We now present you with our VIP Hotel Reviewer Series in which we hand-pick experts in the travel and media worlds and beyond to tell us what are their favorite hotels and why. Once a week, we'll feature a hotel review from said VIPs about their favorite leisure or business hotels. Pay attention: These VIPs are experts at what they do and they don't mess around when it comes to their hotels.
Our next VIP reviewer is Kimberly Murgatroyd, the pretty young thing behind My Jet Set Life blog. Her motto is "Excuses are over. It's time to live." And indeed she does. Here she gives us her insider take on the Don Carlos Resort in Spain. Enjoy.
For my husband and I, deciding to spend a few weeks enjoying Spain's sunny Costa del Sol was easy, however deciding where to stay wasn't. There are some great hotels in Marbella, although I found that the Don Carlos Leisure Resort & Spa was the perfect place to park my jet set suitcase for a few weeks.
During our stay, the hotel celebrated their new five-star rating with a large party in the hotel's gardens. However, I think the rating was a little ambitious considering the check-in process and staff is average. They also don't have a concierge, and getting help with local restaurants, directions and things to do seems more three-star than five-star.
In an expensive town like Marbella, a good deal can be hard to find--and we mean that quite literally. While our stay at The Town House was easy on the pockets and the eyes, with its under-$200 room rate and roof top terrace, finding the place was a bit harder.
The nine-room pensión is located off a square inaccessible by car, so it may not be ideal for disabled travelers or travelers with lots of and/or heavy bags. Otherwise, The Town House provides a practically flawless stay.
"Um, wow," were the first words that came to mind when we first laid eyes on Hotel Villa Padierna in Marbella, Spain. A destination unto itself, the Ritz-Carlton property has 112 guest rooms and suites, a 21,000-square-foot Thermae Spa, beach access, two pools and an 18-hole golf course.
Despite our initial impression (and really, look at that picture--who wouldn't have that reaction?) it seems the hotel leaves something to be desired among some past guests. One recent reviewer said the hotel is a retreat for "golf lovers only," which likely ties into other guest complaints that Villa Padierna is "within walking distance to nowhere."
Surprisingly, some complain about the price of food and drinks onsite. (Honestly, we'd like to meet the people who sign up for a room at the Ritz-Carlton and then gripe about a $15 cocktail.)
A more legitimate dislike seems to be that not all rooms have balconies, so when you book, be sure to ask for a room with a terrace. Just don't then have the audacity to complain about the view.
What's the best way to impress a big bunch of British travel agents being hosted by the Spanish Tourist Board at a Marbella hotel in southern Spain? Well, we're not sure what the best way is, but the worst way was definitely demonstrated this week: give them all food poisoning.
Whether it was the less-than-well-done pork or just some suspicious prawns that did the trick is unclear, but what is clear is that a large proportion of managers and other important members of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) who attended the final dinner of the convention in Marbella were stuck in bed (and near the bathroom) for at least 24 hours.
The hotel where the dinner was held hasn't been named in press reports, although ABTA did mention that an event organizer and caterer called CO Plus had been hired for the job by the Spanish Tourist Board. Apparently ABTA's conventions have twice before been struck by food poisoning--perhaps it's a case of disgruntled holiday-makers seeking a little revenge?
"Um, wow," were the first words that came to mind when we first laid eyes on 
What's the best way to impress a big bunch of British travel agents being hosted by the Spanish Tourist Board at a Marbella hotel in southern Spain? Well, we're not sure what the best way is, but the worst way was definitely demonstrated this week: give them all food poisoning.
