RIU Costa del Sol Torremolinos: Our Honest Review
One of Torremolinos's best-known resorts — here's the honest view on whether it delivers.
We've stayed at the RIU Costa del Sol twice now, once with our daughter when she was small and once with extended family in tow. It's the kind of place I recommend to readers who want the all-inclusive maths to actually work out, without ending up somewhere soulless.
What keeps people coming back, in my experience, is the combination of position and pace. You're directly opposite the Bajondillo beach promenade, food is available pretty much around the clock, and the four pools mean you're never elbowing strangers for a sunbed by 9am.
If you're after a boutique bolthole or a quiet adults-only retreat, this isn't your hotel. If you want a reliable family base with the beach on your doorstep, read on.
Location
The hotel sits on Avenida Carlota Alessandri, directly across the road from Bajondillo beach. It's about a 15-minute walk along the seafront promenade to La Carihuela, the old fishermen's quarter where the chiringuitos do proper grilled sardines, and roughly 20 minutes on foot up to the Plaza de la Costa del Sol and the main shopping drag of Calle San Miguel. The Torremolinos Centro train station is around 10 minutes' walk and gets you to Málaga city in about 20 minutes for €2.05.
Torremolinos itself has had a noticeable face-lift over the past few years and the area immediately around the hotel feels tidier than it did a decade ago. There's a Mercadona supermarket within easy walking distance, plenty of cafés on the promenade for when you fancy escaping the buffet, and the Aqualand water park is a short taxi away. Málaga airport is only 15 minutes by car, which is a blessing with tired children.
The Rooms
Rooms come as doubles, family rooms with a sofa bed, and a handful of accessible options across the nine floors. Décor is modern and functional rather than design-led — think white walls, neutral fabrics, flatscreen TV with a few English channels, mini fridge, safe and a properly powerful walk-in shower with double sinks in the bathroom. Most rooms have a balcony, and if you can request a higher floor at the front you'll get genuinely good side sea views.
Honest caveat: there are no tea and coffee making facilities in the rooms, which surprises a lot of British guests. Toiletries are limited to wall-mounted shower gel and hand soap, so bring your own shampoo and conditioner. Lower floors facing the inner courtyard can also pick up some noise from the entertainment stage until around 11pm — worth flagging at booking if you're a light sleeper.
What We Liked
The four pools genuinely spread the crowd out. There's a dedicated splash park for toddlers with a fenced gate and shallow water, a lively activities pool where the entertainment team run water polo and aerobics, a quieter pool at the back near El Jardín de Lola bar, and a heated indoor pool that makes this a viable winter destination.
Food availability is the strongest argument for the all-inclusive package here. Three buffet restaurants rotate through the day, the Italian La Dolce Vita does table service for mains if you book ahead, and there's something to graze on at almost any hour. Quality is good rather than spectacular — fresh, hot, plenty of choice — though the house wine selection is limited to one red, one white and one rosé.
Where to stay in Torremolinos
Where to Stay
Staff make a real difference. On both our stays we've found reception, bar and restaurant teams to be genuinely friendly and quick with recommendations, which isn't a given at a property this size.
Who It Suits
This is a family hotel first and foremost. Couples with young children, multi-generational groups and friends travelling together will get the most out of it — the RiuLand kids' club covers ages 4 to 12 with English-speaking staff, the splash park is a godsend for under-fives, and the entertainment programme is unapologetically aimed at families. Couples without children can absolutely have a good time here, especially off-season when it's quieter, and the spa and gym are decent. However, if you're after romance, design-led interiors or a sophisticated grown-up vibe, look at Marbella or central Málaga instead. Solo travellers tend to find it too family-skewed.
Things to do near this hotel
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Frequently Asked Questions
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