Clean! That's the first and lasting impression. The Zenit seems brand new and very modern and everything is very ... well, clean.

We stayed just one night. Our room was small, even by continental European standards and storing two sizeable suitcases was a bit of a squeeze, but everything else was excellent – very quiet, good value for money and pleasant service service. Parking at the garage around the corner is €10 per day – you can pay at the hotel. There is room to pull in at the front of the hotel and they’re happy to let you park there for the time it takes to check in and get into the room.

We didn’t use the restaurant, but the menu looked very interesting with good choices and if the food is good, the price is great value - €11 for three courses.

The immediate neighbourhood is residential with a number of neighbourhood-type bars and cafes where the locals were present in numbers and the atmosphere very pleasant. The atmospheric and busy Plaza de la Merced is a 10-15 minute walk south - lots of restaurant options here. The roast suckling pig upstairs at Meson Cortija de Pepe (downstairs is a buzzing tapas scene) was a highlight of our two-week Spanish trip.

The hotel is about 20 mins walk from the centre of town (Centro). The area around the hotel is a bit shabby but the room and hotel amenities were clean and slightly above the 3 star rating in my humble opinion. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. A taxi to and from Centro is about 4 euros so travel is affordable if you would rather not walk. The transfer to/from the airport cost us just under 20euros by taxi. I should also mention the cafe 3minutes away from the hotel where the owner ,Ronald, was very friendly and informative (the coffee was also the best I've had for some time) The people of Malaga are generally very polite and friendly. For example we were having trouble finding the Picasso museum and a gentleman walked up to us to ask if we needed any help. Would definitely visit again.

Although slightly out of town, the Zenit is on a very frequent bus route, which the very friendly chap at receptionist told us all about on arrival. Unbidden, he gave us a map and recommended good restaurants and tapas bars for us to try.

Our room was not very large (except for the bathroom, bizarrely) but it was very modern and we had no complaints. The view we had was non-existent, since it was of an inner void, but on the plus side this meant we slept very soundly in the almost total silence.

I would definitely stay here again.

We stayed here in August 2002 while the hotel was remodeling. I mean serious remodeling - with the missing walls and exposed wiring, it looked like a bomb had gone off before we arrived. However, the restaurant and the guest room we stayed in were completed, and they were extremely well-done in trendy modern decor. If they've furnished the rest of the hotel in the same style, it should be a great place to stay. The neighborhood is not ideal for tourists since it's north of the center, but it's great if you want to get a flavor of everyday Malaga and mingle with the locals. Plan to drive or take a taxi to the Fortress and other attractions downtown. And call ahead, just to make sure they've finished their construction.