DAIA Slow Beach Hotel Conil — Hotel in Conil de la Frontera

We recently booked a two-night stay to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The hotel is beautifully designed in a Boho Chic style that is so on-trend at the moment. Let me break down our experiences: SERVICE: Flawless!!! Everyone is super friendly, attentive to a fault and just can’t do enough for you. Best service we have experienced in a hotel since Amanpuri in Thailand. ROOM: Perfect in every single way. Spotless and gorgeous decor. They obviously have listened to previous reviews and modified their beds & pillows because they were extremely comfortable. Has a mini bar, safe, quality bathrobes and slippers. They even have a canvas pool/beach bag for you to use during your stay. Great soundproofing and blackout curtains. Our room had a terrace with a table and chairs and a comfy lounger. POOL: Large pool with two large jacuzzis flanking each side. Each pair of sunbeds has a buzzer, to call for poolside bar & food service. We were disappointed with the food menu (and as a vegetarian, I struggled). Food is delivered in a paper bag and disposable containers (Room service is the same) to reflect the hotel’s environmentally conscious approach to hospitality. We couldn’t order the drinks we wanted (even though they were on the menu) because they weren’t available. Our food didn’t come as described, e.g. guacamole came without the promised blue nachos. Their chips/French Fries/patatas fritas are potato wedges. Every time we ordered them, they were undercooked and raw so we didn’t touch them. Sunbeds are very comfortable and the beach towels are exceptionally long, which was nice. Our one gripe was the too-small parasol that had to be constantly manoeuvred to provide any kind of shade. FOOD: There are several restaurants in the hotel, including Origins that boasts a Michelin chef. We couldn’t enjoy dinner at any of them because, again, I struggled for options as a vegetarian. Also, last order is at 22:00, so there was not enough time for us to spend the day out, get ready in time to enjoy the famous sunsets, and then rush to dinner. So, we ordered room service the first night and thankfully, they had a veggie burger, which was delicious, but again the wedges were inedible and raw. Breakfast is where Daia SHINES. An absolutely incredible breakfast buffet served in gourmet style setting that reminded me of Harrods´ food hall. It couldn’t have been more perfect and I 100% recommend it. ENTERTAINMENT: Random is probably the word I’d choose to describe it. At times, it seemed the singers couldn’t sing. The music choices were sometimes questionable and not enjoyable. The flamenco was great on our first evening and the guitar player during breakfast was our favourite. BEACH: While the hotel is frontline beach, the beach is actually a bit of walk and a few dozen steep steps away. BUT… it’s SO worth it. The most incredible beaches I’ve seen in Spain. There are so deep with natural pools of shallow water scattered everywhere. The sea water, even though it’s the North Atlantic, was surprisingly refreshing and not as cold as we’d expected. We didn’t get the chance to visit the hotel’s chiringuito/beach restaurant but enjoyed a beautiful, two-hour stroll along the pristine beach. The highlight of our stay, for sure. LOCATION: Perfect. A 15-minute walk into the quaint village of Conil that offers a lot of boho shopping and a great selection of restaurants & cafés. MISC: The hotel is a very large property. Five floors, small lifts/elevators and with lots of twists and turns. Took us a minute to navigate and get our bearings straight. There is a lovely little shop on the ground floor that sells resort-style clothing for men and women and accessories. You pay a daily rate to park at the hotel and we were happy to know that they had charging points for our electric car. VERDICT: Beautiful hotel with exceptional service. We would stay here again, and hopefully, the food options won’t be so limited next time. Five stars, if it wasn't for our personal experience...

Customer Service — ★★★★★ (5/5) From arrival to departure, the service was consistently excellent. You can feel a clear, well-established culture of hospitality: every staff member — no matter their department — smiles and greets you. The team was attentive to our needs and kept in touch when we reported persistent noise in our first room and requested a change. Dedicated staff circulate discreetly, ensuring someone is available quickly if you need assistance. One drawback worth mentioning: the overall level of English among the staff is very limited. I was fortunate that my partner is bilingual; otherwise, the experience would have been far more stressful and less relaxing. Room Quality — ★★★★☆ (4/5) We stayed in a “The One” suite — modern, recently built, beautifully designed in a boho-chic style, and extremely well laid out. The space is practical yet elegant, with tasteful details everywhere. Housekeeping was almost flawless. Our private terrace with a sea-view pool was stunning; the semi-private pool was spotless but unfortunately quite cold. The reason this section isn’t a full 5/5 is noise. A constant hum from the shared jacuzzi motor located above our ceiling was present all day. At night, we endured repeated dull thuds for nearly an hour that woke us up. After two nights and several requests we were finally moved to another suite of the same category. We received a small compensation — about 3% of the total stay — but in a hotel that markets tranquility and relaxation, especially in its premium suites, such disturbances are unacceptable Facilities — ★★★★☆ (4/5) Fitness Center: Clean and modern but far too small and poorly equipped for a resort of this size. I can only imagine the issues during peak summer months. Spa & Massages: The spa is pleasant, spotless, and beautifully arranged. However, the massages lack consistency and technical refinement. Therapists didn’t always ask about preferred pressure or oils, the treatment rooms were uncomfortably hot, and we were covered with both a sheet and a duvet — making it hard to breathe and fully relax. Dining: We chose half board. The buffet offered good variety and quality; the fresh grilled meat and fish were a highlight. However, dinner service was frustratingly slow on the first two nights, especially outside on the terrace. Once we moved indoors, service became faster — but it was disappointing not to enjoy the outdoor dining area. Rooftop Bar: Stunning panoramic views — perfect for sunsets every evening. Service was friendly and fairly quick (special thanks to Sara). Cocktails were decent; sushi was expensive but excellent. Main Pool & Sunbeds: We didn’t use the communal pool but had a clear view of it from our balcony. Despite rules against reserving sunbeds, guests still claimed them early and disappeared for hours — a selfish behavior the hotel seems unable (or unwilling) to curb Location — ★★★★★ (5/5) Outstanding. The hotel faces the sea with breathtaking 180-degree ocean views. A beach is accessible in about 10 minutes via a dedicated path.

The biggest disappointment concerns the “The One” status — a major selling point for the hotel that, in practice, feels incomplete and far from the premium experience it promised.

Overall, the hotel is beautiful, offers breathtaking sea views, and delivers warm, attentive service. However, the much-advertised “The One” status is disappointing and feels unfinished: check-in was long and impersonal, promised gifts were forgotten, there’s no porter or valet, the private lounge is uninviting to stay in it (no sea view, no sun no smoker...), and the most important : no priority access exists for dining, sunbeds, or problem resolution.

Despite these shortcomings, we enjoyed our stay and left relaxed. With better execution of “The One” perks, improved noise management in suites, and stronger control of shared spaces, the hotel could move from very good to truly...

We’ve just returned from a few days at Daia and it definitely lived up to its name - everything was incredibly relaxing! The staff (especially David and Charlotte at the Siesta bar) couldn’t have been more helpful, pleasant and always with a smile! ||The pool and surrounding areas were extremely well kept and maintained. The gardens are beautiful and the view out to sea was gorgeous. Plenty of sun loungers and no inconsiderate guests “reserving” them before breakfast - always a plus!!!! ||The rooms were spacious, immaculately clean and were furnished to a very high standard. ||Entertainment was in keeping with the overall hotel atmosphere and vibe - and never went past 11pm (same goes for the surrounding hotels so the noise was non-existent after that time which meant great sleeps! ||The pictures were definitely a true representation of the hotel and facilities.||Food was ok - we had a couple of great meals and some pretty average ones. Although we can’t fault them for the wide selection available at the buffet.||We went all inclusive - took a while to figure out what was included and what wasn’t - and it seems as though the all inclusive option is relatively new as many of the staff also seemed confused and unsure. ||Cocktails were great - Cala bar for after dinner g&ts was a great way to round off the night and the staff there were also super lovely! ||Advice to management - the siesta bar staff were super stretched on some days - the demand around the pool was high and there just weren’t enough members to see...