Ardales Apartamentos, MarbellaArdales Apartamentos in Marbella, Spain has a corrected score of 4.0 ± 0.2 (solid evidence, 4 of 4 platforms), ranked 6 of 30 hotels we score in Marbella. Its platform ratings, normalised to 0-5, average 4.3 before correction: Booking.com 4.1, Tripadvisor 4.1, Google 4.3, Agoda 4.7. Rooms from about $98 a night (cached, not a live quote).Ardales Apartamentos is a small apartment complex of 17 individually themed units in the town of Ardales, in the Málaga province of southern Spain. Each apartment has a kitchen or kitchenette, air conditioning and modern furnishings, and guests can use an outdoor pool, solarium, open-air bath and jacuzzi. Parking is available on site, pets are welcome, and there is a restaurant and room service. The location suits walkers and day trippers, with the Caminito del Rey trail, the Cave of Ardales and the Conde de Guadalhorce reservoir close by. It is roughly 63 km from Málaga Airport and 66 km from Marbella, so a car is practical. Reception keeps limited hours, which may not suit late arrivals.What stands out

Spacious apartments with balconies

Outdoor pool, jacuzzi and solarium

Kitchens in every unit

Close to Caminito del Rey

Watch out for

Reception only open limited hours

Far from the coast and airports

Better-scored in Marbella

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Mett Hotel Marbella Estepona, Marbella: 4.2 ± 0.2 (fair evidence, 3 of 4 platforms), from $528 a night. Mett Hotel Marbella Estepona is a five-star beachfront resort on the New Golden Mile, the coastal strip between Estepona and Marbella on Spain's Costa del Sol.

Don Carlos Marbella, Marbella: 4.1 ± 0.3 (fair evidence, 2 of 4 platforms), from $682 a night. Don Carlos Marbella is a five-star beachfront resort on the Costa del Sol, between Marbella and Málaga.