H10 Croma Hotel Malaga – Sparkling Urban Hospitality And Design In The Artsy Coastal Capital

H10 Croma is Malaga’s latest city-centre hotel, a strikingly contemporary structure, paying homage to the creative and cultural heritage of this vibrant Andalucian city.

H10 Croma is a glistening new addition to Malaga’s luxury hospitality scene, offering guests elegant light-filled rooms that reflect a modern Mediterranean vibe, a gym, meeting rooms, a relaxed lobby bar, tapas bar, and a signature rooftop restaurant, with terrace, plunge pool and yes, certainly some of the best views of the city, writes Andrew Forbes (The Luxury Editor).

Location

Malaga is the city that everyone is talking about. For its culture, galleries, and boho arts scene; the gastronomy from fine dining to beachside seafood; and of course, the best climate in Europe.

With this consistent international interest has come a strong demand for cool places to stay, and H10 Croma has found that compelling balance between style, location, and value for money.

Found close to Malaga’s renowned Mercado de Atarazanas food market (a wonderful place to browse abundant produce and enjoy a cold beer or chilled Manzanilla with the freshest seafood tapas), the H10 Croma is walking distance to all the attractions of the old town, city centre and quayside.

Architectural antics

The hotel has raised eyebrows for its distinctive style. It has been built on a once abandoned city centre site, where renowned architect Rafael Moneo (winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts) has created a standout building with a façade of geometric forms and striking chromaticism.

Each of the hotel’s 138 guest rooms has a private outdoor terrace, and it is the walls of these square terraces that are the canvasses for geometric shapes in bold blues, greens, and copper – that stand out within the brilliant white building.

The façade of the hotel is inspired by the whitewashed houses of the white villages of Andalusia and incorporates terraces decorated with ceramic mosaics, a nod to the typical tiles of southern Spain.

In addition to the hotel building, this new architectural project includes the urban reorganisation of the entire surrounding area, next to the Plaza Hoyo de Esparteros, where the historic, abandoned La Mundial building was previously located, an icon of the city that has been rebuilt a few metres away, respecting its original size and proportions, and retaining all the original woodwork on its doors, windows, fixtures, and ornamental ironwork. It makes for a striking contrast to the new hotel.

Inspiring Interiors

Once inside the design touches continue, with the creativity of the Lázaro Rosa-Violán studio. Aspired by Málaga’s cultural legacy, each space incorporates elements of Picasso’s cubism and the Mediterranean, giving it a great sense of dynamism and modernity. This is achieved through carefully curated decoration that mixes contemporary design furniture with original, bespoke elements in the form of wall bas-reliefs, tapestries, carpets, paintings, and sculptures. Each element tells the story of Malaga, from its Phoenician beginnings, its history as a fishing port, its architectural sights and its cultural scene.

I particularly loved the lobby style with cosy light-filled corners to seat with a drink or enjoy a book, as well as original art like the ceramic mural designed by Rafael Moneo.

Rooms & suites

Andalucia is defined by its exceptional light, and here at H10 Croma light fills every space. Each room has floor-to-ceiling terrace window doors opening to a terrace, and even the bathrooms have natural light.

The hotel promises an atmosphere of sophisticated freshness, and the design certainly gives a feeling of space and light. I loved the small design details, like the curved wall in my room, which is a reference to La Mundial, the original Malaga tavern that stood on this site.

There are 4 categories: Superior, Deluxe, Family, Junior Suites and the Croma Suite with a double terrace.

Each room is outward facing and has an original terrace, the work of Rafael Moneo, designed as a square that enters the building and which presents an explosion of colour on the white façade. The walls and ceiling are covered with a striking Ceviran ceramic mosaic, handmade in a workshop in Granada and hand-painted in the Andalusian Mensaque style. The design, which follows a unique pattern for each terrace, is present in blue, green or copper, giving a unique colour to the façade.

Gastronomy

The H10 Croma has a dedicated breakfast dining room and terrace – a beautifully appointed space offering an impressive buffet, as well as an al carte menu. The service was excellent.

Here is also planned to be a tapas bar, opening onto the Plaza Hoyo de Esparteros, name in honour of La Mundial.

Rooftop

The rooftop has different areas, including the plunge pool, sunbeds, seating area and a covered restaurant open all day. The photos speak for themselves.

Exploring Malaga

Malaga makes for a wonderfully comfortable city break destination. You can expect plenty of brilliant sunshine whatever the season, and you can combine urban attractions with all the joy of a beachside setting.

In minutes you can be in the renowned Marqués de Larios street, the heart of the city’s shopping area and home to regular events from fashion show, light shows to street theatre. The city is vibrant with tapas bars and restaurants too. The hotel is also making a good starting point to visit the cultural treasures of the city, including the Picasso Museum, the Carmen Thyssen Museum, and historical sites like the Roman Theatre.

This property is included in our guide to the best hotels in Malaga