If you've alreay booked the Riu Monica, or are thinking about booking it, then don't worry. This is good hotel in a great location right on the beach with excellent views and close to all amenities. However, in our opinion, some of the previous revews are a bit over the top. Yes this is a good hotel, but it's not 'great' or 'brilliant', but again this is our opinion based on other four star hotels we have stayed in.
The good bits: The hotel is kept spotlessly clean throughout by an army of very dilligent and helpful maids, and as previously mentioned the location cannot be faulted. The rooms are ok for four star standard, but again no better than that.
The not so good: The food, both quality and variety, is not really up to four star. Same unspecified fish each night, only one choice on the carvery and, on two nights that was 'Meat Loaf' and 'Meat Pie' which quite frankly could have been anything!
The staff, (excluding the aforementioned maids and the footsoldier waiters who were always excellent) made a great show of being all over you on arrival, but after that were really very ordinary and not terribly helpful.
The air con (in our room at any rate) made a lot of noise, but didn't keep the room cool enough, thouigh it was bearable.
As to Nerja itself? We encountered many people who come back year after year, and indeed it is a pleasant enough wee town. It is not, however, 'old Spain' or 'a traditional Spanish village' - it is a holiday resort, though qiuite a bit less commercialised than other resorts on the coast.
