Hotel Alay

A round on the Costa del Sol sits naturally at the centre of a stay at Hotel Alay, a four-star base in Benalmádena’s Puerto Marina district. Golf is one of the region’s principal draws, with beach time, watersports, dining and excursions easy to fit around tee times. The hotel faces the seafront promenade and stands beside the marina, so the day can move from an early round to a walk along the water without any need to leave the neighbourhood. The beach is only 0.03 miles away, while airport transfers take around 15 minutes. It is an adults-recommended hotel with a quieter, couples-focused feel, suited to golfers who want their time away from the course to be as relaxed as the round itself.

With the Costa del Sol’s golf courses forming the main event, Hotel Alay provides a straightforward place to return to afterwards. There are seven room categories, and most can be booked with sea views, giving the marina and Mediterranean their proper place in the stay. Breakfast is served outdoors from the buffet, with daytime snacks available when a late tee time makes a full lunch impractical. Drinks have a sports theme, while evening meals can also be taken outside, a good fit for lingering over dinner after the clubs are away. The wellness area has jacuzzis, a sauna and professional massage treatments for those looking to ease tired legs between rounds.

Golfers travelling with a small dog can bring one animal of up to 7 kg, and dogs are accepted across every room category rather than in a separate pet allocation. Each receives a large cleaned bed, metal bowls, mineral water and a treat, with disposable bags available at the entrance. Dogs need to be on a lead when entering or leaving the hotel, and the pet accommodation rules are signed on arrival.