Motel Particulier — Restaurant in Marbella

After eating at other Dani Garcia restaurants, we were super excited to try this new location and theme. It was a little confusing whether there was Peruvian Nikkei influence in the menu or only Japanese Nikkei. We had different staff who mentioned both, and others who said that it was only Japanese and Mediterranean.

The food from the kitchen was generally acceptable, but the menu had some important omissions that caused confusion and the wait staff wasn't knowledgeable about the menu or the delivery from the kitchen. For instance, the tortellini has a spicy filling that wasn't mentioned and the waiter ensured us that the filling was only a couple of different cheeses.

We ordered Nigiri sushi and it arrived on our table alone. No soy sauce, no wasabi, no ginger. We had read about how their aged soy sauce is amazing. After waiting 20 minutes, we asked for soy sauce and wasabi. We had more Nigiri arrive. Still no soy sauce. We asked again. After about 40 minutes, they brought us a tiny drop of wasabi and 3 small dishes of Ponzu sauce. It was really nice sauce, but not soy sauce. We asked again for soy sauce and explained that they brought us Ponzu. They came back with a small pouring dish with some kind of light colored broth. Clearly not soy sauce. We asked again clearly the waitress did not know what soy sauce was (in English or Spanish). She did finally bring us soy sauce, which was really tasty and not overly salty. We ended up getting charged for 3 portions of Ponzu sauce that we never ordered.

The solomillo de Angus was extremely well cooked and tender. Melt in your mouth!

There were some other mistakes like bringing small waters when we ordered large or bringing us items we asked about but didn't actually order, but some of it surely was just due to how loud the music was. It was quite hard to hear the wait staff and for them to hear us.

The tarta de queso japonesa came with an exciting tableside preparation. It was almost like magic!

The drinks from the bar were excellent! La Vie en Rose and Geisha were so tasty! However, we ordered about 5 drinks before that which they couldn't prepare (some of them we didn't find out that they couldn't make it for 30 minutes). Their custom cocktail menu was impressive! However, they had less than half of the ingredients in stock, so most they couldn't make. The wine list was impressive, but we also managed to pick one that they didn't have. Unfortunately, their pisco is Chilean, not Peruvian. Disappointing. They did have Amaretto Disaronno, and their Amaretto Sour was fantastic.

There is a piano bar upstairs that is quite intimate with limited seating, but it's beautiful.

The staff was very good about taking feedback, so we have confidence that they will improve and fine tune their systems and wait staff. Rey was extremely helpful and gracious and saved our night (and kept this from being a 1-star review).

There were some live singing and dancing performances that were very impressive! Most everyone was dressed to impress! (though we did see some t-shirts and a cap). And the vibe was very helpful, happy, supportive, and fun!

We got there at opening, so luckily parking was easy for us, but later in the evening you will certainly want to utilize the valet. It seemed to be well staffed...

I made a dinner reservation for four people at The Motel Particulier in Marbella on the 19th of July, for the evening of the 26th at 10:00 PM.

Upon our arrival at 10:00 PM, we were directed to the bar and told to wait for the hostess to escort us to our table. Unfortunately, we were then completely forgotten. I approached the staff at 10:20, 10:30, and again at 10:45 to ask what was happening with our table, but no one had any information.

Frustrated, the entire group went to the reception area, where we encountered a very rude receptionist who began arguing with my friend (who speaks Spanish). I asked to speak with a manager, as we had simply been told to “wait over there,” and no one was taking responsibility. I eventually stepped outside and spoke to the gentleman who welcomes guests upon arrival. Thankfully, he took action and went inside to find the manager.

When the manager Rey finally appeared, he had a dismissive and arrogant attitude, downplaying the situation as if it wasn’t a big deal. He later came to call us in and seated us at what I can only describe as an “emergency” table. It was a bar table, located by a wine rack and directly facing the wall near the ladies’ toilets. From there, we couldn’t see the show or experience the main restaurant atmosphere.

I reminded the manager that he had previously messaged me about joining their membership program. I asked, “Is this how you attract new members?” He responded smugly, saying, “Oh, we’re doing very well with membership.” When I asked if they were interested in new members, he replied, “Not necessarily, we’re doing quite well.”

As someone who once ran a very successful business, I was shocked by this response and the general lack of professionalism. By this time, it was already 11:15 PM. There was no way we were going to dine at a cramped bar table, and everyone in our group was furious.

Only at the very last minute were we offered complimentary drinks—one cocktail, a glass of wine, and some water. We had our drinks and left.

I’m deeply disappointed. While the restaurant is marketed as an exclusive, luxury venue, aside from the interior design, there was nothing luxurious or exclusive about the experience we had. We were mistreated as guests who came expecting a special evening of fine dining and entertainment. Instead, we were left with a bitter taste and great disappointment.

I have evidence to support everything I’ve said—email confirmations, WhatsApp messages, and my personal exchange with the manager where I clearly stated on July 19th that I had booked a dinner table for July 26th and was hoping to meet him, as I was...

I had high expectations for this place, but unfortunately, my experience was nothing short of disappointing — and at times, even offensive.

Despite wearing a very elegant and expensive designer dress paired with small high heels, the man at the entrance (wearing a hat) questioned my outfit and refused to let me in at first, claiming my shoes were too open and the heel wasn’t high enough. The way he spoke to me was unnecessarily rude and condescending. What made it worse was that, on my way out, I saw him letting another lady in wearing flat shoes. That felt blatantly discriminatory, and quite frankly, insulting.

The food was okay — nothing memorable or special considering the high prices. I’ve lived in Dubai for five years and regularly dine at high-end restaurants; this was far below the standard I’m used to.

The décor was nice, but the show felt like a confusing mix of styles with no clear concept. It lacked flow and direction, leaving us more puzzled than entertained.

Our Italian waitress added to the uncomfortable atmosphere. She interrupted us every few minutes to ask if we needed anything else, cleared plates the second we finished, and handed us the dessert menu immediately after the main course. Rather than enjoying a relaxed dinner, I felt rushed and on edge the entire evening.

Overall, I found the place overpriced, underwhelming, and lacking the elegance it tries so hard to project. I do not recommend Motel Particulier — especially if you expect to be treated with basic respect...