Riu Palace Nautilus

Amazing hotel, close to all amenities. Staff are friendly and work above and beyond. Hotel is looking great after the refurbishment Food was excellent with various choices

It would be nice if you had junior suites, with a separate bedroom. I take my 87 year old Mother away twice a year, and have to book 2 rooms every time.

Lovely hotel in a perfect spot on the paseo right on the edge of Benalmadena. Recently refurbished and the rooms were like new. Buffet was lovely too with some great choices of food. Staff were superb - friendly and very helpful. Only one slight thing; the air conditioning needs sorting before the summer. We couldn’t get the air conditioning in our room to cool the room sufficiently to have a good sleep. Other than that, perfect.

Lovely week away with this amazing hotel and the refurbishment is amazing! Beds so comfy staff friendly as always

Overall, the hotel is very aesthetically pleasing and makes a strong first impression, with a modern feel throughout. Staff are generally very friendly and attentive, always willing to help. The rooms in the Annex are particularly nice and spacious, although it is worth noting that rooms in the main building are supposed to be considerably smaller. A nice added touch is the robes provided in the room, which make the stay feel a bit more premium. Housekeeping is consistently done to a high standard, but timing can be quite late in the day, with rooms sometimes not being serviced until around 4pm. This can be inconvenient if you’re hoping to relax in the room earlier or need it refreshed for the afternoon. Dining is a mixed experience. The breakfast buffet offers plenty of choice, especially breads, pastries, fruit and drinks. However, cooked breakfast items such as bacon and sausages are not the best. Dinner also has a decent variety considering the volume of guests, but the buffet area itself is very cramped and becomes chaotic during busy times, with people constantly bumping into each other. Small details like damp salt and pepper shakers also slightly take away from the experience. The à la carte restaurant is visually very impressive and beautifully decorated, but the service does not quite match the setting. Waiting times between courses are long and disorganised, and there. Some dishes feel inconsistent or overcomplicated. for example, starters and mains don’t always feel cohesive, with unusual combinations that don’t always work well together. There were also issues with food temperature and some elements being quite overcooked. The pool and outdoor facilities are generally pleasant. Towels are provided, which is a really convenient touch. However, the sunbeds are quite uncomfortable and positioned very close together. A notable disappointment is the indoor pool, which is only open during the winter months and closed after April, despite the hotel being advertised as having both indoor and outdoor pools, which feels misleading. Air conditioning in the room was also misleading, as it is set very low and cannot be adjusted. It appears (from reading other reviews) to only operate fully in the summer months, which is odd given warmer temperatures in May. Entertainment is provided every evening, but it is clearly geared more towards an older audience. The concert lounge itself is quite small, although the outdoor terrace area is a real highlight, offering a relaxing space for coffee/drinks with lovely views. The smart TVs in the rooms are modern but not very user friendly for less tech savvy guests, with limited English channels and reliance on casting or streaming services. One of the hotel’s strongest points is its location. It sits directly on the promenade, making it ideal for walks and giving easy access to the marina, which is within comfortable walking distance. This really adds to the overall holiday experience and makes exploring the area very convenient. Overall, the hotel is clean, stylish and well located with genuinely friendly staff and several strong positives. However, there are noticeable inconsistencies in dining, room servicing and some advertised facilities not being available year-round, which stop it from feeling fully polished or quite at the level it presents itself as.