From secluded yurts to plush villas, the Costa del Sol offers some fantastic places to stay. NICOLA ISEARD takes her pick

BEST FOR EXCLUSIVITY
Hotel Claude
This chic boutique hotel in Marbella's old town takes its name from the opera singer Claude Devoize who once lived there.

The interiors are plush and eclectic, from the library-cumdrawing room with crushed velvet sofas to the seven individually designed bedrooms with carved wooden doors, terracotta floors and luxury furnishings. The sea views from the rooftop terrace, where you can enjoy a light lunch of food fresh from Marbella's market, are some of the best in the city.


Dinner is available by prior arrangement (minimum six). The hotel provides a perfect setting for private functions and can be hired for exclusive use.

Hotel Claude, Marbella (01179 428 476/www.i-escape.com) offers doubles from €75 per night (two sharing), B&B.

BEST FOR COUPLES
The Hoopoe Yurt Hotel
There are plenty of hotels in the Costa del Sol tailored towards couples but none as unique and intimate as The Hoopoe Yurt.

Set in three hectares of olive groves and cork oak forest at Cortes de la Frontera (45 minutes from the coast) and with spectacular views of the Grazalema mountains, it is made up of five individually designed yurts. Each sleeps two and is decked out in ethnic furniture, sheepskin rugs, solar-powered lights and with private bathroom.

Relax in a hammock in your own acre of meadow, have a massage or take a dip in the pool. Dinners are served under a pergola lit by Chinese lanterns.

The Hoopoe Yurt Hotel (dialling from the UK: 00 34 696 668 388/www.yurthotel.com) offers doubles from €120 per night (two sharing), B&B.

BEST FOR FAMILIES
Cortijo Jacaranda
When it comes to holidaying with young children, this family-run, 16-acre farm ticks all the boxes.

Located in the Guadalhorce Valley, 30 minutes drive from Malaga airport, it has three self-catering properties: two simply styled cottages (each sleeping four to six) and an apartment (sleeping two to four).

There is plenty to keep the children amused, from the pool and purpose-built play area to the giant patio chess, videos and DVDs to rent and free mountain bike hire. Parents can indulge in on-site beauty treatments, aromatherapy and reflexology.

One evening a week is barbecue night, another paella, and the hosts even provide a free night's babysitting, and will ferry parents to and from their chosen restaurant.

Cortijo Jacaranda (679 091 689/www.cortijojacaranda.com) offers seven nights in a cottage from €700 (four sharing), self-catering.

BEST FOR ISOLATION
Fountainhead
It may be just 40 minutes' drive from bustling Malaga but this retreat, set deep in the Andalucian mountains near Riogordo, is one of the most secluded in Spain.

Offering a respite for the body and soul, there are no televisions or mobile phone coverage and no communal pool or lounge area: just four guest suites and spa treatment rooms, surrounded by fish ponds and palms.

Whether you choose the Sultan, Indian, Arizona or Oriental suite, you can expect flamboyant furnishings as well as a fully equipped kitchenette, sitting room, private terrace and plunge pool. The food is top-notch too, from the fresh pastries delivered to your door each morning, to the gourmet restaurant (open to non-residents at weekends).

Fountainhead (696 183 309/ www.fountainheadinspain.com) offers doubles from E225 per night (two sharing), B&B.

BEST FOR THE BEACH
Albero Lodge
A cocktail stick's throw from the Mediterranean, this charming private villa-turnedhotel is located near Estepona, a 30-minute drive west of Marbella.

A refreshing alternative to the vast multi-storey hotels that pepper the coastline, it has just nine rooms, each stylishly designed and inspired by a different city. Florence boasts elegant antique furniture, a wrought-iron bed and ochre-painted walls. New York has funky zebra-print fabrics and a white leather sofa.

Every room has its own patio.

Wake up to breakfast in the smart dining room or on the terrace next to the pool, then wander through the gardens filled with hibiscus and jasmine, before padding down to the sandy beach via a series of footpaths.

The hotel doesn't serve dinner but there are good restaurants nearby.

Albero Lodge (952 880 700/ www.alberolodge.com) offers doubles from €90 per night (two sharing), room only.

GETTING THERE:
easyJet (0905 821 0905/ www.easyjet.com) offers return flights from Gatwick to Malaga from £60.
Spanish National Tourist Office: 0207 486 8077/www.spain.info