Really enjoyed our stay

Just 20 minutes transfer time from Malaga airport and located in a prestigious area - 1.5k (20 mins walk) from Carvajal Beach downhill, the villa didn’t disappoint. Behind the secure gates the villa has the wow factor and recent outdoor renovations to the pool area and installation of an outdoor kitchen mean the outside matches the inside which includes a brand new open plan kitchen. Every room is tastefully decorated and well equipped and thank goodness for the air conditioning as it was hot, hot, hot! Having a washing machine on hand was also a life saver for towels etc The villa is located at the bottom of a steep hill so walking options were limited. We didn’t rent a car as we were happy to stay in and enjoy the villa as it’s perfect for relaxing (the veranda is a lovely spot for drinks and nibbles) and outdoor cooking with friends and family but when we did go out the local taxis were excellent. A trip to Benalmadena Pueblo is a must! The host Raul was very friendly and responsive to messages before and during the trip. This is his home and we looked after it as such but it was easy to keep clean even with such a large group as ours (although cleaners are available to hire at an extra charge). Raul even organised a paella chef to come in one evening and cook for us which was fantastic. The 10am check out time was challenging especially with children given that our flight wasn’t until the evening. With hindsight I would have booked an extra night so we could have stayed on longer. This is our first time booking with Vrbo but it has been a great experience and I would thoroughly recommend Raul’s lovely villa!

There were eight adults and one baby and we never felt as though we didn't have space. Lovely villa, fully equipped with washing machine, all the kitchen utensils, utilities and equipment you could ever want. Our representative (Pablo) who met us and was on hand did a great job and it was great to have a local person on hand if we needed anything. For example, he organised a personal chef to come in and cook a delicious paella at the last minute for us to celebrate a birthday, found a larger travel cot than the original provided, gave us local cab numbers... basically, a really nice guy who was there if needed. What I believe people should be aware of though is the extreme hills to get to anywhere, should they want to go for a walk. I appreciate it's suggested you need a car, however, we like to walk, but it was difficult. Additionally, there is a construction site opposite - so we did watch a hotel being demolished from our poolside/sunbeds whilst we were there. It was extremely noisy on our second week with balconies being demolished and concrete crashing to the ground - thankfully, they didn't work weekends, however, we did go out more than we might have done, due to the noise level of drills, cranes, shouting etc....If I had known about this, I probably wouldn't have booked, however, would have liked the choice to make that decision. The villa is lovely, with lots of room and equipment - some attention is needed outside in the grounds though - just a little neglected. As the villa sleeps up to 12 people, I would have expected enough sunbeds, however, we only had five, which were in need of repair. I'm not being critical as we had a super family time, however, I just think the construction site for definite needs to be explained to people rather than people being frustrated and disappointed, especially if they were there to relax.

Enjoyed our week with the family at this villa, able to take the dogs as it was pet frenziedly, a great plus for us. Lovely outdoor area, perfect size pool and large interior with A/C. Highly recommendable for large families. Only downside is that when the sprinklers come on late at night there is no water supply to the showers/kitchen so just make sure you shower in the evening and not late at night. Great stay and great place for a family vacation.