Best hotels in Malaga 2023

Malaga has long shaken off its image as merely the jumping-off point for sun-sea-and-sand summer holidays. The Spanish city boasts an impressive roster of museums, from the Picasso to the first Pompidou outside Paris, as well as the hip urban district of Soho.

The latter, of course, is centred around the fabulous CAC art museum and houses graffiti by internationally renowned artists, cool cafes and groovy galleries abound. Not to mention Antonio Banderas’s Teatro del Soho, which puts on slick musicals, flamenco and classical concerts.

Eating out, as everywhere in Andalucia, is a hugely important part of life, with a cornucopia of tapas bars, wine taverns and Michelin-starred gastro temples, as well as the beachfront chiringuitos famous for their barbequed sardines. In terms of hotels, Malaga’s scene has expanded in recent years, also catering for all tastes and budgets, from the simple and chic to the sumptuous. Many have rooftop pools and terrace bars where you can soak up the fabulous sea views, with Aperol spritz – or moscatel wine – in hand, by day and night.

Neighbourhood: La Caleta

From its majestic porticoed entrance to the marble balustrades, this recently revamped grande dame is easily the most magnificent hotel in the city. Opened by King Alfonso XIII in 1926, the regal feel carries through to gold velvet cushions in the 190 rooms, some with Moorish mouldings, while others are Mediterranean in style. The ultimate is the Crown Suite in a tower, complete with vast terrace and outdoor jacuzzi. Indulge in the Sisley spa, or soak up the sun at the beachfront pool.