The Gran Hotel Miramar is the most glamorous address on the Costa del Sol’s city stretch, and a landmark in its own right. Designed by the Málaga architect Fernando Guerrero Strachan, it opened in 1926 as the Hotel Príncipe de Asturias, a whitewashed palace of Moorish-inspired arches, tiled courtyards and gardens facing the sea. Its later history is unusually colourful: it served as a field hospital during the Civil War, closed as a hotel in 1967, and housed the city’s Palace of Justice from 1987 to 2007, before a long restoration reopened it in 2017. Today it is rated five-star Gran Lujo and belongs to The Leading Hotels of the World, with 171 rooms and 29 suites, a spa with a full water circuit, outdoor pools and five restaurants.
Location and getting around: the hotel stands on Paseo de Reding in the La Caleta area, just east of the centre, with La Malagueta beach across the coast road. The Picasso Museum, the Centre Pompidou and the old town are about five minutes away by car, or a pleasant 15 to 20 minute walk along the seafront and the Paseo del Parque. The airport is around 12 kilometres away and María Zambrano station about 3 kilometres, both an easy taxi ride.
The rooms: rooms and suites are spacious and classically elegant, with marble bathrooms and many with balconies or terraces overlooking the gardens and pools or the sea. It is worth paying for a sea view, and the suites in the historic building have the most character. The courtyard and the restored public rooms, with their tiles and arches, are a sight in themselves.
Who it suits and good to know: couples on a special trip, families who want pools and the beach with the city close by, and anyone who values grand-hotel service. The spa has a thermal circuit with sauna, hammam and Jacuzzi, and the heated pools make a winter stay comfortable. Breakfast is generous and the restaurants cover Spanish and international cooking, so you need never leave. Expect top-tier prices, especially in summer and at Easter.
Why stay here
- ✓Historic 1926 seafront palace
- ✓Spa with thermal water circuit
- ✓Heated outdoor pools
- ✓Five restaurants
- ✓Gardens facing the sea
- ✓Steps from La Malagueta beach
- ✓Leading Hotels of the World member
- ✓Free Wi-Fi
Good questions
Where is the Gran Hotel Miramar?+
It is on Paseo de Reding in the La Caleta area, just east of the centre and across the road from La Malagueta beach. The old town and the museums are a short taxi ride or a 15 to 20 minute walk away.
What is the history of the Gran Hotel Miramar?+
It opened in 1926 as the Hotel Príncipe de Asturias, later served as a field hospital and then as the city’s Palace of Justice. It reopened as a luxury hotel in 2017 after a major restoration.
Does the Gran Hotel Miramar have a spa and pools?+
Yes, there is a spa with a thermal circuit, sauna, hammam and Jacuzzi, plus heated outdoor pools. A semi-heated children’s pool makes it a good choice for families.
