After spending two nights at the AC Hotel in Málaga, I moved to Palacio Solecio, a Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) property. I had considered switching things up with a resort stay, but decided to stay in the city centre in the end. More importantly, Hilton’s BRG rate dropped to such a low price that skipping it would have felt like a waste.
Compared to the AC, Palacio Solecio is a bit deeper into the busy central district and a bit farther from the train station, though the difference isn’t huge. The hotel itself was once an 18th-century Andalusian palace, with black-and-white tiled floors and red brick walls that carry plenty of historical charm.
Climbing the stairs takes you to the guestroom floors, which appear to have been renovated recently and are very well maintained.
The main building is the Palacio, the original structure. Across the narrow alley sits the Solecio building, a newer addition; together, they give the hotel its name.
While you might not immediately notice a big difference in age between the two, the Solecio wing clearly leans toward a more modern style. Which one you prefer really depends on personal taste.
Although the AC Hotel approved my 4 pm checkout request, my schedule meant I left at noon and moved over. Unsurprisingly, I walked right into peak checkout chaos: two overwhelmed front-desk staff and a long line of guests. When it was finally my turn, the male receptionist was polite enough but flat-out insisted there were no room upgrades available – an obvious fib, since it was a Sunday and the website showed plenty of availability.
Since I needed to wait anyway, I didn’t argue. I left my bags and went out exploring. He promised to call once my room was ready, but even when I came back around six in the evening, there’d been no word.
This time, though, I was greeted by a different receptionist: a fantastic lady who completely changed the tone. She first explained some details about breakfast (more on that below), then offered to show me two different room types and let me pick one myself.
Here’s the room I originally booked, the Palacio Double in the old building:
And here’s the upgraded option, the Solecio Deluxe in the new wing:
The latter was more spacious and, whether from lighting or psychology, felt fresher and less worn. The larger size made it noticeably more comfortable, especially since the Palacio room’s tiny windows felt a bit stifling. The deluxe room she showed me had twin beds, so I asked if there was a double available in the same category.
After some quick work on her computer, she casually offered to show me another room, but I waved it off and settled for this one. Layout-wise, it was slightly different from the twin version.
The canopy draped around the bed was an interesting touch.
The bathroom layout was a little odd, arranged in three sections: sink, toilet, and shower. No bathtub here (though the twin deluxe I’d seen earlier had one).
Given the dense neighbourhood and the low building height, I hadn’t expected much of a view. Sure enough, my window faced what looked like an abandoned building. But at least it was peaceful and totally quiet.
Most of the hotel’s facilities are in the newer Solecio wing, with only the main restaurant located in the Palacio. The gym sits in a small room on the ground floor and felt a bit underwhelming.
The rooftop pool, like the one at the AC Hotel, is more about atmosphere than functionality. Sun loungers were always in high demand – every time I passed by, they were packed with sunbathers.
Now, about breakfast. Things were confusing. The first (male) receptionist told me it was served at the rooftop bar. Later, the (female) receptionist said I’d been upgraded to breakfast in the main restaurant, which is a buffet plus à la carte menu, versus the bar’s lighter Mediterranean offering. Service hours were 8 to 11, which already felt a bit tight.
When I arrived at the restaurant in the morning, staff again told me my breakfast should be at the bar. After a bit of back-and-forth, they eventually let me in. The entire buffet setup was there on display:
To be honest, in terms of variety, this was one of the more limited hotel breakfasts I’ve seen. The lack of local specialties like churros was disappointing. The à la carte menu wasn’t extensive either:
I ordered waffles and porridge. Both were fine, nothing remarkable.
Since the “premium” breakfast in the main restaurant had turned out so underwhelming, I thought I’d try the rooftop bar version the next day – only to be redirected back down to the restaurant again, which made me laugh.
Because I needed to hit a £300 spend for a credit card cashback deal, I also had dinner at the hotel.
I tried croquettes and Iberian pork. Both were delicious, refined and delicately prepared. But at over €40 for the meal, the value didn’t really compare to the neighbourhood’s casual tapas bars and restaurants.
To sum up: overall, my stay was quite enjoyable. Staying at independent boutique hotels like those in SLH is always an interesting change of pace. With SLH’s deepening partnership with Hilton, the range of hotel choices keeps expanding, and both BRG and points redemptions are worthwhile ways to book.
Recent Comments