I’ve always thought Marbella is the Monte Carlo of Spain. I might be biased as I’ve been spending most of my summers there since I was 13, but I still find it as charming as always.

After a long absence, 5 years without visiting Costa del Sol, this year I chose to finally return. And this time, for the first time, I picked a new place to stay as all these years I’ve been staying at the same hotel.

I really wanted a resort so I picked Don Carlos Resort & Spa, not really knowing what to expect since I’ve only experienced one place in Marbella for years. I was honestly expecting a nice and decent hotel, but nothing spectacular. I have to say, Don Carlos was an amazing surprise. It truly was a resort, the true meaning of the word resort!

First thing that I need to mention is that because of the high occupancy, we had the luck of being upgraded to The Oasis by Don Carlos which had beautiful apartments instead of just double rooms, modern furniture and huge terraces with sunbeds.

But back to the resort! Not only does it have a shop where you can buy clothes, swimsuits and hats, but it also has a salon! Like a true resort should. It has 2 a la carte dinner restaurants, 2 pool bars/restaurants open for lunch, a cocktail bar, 2 pool, one of them being part of their luxurious beach club. If Costa del Sol know one thing, that’s beach clubs and this one was hands down one of largest and most beautiful in the area.

But the thing I loved the most about the resort was the huge gardens that also hosted the tennis courts. In order to get to the beach club, you’d have to pass through the gardens and it truly made my mornings!

The only thing I regret about Don Carlos Resort is not staying there for long enough!