What Are the Best Cheap Hotels in Málaga?

Just steps from the main square, you can hardly get more central than Petit Palace Plaza. It occupies an elegant early-20th-century building squeezed down a quiet lane, with updated interiors that fuse period touches with a bright and breezy air. Even cheaper rooms come with great extras such as loaner iPads, while upgrades add coffee-pod machines and – if you’re lucky – cathedral views. Free bike hire and mobile wifi, too, make this a bargain.

Set on the southeast corner of the Plaza de la Constitución, this incarnation of the funky Room Mate brand sits right in the throbbing heart of the city. It has art deco styling in common areas and guest rooms, while some of the apartment accommodation have been updated in a softer, more contemporary vein. A snappy rooftop bar serves cocktails and pizza, and night owls will appreciate a late-running breakfast service in the reception-level café.

The blocky black-and-white architecture of the Mariposa Hotel won’t be to everyone’s taste, but once inside it’s hard not to enjoy the quirky and colourful interior. Rooms are stripped down art deco, with plenty of natural light and all expected amenities present and correct. A jazzy rooftop offers a solarium by day and cocktail bar by night, though with the hotel sitting in the hip Soho quarter, you may prefer to explore one of the many trendy drinkeries a mere totter away.

While at the pricier end of the cheap hotel bracket, you won’t regret paying a little more for a stay at Room Mate Valeria. It’s a design-led hotel that’s as hip as the Soho surrounds, with bold nautical-meets-Mediterranean-garden interiors. Lots of the rooms look out to the sea, but for the best views head to the popular rooftop terrace and enjoy them from a poolside lounger with a drink.

If you’re after a smart, unfussy hotel where comfort and convenience trumps bells and whistles, NH Malaga fits the bill. Soothing tones, quality beds and soundproof windows aid a night’s slumber, with suites adding extra perks such as robes and coffee machines. A rooftop pool opens over the summer months, while the ground-floor restaurant has a decent menu and sunny al fresco terrace. A riverside setting in the Perchel Norte neighbourhood puts the hotel within easy strolling distance of Malaga centre.

El Riad Andaluz is a colourful slice of Morocco occupying a traditional Andalusian townhouse, with Arabian pattern tiles, pastel-toned walls and a flora-filled patio. Simple rooms are finished in colourful Berber-inspired decor, with a few offering balcony views overlooking the courtyard or street. There’s little beyond accommodation at this particularly pocket-friendly option, though a central location – the Plaza de la Merced – means most of the city is within easy reach.

Situated on Málaga’s main pedestrian street, Calle Marqués de Larios, this three-star hotel offers an excellent location and good value for money. Rooms are modern and bright, with lots of polished wood and en-suite, marble bathrooms. There’s also a café-restaurant and free wifi throughout.