The Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Málaga, Spain

The gorgeous rooftop pool and spiral slide in the lobby show that this swish design hotel understands that all travellers are kids at heart. Within stepping distance of Málaga María Zambrano train station, the hotel has cavernous suites, perfect for family groups, and a tidy, modern New York loft vibe. Grown-ups can make the most of the candy-pink and gold gastro bar and night-time views over downtown from the rooftop.

Far from the city crush, but close enough for easy day trips into town, Finca Cortesin feels more like a millionaire’s private palacio than a hotel. Set in vast, lush grounds, surrounded by a competition golf course, it’s very private, very exclusive and very luxurious. The 67 suites are effortlessly elegant, but what families love is the hotel’s beach club – with its vast pool and beachfront restaurant – and the activity programme, covering everything from horse riding to windsurfing.

Places to stay don’t come much more palatial than this stucco-fronted palacio in the heart of Málaga’s historic Jewish quarter. The airy arch-ringed and chequerboard-floored atrium could be plucked straight from a Poirot movie. Every room in the 18th-century palace is luxurious but dignified, and the lone tower room has a private terrace with grandstand views over Málaga Cathedral. For families, the key appeal is abundant space, fine food and the location, within easy reach of everything.

Chinese guardian statues flank the front door of this fun, family-friendly four-starrer, but, inside, it’s modern European design all the way. Boutique rooms come with imaginative quirks – painted pencil lines around doorways, tailor’s dummies and 1950s-style armchairs – and some truly palatial bathrooms. The allure for families is the abundance of floor space and the location: it’s an easy amble from Parque de Málaga, the port, the cathedral and the museums.

El Riad Andaluz feels like a little piece of Morocco transported to Málaga – and, considering the city’s long Moorish history, that’s not such a leap. Families are lured here by the air of calm seclusion and the fuss-free backstreet location, away from the port bustle. Inside, plants sprawl over a private courtyard overlooked by Moorish arches. Compact, cosy rooms come in vibrant colours, dotted with Moroccan details (the ceramic bowls functioning as sinks are a nice touch).

History tumbles out of the walls at this characterful boutique property, where exposed stonework, carved timbers and 18th-century frescoes are juxtaposed against chic designer bathrooms and free-standing bathtubs right in the bedrooms. Named for a Persian goddess, the hotel is just yards (several metres) from Plaza de la Merced and the Picasso Museum and an easy walk from the open, green grounds of the Alcazaba Palace and Castillo de Gibralfaro.

Soft surfaces abound in this swish boutique hotel, right in the thick of things near Plaza de la Merced. After introducing the kids to Cubism at the Picasso Museum, relax in ice-cool comfort in rooms with star-shaped lanterns, flowing drapes and spa tubs in the swankiest classes. The attitude is firmly modern, but details from the original 19th-century building emerge here and there as a reminder that this is still the Málaga of old.

There are hotels in palaces and hotels that feel like palaces – and Gran Hotel Miramar is definitely in the latter camp. Effortless stylish rooms pay homage to different periods of Málaga’s rich history – some are Moorish, some baroque, some art deco, but all are lavish and refined. For families, though, the draw comes from the vast communal spaces: the covered atrium, the oceanfront terrace and the pool looking over the Med, just across the road from the beach.