Where to Stay in Marbella: Best Areas & Neighbourhoods (2026)

Six kilometres of coastline. Forty thousand hotel beds. And exactly one question that will define your entire trip: which part of Marbella do you actually stay in?

Get it right and everything — beach, dinner, nightlife — is a short walk away. Get it wrong and you're in a taxi every night wondering why you didn't read something like this first. Here are the six areas that matter, what they're actually like, and the best places to sleep in each.

Jump to: Golden Mile · Old Town · Puerto Banús · Nueva Andalucía · East Marbella · San Pedro · FAQ

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Quick Decision Table

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Golden Mile

The original Marbella fantasy. Six kilometres of private estates, designer beach clubs, and the kind of hotel lobbies where staff remember your name after one stay. This is where the Marbella Club opened in 1954 and invented the template that every luxury resort on the Costa del Sol has been trying to copy ever since.

Best for: Honeymooners · Luxury couples · Fine dining obsessives Avoid if: You need a budget under €400/night · You want a traditional Spanish feel Distance: 3 km to Old Town · 4 km to Puerto Banús · 54 km to Malaga Airport Price range: Mid €450–€650 · Luxury €900–€2,500+

For an introduction to 5-star hotels in Marbella, this stretch has the highest concentration anywhere on the coast. If you want more space than a hotel room, luxury villas on the Golden Mile are also available — most come with private pool and sea views.

🏨 Where to Stay

Nobu Hotel Marbella Located inside the Puente Romano complex — essentially a village of restaurants, boutiques and pools that you never need to leave. Score: 9.0/10 (900+ reviews). Rates from €950/night peak summer.

Choose if: You want to be at the centre of Golden Mile's dining and nightlife scene without leaving the complex. Avoid if: You're travelling with children — this is an adults-only pool setup.

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Marbella Club Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa BEACHFRONT Direct beach access. Kids club. Legendary service. It defined Golden Mile glamour and still does. Score: 9.3/10 (420+ reviews). Rates from €1,200/night peak summer.

Choose if: You want the finest address in Marbella and price is not the first thing you check. Avoid if: You plan to spend most evenings in Puerto Banús — the taxi adds up fast.

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Marbella Old Town (Casco Antiguo)

Whitewashed walls. Orange trees in the Plaza de los Naranjos. A tapas bar on every corner that's been there since before your parents were born. Old Town is the only part of Marbella where you can spend three days without unlocking your car.

Best for: Couples · Solo travellers · Anyone who prefers walking to driving Avoid if: You need direct beach access from your door · Light sleepers (Friday nights are loud) Distance: 7 km to Puerto Banús · 52 km to Malaga Airport Price range: Budget €80–€120 · Mid €200–€280 · Luxury €380–€550+

🏨 Where to Stay

El Fuerte Marbella BEST LOCATION A 4-star Andalusian classic sitting on the edge of the old town, 90 seconds from the beach. Score: 9.7/10 (1,104 reviews) — the highest-rated hotel in this guide. Completely unpretentious. Rates from €200/night peak summer.

Choose if: You want the most convenient base in Old Town — beach, centre and restaurants all on foot. Avoid if: You need a rooftop pool or modern design aesthetic.

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Óbal Urban Hotel BEST VALUE Fully renovated in 2023. Rooftop pool. Central air conditioning — which sounds obvious until you've stayed in an Old Town building without it in August. Score: 9.2/10 (1,550+ reviews). Rates from €200–€280/night peak summer.

Choose if: You want Old Town atmosphere with modern comforts and a rooftop pool at a fair price. Avoid if: You're planning to spend most time at the beach — it's a 10-minute walk, which is fine until you're carrying bags and towels in 38°C heat.

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Puerto Banús

Superyachts. Ferraris. Champagne at noon. Puerto Banús does not do subtle. It's a 400-berth marina lined with the kind of shops that don't display prices, and a nightlife strip that gets going around 1am. If you've seen the Instagram posts of Marbella — it's almost all Puerto Banús.

Best for: Groups · Stag/hen parties · Nightlife · Luxury shopping Avoid if: Families with young kids · Anyone who needs to sleep before 3am Distance: 7 km to Old Town · 58 km to Malaga Airport Price range: Mid €300–€450 · Luxury €600+

If you're renting a supercar for the week, supercar hire in Marbella and Puerto Banús runs from the area directly. A yacht charter from Puerto Banús is also an obvious next move once you've seen what's parked in the marina.

🏨 Where to Stay

Hard Rock Hotel Marbella ADULTS ONLY On the Nueva Andalucía side of the marina. Sound-themed spa, multiple pools, and the energy you'd expect from the brand. Best for groups who want to party hard without leaving the hotel. Score: 8.3/10 (4,800+ reviews). Rates from €300–€450/night peak summer.

Choose if: You're here for the marina lifestyle, late nights and zero plans before noon. Avoid if: You want peace, quiet, or a child-friendly environment.

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Nueva Andalucía

Two kilometres inland from Puerto Banús, the Golf Valley opens up. This is where Marbella becomes residential — villas behind electric gates, fairways visible from most bedroom windows, and a pace of life several gears slower than the coast below. You need a car. Full stop.

Best for: Golfers · Families renting villas · Long-stay visitors Avoid if: You want to walk anywhere — the beach is a 20-minute drive Distance: 2 km to Puerto Banús · 9 km to Old Town · 60 km to Malaga Airport Price range: Mid €250–€400 · Luxury €500+

If you're looking at apartments and villas in this area rather than hotels, the villas in Nueva Andalucía guide covers the Golf Valley in detail.

🏨 Where to Stay

The Westin La Quinta Golf Resort & Spa 27-hole golf course. Massive spa. Mountain and Mediterranean views. The definition of "Golf Valley experience." Score: 8.6/10 (500+ reviews). Rates from €400–€600/night peak summer.

Choose if: Golf is the main event and you want everything — spa, dining, views — without leaving the resort. Avoid if: You hate driving — there's no realistic way around it here.

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Molo Luxury Suites Smaller, more intimate, designer interiors. Better value than the big resorts and a good pick if you want the area's calm without the full resort footprint. Score: 8.8/10 (290+ reviews). Rates from €190–€320/night peak summer.

Choose if: You're renting a villa nearby and want a stylish hotel option for guests, or you prefer boutique over resort. Avoid if: You want a full-service resort with multiple restaurants and pools on-site.

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East Marbella — Elviria & Cabopino

Drive east past the centre and Marbella changes completely. Pine forests reach the sand. The Artola Dunes — a protected natural reserve — back onto one of the cleanest beaches on the coast. Cabopino is a small marina with a genuinely relaxed feel. This is Marbella for people who want beach, not scene.

Best for: Families with kids · Nature lovers · Beach purists · Anyone who hates noise Avoid if: You want to walk to nightlife or Old Town Distance: 12 km to Old Town · 18 km to Puerto Banús · 45 km to Malaga Airport Price range: Mid €280–€450 · Luxury €500–€750+

🏨 Where to Stay

Don Carlos Resort & Spa BEACHFRONT Tropical gardens, a famous beach location (Nikki Beach operates nearby), and wide white sand that's genuinely rare on this stretch of the coast. Score: 8.5/10 (1,100+ reviews). Rates from €450–€750/night peak summer.

Choose if: Beach is your priority and you want a proper resort feel with tropical surroundings. Avoid if: You're planning multiple nights out — you'll spend a lot of time in taxis.

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Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort BEACHFRONT · FAMILIES Not a traditional hotel — it's a timeshare-style resort with fully equipped apartments. Three pools, family activities, and enough space to not feel on top of each other. The gold standard for families in East Marbella. Score: 9.0/10 (800+ reviews). Rates from €400–€650/night (2-bed apartment) peak summer.

Choose if: You're travelling with kids and want home comforts — kitchen, living room, space — with resort amenities. Avoid if: You want a traditional hotel experience with daily housekeeping and a restaurant downstairs.

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San Pedro de Alcántara

Three kilometres west of Puerto Banús, San Pedro is what most of Marbella used to look like. A proper Spanish town with a market, a church, locals doing their weekly shop. The new boulevard — a long park with cycling paths and restaurants — runs from the town centre to the beach and genuinely makes this walkable in a way most of the coast is not.

Best for: Families on a budget · Long-stay visitors · Anyone who wants to live like a local Avoid if: You want glamour and celebrity spotting on your doorstep Distance: 3 km to Puerto Banús · 10 km to Old Town · 62 km to Malaga Airport Price range: Budget €80–€130 · Mid €180–€260

🏨 Where to Stay

Barceló Marbella BEST VALUE RESORT In the upscale Guadalmina side of San Pedro. Large pool, wellness centre, and golf access nearby — all at a fraction of the Golden Mile price. Score: 8.2/10 (1,880+ reviews). Rates from €180–€260/night peak summer.

Choose if: You want a proper resort feel — pool, spa, space — without paying Puerto Banús prices. Avoid if: You want to be in the heart of a walkable town — Guadalmina is residential and quiet.

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Hostal Alisol Boutique BEST VALUE Minimalist design, central San Pedro location, €80–€130 a night. The best base camp for travellers who want to spend their budget on experiences — beach clubs, boats and dinners — rather than their pillow. Score: 9.0/10 (1,040+ reviews).

Choose if: You want value, a genuine local feel and easy access to Puerto Banús without Puerto Banús prices. Avoid if: You expect the Marbella of magazines — this is real Spain, not the resort fantasy.

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Which Area Is Actually Right for You?

If you're still deciding, here's the short version.

First time in Marbella? Stay in Old Town. You can walk everywhere, the food scene is on your doorstep, and you'll get the authentic Marbella experience before you decide which part you want more of.

Coming for the lifestyle — yachts, clubs, shopping? Puerto Banús. Don't fight it.

Travelling with kids? East Marbella for the beach, or San Pedro for value and a walkable town that isn't overwhelming.

Golf trip? Nueva Andalucía. Everything else is a compromise.

Big budget, want the best address? Golden Mile. It's the real thing and nothing else on this list comes close.

Want Marbella on a realistic budget? San Pedro. You're 10 minutes from Puerto Banús and paying half the price.

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FAQ

What is the best area to stay in Marbella for first timers? Marbella Old Town. It's the most walkable area on the coast, well connected by taxi to everywhere else, and gives you genuine Andalusian atmosphere rather than a resort bubble. El Fuerte Marbella and Óbal Hotel are both strong picks for a first visit.

Is Marbella Old Town walkable? Yes — it's one of the few parts of Marbella where you genuinely don't need a car. The historic centre, beach, restaurants and shops are all within 10 minutes on foot. Puerto Banús is 7 km away (taxi recommended at night).

Is Puerto Banús worth staying in? If nightlife and the marina scene is why you came to Marbella — yes. If you want culture, quiet mornings or a family trip — no. It's loud, it's flashy, and it doesn't apologise for either. Hard Rock Hotel is the most practical base if you're staying there.

Where to stay in Marbella on a budget? San Pedro de Alcántara offers the best value on the coast. Hostal Alisol Boutique runs from €80/night in peak summer — extraordinary for this part of Spain. East Marbella has some mid-range options too if you're prioritising beach over nightlife.

Do I need a car in Marbella? In Old Town and Puerto Banús — no. In Nueva Andalucía and East Marbella — yes, absolutely. San Pedro is walkable within the town but you'll want a car for day trips. Taxis are plentiful and relatively affordable for short hops between areas.

What's the difference between the Golden Mile and Puerto Banús? Both are luxury areas but with completely different atmospheres. Golden Mile is old-money quiet — discreet hotels, private estates, beach clubs you need to book weeks ahead. Puerto Banús is new-money loud — superyachts, nightclubs, Ferraris. Same coastline, completely different experience.

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You Might Also Like

• →5-Star Hotels in Marbella — the full ranking of Marbella's best hotels, area by area
• →Luxury Villas in Marbella — when a hotel room isn't enough space
• →Yacht Charter Puerto Banús — the obvious next thing to book after you've sorted your accommodation