HOTEL DEL PINTOR ^{* * *}

Strategically placed between the Cervantes Theater and the Plaza de la Merced, this small, seventeen-room hotel is ideally located, close to major heritage sites as well as trendy bars and restaurants in the capital of the Costa del Sol. Inaugurated in 2005, Hotel del Pintor is a small urban boutique hotel combining modern design, technology and personalized attention. The original decor, designed by former owner Pepe Bornoy, Málaga's leading painter, poet and multidisciplinary artist, is based on red, white and black. His works, sometimes sensual, always singular, transform the hotel into an exclusive, avant-garde space where art is perceptible in all its spaces. In terms of size and location, distributed around a patio with complimentary drinks, the rather comfortable rooms are varied, with plasma-screen TVs. Some of the interior rooms may be quieter (though smaller) than some of the exterior rooms overlooking the busy street, but are sometimes a little damp (cf. the one on the first floor). The bathrooms are operational, but the ventilation system is a little noisy. Bonus: friendly, multilingual reception staff who can help you book tickets to monuments and shows, and a free services painter's room with fax, Internet and photocopies, as well as the daily press and local tourist information.