Review date: 09 August 2008 - A HotelStreet visitor from Eston, Cleveland, England wrote:-

Review title: "If You Want Basic"
Travel date: July 2008
The location is just up from the Bali, past the San Fermin and left at the tobacconist. The reception is open from 9 a.m. to around 8 p.m., where you can hire a safe for ten euros a week, no deposit required. There is a poolside bar, that opens around midday, but does very limited snacks and is open until around 9 p.m. There is a large pool and a smaller children's pool, which are clean and maintained early each morning. All apartments overlook the pools which are set in lovely well maintained gardens. There are poolside beds, which are two euros a day, hence nobody used them - they used their towels on the soft grass.

The rooms are on either ground or the first floor. We were on the first floor - room 24. We had a one bedroom apartment. There was a long kitchen, with a four ring gas hob, an assortment of pots, pans and cutlery and glasses, but no kettle, microwave or toaster. There was ample worktop space should you need it. Next was the bathroom, again long with a bath, shower, stool, bidet and WC but no window or ventilator and it can get extremely warm in there. There were three large towels and three small, which although very soft, were thin, would not dry you and were never changed the whole week. The bedroom has a wardrobe with two drawers and plenty of hangers. There was a bedside cabinet separating two single beds and also a dressing table with two small drawers and a mirror. The room had a sliding window. The beds we found were clean and comfortable, but the sheets were never changed and very thin and at 38 degrees, made sleeping uncomfortable. I ended up washing the linens myself for freshness. We are both 59 and seasoned travellers,we have never had to do this, even in the poorest of countries.

The lounge had a prepay TV, which we didn't use, a sofa with a clean throw on it, an easy chair a table and four chairs, a fold up zed bed, a sideboard with two small cupboards and drawers and a plastic stool. There were very few electric sockets throughout the apartment. The balcony had a table and two chairs, two washing lines stung across the front of the balcony and half a dozen pegs.

To go to the supermarket, go out of the apartment, turn right, go through the chained car park to the other side, turn right, walk up the road (it is not far), past a Chinese restaurant, then some other small shops and restaurants and you will come to half circle of bars (called Ibensa Square). Opposite is the large MAS supermarket that will have all you need, including a bakery and opens all day to 9 p.m. It is opposite the pharmacy, after which is the popular area known as Bonanza Square, with plenty of bars and restaurants and street performers.

On the whole we found the apartments nice but basic. Could do with changes of linen, air conditioning and more choice of food in the pool side bar. Check out the 'Marilyn Monroe' bar behind the apartments - something to be seen.

Would stay there again but only if improvements were made.

Review date: 21 July 2008 - A HotelStreet visitor from Falkirk, Scotland wrote:-

Review title: " An Utter Dump"
Travel date: July 2008
The San Carlos apartments are, without doubt, the worst set of apartments I have ever encountered in over 40 holidays in the last 15 years. How the owners can justify charging £400 for a one week rental is beyond belief.

The rooms are filthy, with paper thin towels that will never dry you and which were never changed during our seven day stay, there is old and dated, dirty, not to mention extremely uncomfortable furniture and beds that aren't fit for a doss house. The disgusting array of jumble sale crockery and cutlery isn't fit to use either and you would need to raid three or four apartments to get a full set. There is very limited space for hanging your clothes, in apartments that are supposed to cater for four or five people. The cheap dirty, plastic patio set bends when you sit on the chairs and the place is crawling with ants. If these apartments were here in Great Britain I have no doubt they would be closed by the environmental health.

The access to the apartments is hazardous with dodgy steps, broken and unfinished crazy paving and broken and missing floor tiles. I am still in shock at not seeing a maid for our whole seven day stay. If this review would allow me to rate this place as a zero out of ten, then I would. Avoid at all costs.

Review date: 28 April 2008 - A HotelStreet visitor from Shrewsbury wrote:-

Review title: "Not So Bad"
Travel date: April 2008
Benalmadena is a great, vibrant town and it is very well recommended. A great array of bars and clubs suitable for all ages, whether you like quiet nights or dancing until dawn, it's all available.

There were no ants or cockroaches in the San Carlos and the balconies offer a relaxing end to a night.

Rooms are cosy, TV is paid for but still, it is a nice retreat if you aren't on the biggest of budgets.

I guess younger people would enjoy using this hotel for maybe around the pool and for the basics, and it is within 600 metres of everything that's happening.

Clean and nice resort and I would recommend it.

Review date: 28 May 2007 - A HotelStreet visitor from Scotland wrote:-

Review title: "You Have Been Warned"
Travel date: May 2007
Dirty. Ants invaded our apartment so I complained and they gave me a spray. Man upstairs invaded with cockroaches. I only had a three ring burner, no oven, grill, kettle, toaster, microwave, had to pay to watch TV and two euros to sit on sun lounger per day. Owner's cats roaming about. Couldn't open door as they kept trying to get in. Couldn't wait to get out of there. In fact, when I got home and unpacked, a cockroach ran out of my luggage.

Review date: 31 January 2008 - A HotelStreet visitor from London wrote:-

Review title: "Excellent Apartments"
Travel date: March 2007
Excellent apartments, well located and well managed. Would recommend the San Carlos complex.

Review date: 19 May 2007 - A HotelStreet visitor from Scotland wrote:-

Review title: "Dont Even Go There!"
Travel date: July 2006
Worst holiday of my life! Apartment was dirty, dull and in the need of a good overhaul. Was glad we only booked for a week. Paying for sunbeds was a disgrace and also paying to watch TV.

Review date: 09 July 2005 - A HotelStreet visitor from Norwich, Norfolk, England wrote:-

Review title: "San Carlos Apartments Were Brilliant"
Travel date: January 2001
The apartments were always very clean and the management were extremely friendly and polite. Have been to these apartments three times and would go again.