Room Mate Lola

Noughties eclecticism with a big splash of designer derring-do at the heart of Málaga's old city centre

Each Room Mate hotel takes an imaginary personality as its decorative touchstone. In this instance Lola's your girl: young, attractive, a lover of jazz and a teacher of dance, she's very much 'in the zone' when it comes to fashion. So, given free rein to revamp a 50-room hotel, designer Lorenzo Castillo has created a young and post-modern mood. Mixing stainless steel, glass and leather, the spaces are as eye-catching as they are innovative.

Reception sets the tone. You check in at a leather table beside a zebra-skin pouffe, where the young staff are clad in all black T-shirts and jeans, an infective 'let's relax' attitude, and easy smiles. A wall of glass with a huge chrome-surround porthole demarcates a diaphanous breakfast bar and split-level chill-out area, where white leather L-sofas gleam beneath arty black-and-white abstracts. Lola's bedrooms pack the same funky, decorative punch and an inspirational vibe permeates every corner of this city-centre hotel.

Highs

• Malaga is not just an airport city: there's a new Picasso museum, arts centre, Renaissance cathedral, live music and a massive August festival
• Rooms come with a modest price tag considering their degree of comfort
• The mood is relaxed and intimate, despite there being 50 rooms
• You can expect a really good breakfast, which could easily become brunch given the long serving hours (until 12pm)

Lows

• Chill music is piped into the communal areas throughout the day
• The setting is a bit seedy: expect to see a few low lifes, prostitutes and sex shops in the surrounding streets
• It can be quite noisy at night, both inside the hotel and out. Bring ear plugs if you're a light sleeper