Down a cobbled street lined with ceramic-tiled Andalucian houses, a massive nail-studded door swings open to reveal 3 levels of rooms spread around a delightful colonnaded courtyard. Once an 18th-century Bishop's palace, the building was painstakingly renovated with lashing of TLC and now has a pleasing blend of modern and Moorish decor, with cool chequered floor tiles, cushioned iron chairs, chandeliers hanging from vaulted ceilings and splashes of deep red in cushions and flamboyant art - olé!
Popular with young couples, friends, groups and families, Palacio Blanco is well located in the heart of Velez-Malaga, a traditional Andalucian town yet to succumb to the flood of tourists elsewhere in the Costa del Sol. You'll be warmly greeted and given a mini tour of the hotel, before being shown to one of the 9 rooms. Decked out in tones of cream, gold and silver, or ox-blood red and crimson, they are contemporary and spacious with large beds, comfy seating and capacious shower rooms. Hot from your journey? Don a soft waffle bathrobe and pad to the rooftop pool for a paddle. The views from here are stunning, over the town, castle and mountains beyond. Help yourself to a drink from the honesty bar and settle in for sunset.
Highs
- Wandering around the pretty backstreets of Velez-Malaga and sampling local tapas
- Long lazy breakfasts in the breezy courtyard and starlit nights on the roof terrace listening to the rumour of the streets beneath
- Good value for money, though note that prices don't include tax or breakfast
- Velez-Malaga is largely untouched by the Costa del Sol's tourist masses but is within easy reach of beaches and nightlife, and just half an hour from Malaga airport
Lows
- Noise from the street in rooms at the front; light sleepers should choose rooms 2, 5 and 6, which face the side and rear, and if these are unavailable, bring earplugs
- Not enough shade by the pool but sail shades over the bar area
- Parking is difficult. With buses to the beach and to Malaga, and everything else within easy walking distance, you may prefer not to bring a car
- Rooms get a bit hot in summer; phone ahead to give your arrival time so that air con can be put on in advance
Best time to go
The Palacio Blanco is open all year except December/January, but if you want a taste of authentic Andalucia, pack some warm clothes and come in autumn/winter when the tourists have left. The days are usually sunny. If you prefer animated nightlife, wild fiestas and lively beaches book well in advance and visit between June and October.
Our top tips
This is a relatively quiet town that has, so far, avoided the trappings of mass tourism, which means the pace of life is delightfully slow, businesses are closed on Sundays, and fluent English isn't a guarantee. Pack your Spanish phrase book and enjoy the authenticity.
Location
Hotel Palacio Blanco is in Velez-Malaga, 30 minutes' drive from Malaga Airport and a short bus or taxi ride from the sandy beaches of the Costa del Sol.
By Air
Malaga’s busy airport, which is the main gateway to Andalucia, is served by many international carriers - click on the links below for a list of airlines.
From the Airport
Most guests hire a car, but parking is difficult, so you may prefer to ask for a transfer - see Rates - or take a taxi to Velez-Malaga instead (a 40-50 minute journey). Alternatively, there's a regular train from the airport to Malaga city centre. From there, it's a 40-minute bus journey to Velez-Malaga.
By Car
If you want to hire a car to drive here, see our car rental recommendations. Be warned though, the horrendously busy strip of road leaving the airport has been nicknamed Deathrow because of the number of accidents caused by UK tourists leaving the airport and driving on the left...
By Train
If you'd prefer to travel overland, hop on a train! See Seat 61 for detailed directions of how to get here from London.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to Andalucia and getting around
Airports:
- Malaga Pablo Ruíz Picasso 50.0 km AGP
- Granada 90.0 km GRX
Other:
- Beach 10.0 km
- Shops 0.1 km
- Restaurant 0.1 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 3 independent reviews from i-escape guests
We had a lovely stay despite the regular rain showers! Maria is an excellent host who made us feel welcome and had lots of useful advice on places to eat and things to see.
Wonderful hotel with amazing, welcoming staff. Great value for money. Only improvement to comfort would be mini fridge or drinks facilities in each room so you didn’t have to rely on the honesty bar and could buy big bottles of water etc. Hotel was a beautiful building in a beautiful area with very tasteful rooms.
Hotel and area were very authentic so difficult to get food for picky eaters and hard to order if you have limited Spanish. Great for grown ups with fishy tastes though. Be warned everything was shut on Sunday and seemingly Monday too. In the hotel review it says that the town is lively but we did not find it to be lively at all and a lot of places are closed or shut down - this may be post covid. Again, good if you want to be off the beaten track. As previous reviews have said parking is very difficult. We used the local bus to go very cheaply to Torre del Mar, Malaga and Nerja. All of which we enjoyed immensely. Torre del Mar is the local seaside resort and a fun, easy-going, lively place to be with a variety of good places to eat for all tastes and a very Spanish feel. I had a lovely stay in Palacio Blanco and Maria was a fantastic host. I took my ‘just’ grown up children and probably would have taken them somewhere livelier had I know. However, we all had a lovely time exploring and adventuring. I’d love to go back with my boyfriend as he’d appreciate the quiet like me and be brave enough to hire a car for the day and explore the hills - instead I had to look at them longingly.
The hotel was beautifully decorated. Our stay was perfect. Looked after by Maria who was the manager. So friendly & an asset to the hotel!
Feedback is only from guests who have booked and stayed through i-escape