Hotel Riu Monica

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

3809 reviews

• 

  Excellent hotel

  Hotel spotless, food great plenty of choice. All staff so friendly and hardworking, hotel in prime position

  Jan 19, 2025
• 

  A lovely hotel but we would not return due to room sound proofing issues!

  We stayed at the Riu Monica, Nerja for the first time in January 2025. We booked return taxi transfers through Solhop Malaga which cost €152 and were excellent. The journey from Malaga airport to the Riu Monica took just under an hour. Arrival and check-in We arrived early at 12:00 noon and were warmly greeted by the cheerful, friendly reception team with a glass of Cava / orange juice. Check in was quick and efficient and we were told that our room was ready which was much appreciated. There were 4 lifts in reception, 1 of which was out of order for the duration of our stay. The Room We were delighted to have been allocated a room on the 6th floor that had sun on the balcony from about 12:30pm until sunset and had lovely sea views which was perfect for us. Our room was spacious with ample storage space with plenty of drawers and hanging space in the large double wardrobe. There was also a large safe available at an additional €17 for a 7 night stay. The mini fridge worked well and was useful for storing milk and water. The WIFI also worked well for the duration of our stay. The mattress on the bed needed replacing as it had a ridge in the middle and dipped on both sides. The walls offered very little in the way of soundproofing so you could clearly hear your neighbours TV, talking, arguing, toilet flushing and snoring etc. etc. None of the floors had soft furnishings so the dragging of chairs and furniture across the floors was also a disturbance as was the regular banging of bedroom doors. The Balcony was a good size with 2 comfortable chairs, a small table, and a useful clothes airer. We had great sea views and it was lovely listening to the waves breaking on the beach. The Bathroom. The bathroom was a good size with a large sink area and mirror above, bidet and walk-in shower that had decent water pressure and consistent water temperature. As other guests have previously mentioned many times, the towels are very poor. They were small, thin and scratchy on the skin and some during our stay had holes in! Not what you would expect from a hotel chain with Riu’s reputation for quality! The bathroom was also showing its age in other areas and in particular the mastic in the shower area and base of the shower screen which needed replacing as it was rotting away. Dinning – gentlemen were required to wear long trousers. The food in general was ok but as with most buffet service the food was normally only warm, fortunately there was a microwave if you like your food served hot. As well as the main inside dining area there was also an outside balcony seating area with heaters that we really enjoyed as it was much more peaceful. Breakfast There was the usual selection of hot and cold offerings although this barely changed at all during our 7 night stay. There was also a selection of bread and rolls which were always stale / hard. We did not notice any jugs of fresh juice, only a machine serving drinks that tasted as though they were made from powder. We did not notice a coffee machine either but this is served at the table in a flask, however if you take breakfast before 08:15 be prepared to serve yourself. Dinner Again the usual standard staples although in the evening these did change on a daily basis. We enjoyed the fish and slow cooked meats although a lot of the other cuts of meat were tough and chewy. The cold selection was good with some lovely prawns on some evenings. We found the desserts a bit disappointing and samey. A La Carte Restaurant The A La Carte restaurant can be booked once a week at no extra charge. The service was good and it was nice to be served your main course and dessert at the table but the food was not really any different to the buffet restaurant. Entertainment We were impressed that there was entertainment every evening in January although all were singers and ranged from poor (Sophia) to very good (The Rock & Roll Brothers) although this is subjective and down to personal opinion. To Sum up The Riu Monica is in a prime location right opposite the beach with plenty of shops, bars and restaurants within walking distance. The hotel was kept very clean and comfortable throughout by the excellent housekeeping team. Without doubt the staff at the Riu Monica were the hotels biggest asset, the majority of which we found to be some of the most cheerful, friendly and helpful that we have come across. When we go on holiday it is mainly to relax and recharge. We were unlucky to have inconsiderate neighbours who insisted on having their TV on full volume every afternoon when we were trying to relax in our room. Note to Riu Monica: we did report this to reception after it happened on 3 consecutive days only to be told to come back the next day if it happened again! Due to the room soundproofing issues described above and the response that we received from reception we would NOT return.

  Jan 19, 2025
• 

  Post Christmas break

  Lovely week at Rui Monica, it was the first time we have stayed there, we will definitely return. The food was really good with lots of choice. I am dairy free & never struggle with the options, they also had a selection of dairy free milk at breakfast. Drinks in the bar were very reasonably priced too. The staff were friendly & exceptionally hard work.

  Jan 19, 2025
• 

  Early January Holiday

  We arrived at the hotel just before midnight after being delayed nearly 7 hours due to the terrible weather conditions at Manchester Airport. We were greeted warmly at reception with a glass of bubbly, and invited for food in the restaurant. Due to a mix up ( no fault of the hotel) we were moved next morning to a room next door to my sister and her husband, no trouble at all. The weather was lovely sunshine and blue skies. We were lucky that we found t shirts and light weight trousers/shorts were fine during the day, but in the evenings I felt comfortable with a light puffer jacket and scarf, as it was cooler and sometimes a bit windy.( it was the beginning of January after all ) Our hotel room was big and spacious, with a lovely view. The room was spotless, and the “Magic Fairy” that cleaned our room was wonderful. We visited Frigiliana, where we have stayed a few times before, during summer months, which is still as charming as ever, and enjoyed a coffee outside the church in the sunshine. The Balcony of Europe was a nice stroll away, meandering through the little side streets. We enjoyed a few tapas lunches. The bars and restaurants across the road from the hotel were very good and handy if you didn’t want to go too far . Our favourite in the evening was the Mexican , Andele Andele, we used to meet up with friends about 8 of us . I particularly liked the caffe and brandy at 3.50 euros, I thought that was really good value. Unfortunately my husband had to stay in Malaga hospital with health issues for four days which was stressful, but the hotel were very kind, asking if they could do anything to help. In fact on our last night the Hotel Manager came personally to him to see how he was, which we thought was a kind gesture. The hotel food was fantastic, both breakfast and evening meals, there was a very wide choice , and I defy anybody not to find something they liked. The hotel staff were really likeable, everybody smiled and acknowledged you, and looked like they were happy in their work. The entertainment at night was good too, and if you wanted to sit in the lobby there were chairs/sofas to lounge on. Thank you so much Hotel Rui Monica Nerja for a fantastic holiday. We really hope to return next year.. A little Gem, which I was so glad we found . Thank you to all the staff, a fabulous holiday to remember

  Jan 17, 2025
• 

  Lovely stay

  Friendly and helpful staff. Room clean and comfortable throughout our stay. Food was varied, plentiful, fresh and good quality. Good location by the sea, a promenade and a short stroll to the centre of the beautiful town of Nerja. I would recommend Riu Monica for your holiday visit.

  Jan 17, 2025