoke good English. My disabled access room was great. I had a wet room to shower in and an accessible toilet with a hand rail that made life easy. The bed and pillows were very comfortable and the room air con was so cool that I had to turn it down during the night. The entertainment was fun, particularly the Kenyan Acrobats. Lots of stuff for kids to do Snack bar and drinks bars had lots to choose from with good brand name options. Checkout time was 1200 but we were still allowed to keep our all inclusive wristbands on and access the bar and restaurant until we left for the airport at 3, which was a nice surprise. To get to the beach you just have to cross the road through a security gate located by the pool, that can only be opened with a wristband. The only other way into the hotel was through the lobby. This made me feel very safe and secure in the hotel grounds. The hotel is less than 20 mins from the airport and an Uber cost us €24

This was a fabulous holiday. Me and my wife have been to this hotel 3 times now. We love everything about it. The staff are superb and I truly value their kindness and professionalism. Food is always nice, hotel is always clean. I personally cannot fault this hotel

Room upgrade upon arrival which was lovely. Nice hotel, no issues! Would say solid 4* was exactly what we expected. Decent selection of food at each meal, snack bar, good range of drinks. Super close to airport and beach 🏝️

The service was outstanding; there was nothing to complain about. Although some of the staff didn't speak English, we managed to communicate properly.

While there were some positive aspects to our stay, overall the experience was disappointing. The staff in the restaurant and bars were friendly, professional, and always helpful. They were by far the best part of the hotel experience. Unfortunately, the accommodation itself fell below expectations. The room was only moderately clean, and we even found a huge spider web hanging above the bed. The bungalow rooms are clearly showing their age and are in need of renovation. We stayed in room 1022, which definitely did not meet the standard we expected. The animation team was a major disappointment. The hotel promotes itself as family-friendly, but there was a clear lack of activities for children, especially around the pool. During the day, the kids’ club mainly consisted of indoor activities such as drawing, coloring, and arts and crafts. While these activities are fine from time to time, families do not travel to a sunny holiday destination to keep their children indoors. More activities should be organized at the shallow pool, where children actually spend most of their day. At the same time, most pool activities and games were aimed at adults, leaving children with very little to do. What was even more frustrating was that the animation team seemed to focus almost exclusively on one particular group of guests while largely ignoring visitors from other countries. It often felt as if only one group mattered. The mini disco was enjoyable and our child liked it. However, after about a week we noticed that the animation team seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. At the beginning there were around four animators, then three, and eventually only two. They appeared tired, overwhelmed, or simply burned out. Another issue was the timing of the mini disco. Starting at 9:00 p.m. is simply too late for many young children who have spent the entire day at the beach or pool. We noticed that many children never even attended because they were already asleep shortly after dinner. An earlier start time would make much more sense for families with younger kids. Another major issue was the sunbed situation. Guests reserve sunbeds early in the morning, and by 9:00 a.m. it is almost impossible to find a free one. Many sunbeds remain empty for hours while their owners are nowhere to be seen, yet they stay “reserved” all day. Despite this happening every day, nobody seems to do anything about it.