THE URBAN VILLA

We stayed in The King Romance suite for three nights. The room is undeniably spacious with fantastic views but in our opinion needs refreshing. The bathroom in particular is rather dated. It is a difficult location to both initially find and drive up to and the parking on site is difficult. We chose to park outside the property as did most guests which isn't a problem although it entails a short steep walk. The reason for our four stars rather than five is the lack of engagement from the staff and cuisine. We had the "romantic dinner' on arrival. This offered no choice and was served mostly without explanation. The honesty bar means you are left to yourself between courses. The cook was clearly busy in the kitchen whilst the female member of staff sat behind us in the lounge surfing the net. Not great and at €29 per head we thought it expensive. Breakfast is standard spanish/european fare. Our only contact with the staff on a daily basis was to enquire whether we would like eggs with our breakfast. All in all we enjoyed our stay but the staff really should try harder to engage.

We stayed for 4 nights in the La Linda room - and while it's the smallest room at the villa, it did not compromise on comfort or character! The bed is firm but soft, there's a quaint little balcony and a huge shower! The whole place has a lovely home from home vibe, very stylish without being pretentious. The manager Yoanna is so friendly and welcoming - no request too big or too small. She also suggested some lovely places to eat in Marbella (thanks Yoanna!). Our favourite being La Taberna Del Pintxo! Breakfast at The Urban Villa is a delight - eggs made to order along with a continental buffet. The views from the terrace are beautiful, as is the relatively small (but big enough!) kidney shaped pool which we were fortunate to have to ourselves since other guests were either out and about or on their own balconies! They even have a dog called Cookie! We're dog lovers so wouldn't mind if he was overbearing but he really isn't. He's a lovely dog but isn't a pest - he'll only spend time with you if you want him to. Are there any downsides' Yes it's up a fairly steep incline (it's on the edge of mountain after all!) but cars are made to go up inclines! You can hike around the mountains... or not! You can rent a car or do what we did and get taxis (around €15 one way into Marbella) and do a tour (we went to Ronda with Monte Aventura and loved it!). We had a fan in our room which was perfect for the day and night - temp up to 25 degrees in the day and around 18/20 degrees at night. Any hotter and I suppose a/c would be better. Overall we highly recommend The Urban Villa! Thank you for a wonderful stay!

The staff in this B&B were wonderful throughout our stay, namely Yoanna, Byron, Tim and Mary, even Cookie the dog is friendly and welcoming. The property sits on the side of a mountain overlooking Marbella and on a clear day North Africa is visible, and on a clear night a thousand stars. Breakfast was ideal for us in this climate, and Tim's 'special' eggs were a delight. The sun shone all day everyday which was a bonus, however AC would have been a plus had it been any warmer. In the height of the season this could be an issue for some. We even enjoyed the neighbourhood dogs communicating in the distance in the evening. On the downside which is ironic, is the journey up and down the hill to access the property. It is steep and requires confident and capable driving in a decent car. Parking at the property is limited and requires all guests to be considerate, not always the case. The deluxe urban suite which we stayed in does not have an access door from inside the property just a cord at the top of the access stairs and a curtain at the bottom. That was a security issue for us, you can lock your bedroom door but that prevents a flow of air at night where there is no AC, so is not really an option. It's like giving strangers access to your apartment just not the bedroom you are in. You just should not have that. Apart from that issue we thoroughly enjoyed what is a very relaxed and easy going environment, made extra special by Yoanna who is the weekday manager.

Amazing views over mountains and sea high above the hectic scene in Mirabella. It's like a home away from home -- but with kind and helpful staff, delicious food, and classic styling. Ronda and Granada are easy day trips, and with hiking and beaches so close by, I wish we had booked a week instead of a day.

Wonderful! No more to say. This place is just perfect: a quiet b&b, close to Marbella with an astonishing view on the village and the Mediterranean. We stayed in the King suite and the experience has been unforgettable. Honestly, I could live there. Many thanks to Yoana! We'll be back for sure!