Puente Romano, Marbella – travel review
I have travelled a lot this year, all spectacular destinations, as you must’ve seen from my reviews all over social media. But Puente Romano is from another world. A world of history, raw Spanish beauty, luxurious vibes, an oasis of calm and tranquility, but also a vibrant night life. The perfect place to cater to even the most pretentious desires and needs. I have spent there a few days with my family and my only regret is that we didn’t book at least a week to enjoy all the resort has to offer.
The beach resort is built with a village-style feel, where white villas sprawled along the sun-soaked Andalusian coast, await their guests. The domain is really big, and when we first arrived I thought we are going to get lost, but after a few tours we managed to discover everything quite easily. The resort’s show stopping seaside tennis courts, 3 pools and 14 restaurants means you wouldn’t want to leave this place! 
Puente Romano is 35 minutes drive from Malaga-Costa de Sol Airport. The most sought after resort is set on a tropical atmosphere, with lush palm trees, luxurious vegetation, blue clear sky and calm sea. We visited the hotel mid September and the weather was more than perfect. It was actually quite hot, with temperatures higher than 30 degrees, and still warm enough in the evenings.
There are so many things to do inside the resort, from indulging the spa and wellness facilities, to sipping on cocktails in the open air courtyard, to talking long walks in the botanical gardens. We have also booked a tennis lesson with an amazing trainer and I had actually enjoyed so much my first lesson, that I really want to continue back home. My husband loved his lesson too, and Emma couldn’t catch the green balls faster! A game to be enjoyed by the entire family. I believe there are 9 to 10 tennis courtyards and you can play with your friends or family, or take valuable lessons. 
The best things in life are not things, and here at Puente Romano, you can discover all that life has to offer. There are so many experiences to try at Puente Romano that your day will never be hard to fill. We relaxed by the pool overlooking the ocean, and when the sun was too much, we spent time on the terrace with an ice cream. Emma loved this part so much, she was asking to drop by Rachel’s Eco Love open air ice-cream boutique every day. I didn’t mind, the weather was so warm, I needed a bit of cool down!
Talking about cooling down, you can use the Main pool and Central pool among the gardens, or the family-friendly Beach Club Pool, on the sands beside the Mediterranean, which is heated and watched by a lifeguard during summer. 
There are plenty of other activities to enjoy at Puente Romano, such as golf courses, Pilates and yoga classes, DVD library, and wonderful treatments. I actually had a fantastic scrub and full body massage while staying at the resort. With a beautiful Andalusian design, the sleek Six Senses Spa (awarded Spain’s Best Resort Spa 2016 by World Spa Awards) has a wet area with a hydrotherapy pool, cold plunge pool, heat and ice experience showers, herbal steam room, sauna and hammam. There are nine treatment rooms: six indoors and three outdoors, with canopied roofs and swing cabanas overlooking the sea, and a range of Six Senses signature massages, facials, hammam experiences, body treatments and scrubs, and mani-pedis. The spa uses QMS Medicosmetics and Organic Pharmacy products. Now that’s one way to relax after a busy year! 
What I absolutely loved about the resort is that during summer they have a kids club with a jam-packed programme of activities. Because we travelled off-season, the club was closed, but we still benefited from a wonderful babysitter, which sat with Emma every evening, while me and my husband enjoyed our fancy dinners without the fear of a screaming baby. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy having dinners with Emma but not at restaurants. She is a bit of a diva, and she sometimes (read all the time) disturbs other guests, as most 2 year olds do. Because all the restaurants we were booked to were among the best in the world, you can imagine the etiquette and distinct atmosphere that a child would never submit to. I was able to order her room service every evening from the resort’s tablet, which is so handy! You can order anything from food, to a cleaner, to checking the map of the hotel, and so many other useful informations. The baby-sitter was absolutely wonderful! She connected with Emma straight away and they started playing and having lots of fun. Emma loved her, so much so that after 3 nights of spending 2 hours with the nanny, when we returned from our dinner, she was a bit disappointed she won’t be playing with her anymore. She usually runs into our arms every time we’re returning home, but that was not the case. Proof the babysitter really knew how to speak to a child’s heart. 
Now, talking about food, there are so many options to cater to even the most picky eater. You won’t get bored with eating the same food, as there are a lot of restaurants to choose from. From Dani Garcia, a Michelin-star-holding chef with tempting tapas and Iberian delights, to El Chiringuito right on the beach specialised in fresh fish and seafood. We loved the Sea Grill, right by the pool with it’s own tandoori oven and a gorgeous crab dish! The restaurant is the perfect romantic spot and the fish is fresh and delicious here! The waiters take care of you without invading your privacy. 
We have also had a really romantic dinner at the famous Nobu, which was a wonderful culinary experience. Nobu has been on my list since I’ve heard about it many years ago, and I was finally able to indulge in an Asian feast that is worth remembering and recommending. The tacos were absolutely a hit, and the octopus carpaccio were music to my soul. Being able to enjoy a dinner with my husband under the stars, sipping from our wines, and enjoying the vibrant courtyard was a treasured memory. 
Bibo tapas restaurant the last night was absolutely my favourite, with a vibrant atmosphere and incredible menu. I can’t really recommend one more than the other, but I would encourage you to try all of them if you can. Going to Puente Romano is a culinary destination in itself. 
If you want a little bit of fun for the kids, go to Bioparc Fuengirola, around 20 minutes from the hotel, where you can experience the unique park where the animals live side by side in recreations of their natural habitats. We had the chance to feed the lemurs, and Emma loved it so much! 
There are indeed so many hotels along this famous stretch of golden sand to be seen, but Puente Romano, named after the ancient Roman Bridge which stands among the lush grounds, is above all of them with it’s breathtaking exterior, fantastic service and a creator of memories. There is a certain vibe the hotel gives throughout your stay that will want you to come back to Puente Romano over and over again, just to discover more! 
