Holiday World Polynesia vs Hotel Riu Costa del Sol: Which Is Better for Families?

We stayed at both Holiday World Polynesia and Hotel Riu Costa del Sol during the same October half term trip with our 8-year-old son Joshua, which gave us a rare chance to compare two of the most popular family hotels near Malaga back to back.

This guide is for families trying to decide between the two, covering rooms, food, pools, entertainment, location and which one actually suits different ages and holiday styles.

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend hotels we've personally stayed in.

What You'll Find in This Guide : Hotels Compared

• Quick answer: which hotel is better for families and why

• Location: beach access, transport links and ease of day trips

• Family rooms: space, layout, noise and practicality

• Food and drink: buffet quality, kids' options and the all-inclusive offering

• Pools: what's available, including the truth about the "water park"

• Entertainment and kids' clubs: what's on offer and the ideal age range

• The beach: access, facilities and what to expect

• Gym, spa and fitness: what's available for parents

• Cost: which offers best value

• Our honest verdict: which hotel suits which families, and whether we'd return

• FAQs: the practical questions families ask most

Quick Answer: Which Is Better for Families?

It depends entirely on what you want from your holiday.

Choose Holiday World Polynesia if you want a proper resort experience with bigger family rooms, a strong entertainment programme, on site water park and plenty to do on-site. It's the better choice for a summer holiday where you plan to stay put.

Choose Hotel Riu Costa del Sol if you want a beachfront base with excellent transport links, a shorter airport transfer with family friendly facilities more focused on younger guests. It's the good choice for families with toddlers.

If I had to pick one overall, Holiday World Polynesia wins for facilities and rooms, while Riu Costa del Sol wins for location and best beach.

The honest caveat is that we visited in October, and both hotels were noticeably compromised by the season. If you're weighing up whether autumn is the right time to travel, I've covered the weather, activities, hotels and costs in more detail in Spain in October Half Term With Kids: Is It Worth It?

Riu Hotel Costa del Sol Water Park

Holiday World Polynesia Lobby

Location Comparison: Torremolinos vs Benalmádena

The location of these hotels differ slightly but not enough that I would say it is massively noticeable.

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol Location

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol sits directly on the Torremolinos promenade, roughly 50 metres from the beach, although you do need to cross a road to reach the sand.

The standout feature is the airport transfer time. At just 7 to 11 minutes from Malaga Airport, it's about as convenient as it gets on the Costa del Sol, which makes a huge difference when travelling with tired children.

Crucially, La Colina train station is nearby, with the Cercanías C1 line connecting you directly to Malaga city, the airport and Fuengirola for just a couple of euros. For families who want to explore without hiring a car, this is invaluable.

Holiday World Polynesia Location

Holiday World Polynesia is further down the coast, sitting between Benalmádena and Fuengirola, it is around 20 minutes from Malaga Airport.

While still convenient, the resort feels noticeably more isolated. There's less within easy walking distance, meaning you're far more dependent on having a car or pre-booking transfers if you want to venture beyond the hotel.

The resort is about a short walk from Playa de Tajo de la Soga and Carvajal Beach, logistically again this meant crossing a road to reach it.

Which Hotel Has the Better Location?

Winner: Draw, there is not much in it!

If exploring the Costa del Sol matters to you, the beachfront setting and train links are quite helpful. You can easily combine relaxed resort days with trips into Malaga city or along the coast.

That said, if you're planning to stay put and use the hotel facilities, Polynesia's location won't hold you back.

For more on transport options and whether you'll need a hire car, see Do You Need a Car in Malaga With Kids? Our Honest Verdict After Visiting.

Family Rooms Compared: Which Hotel Has Better Accommodation?

Honestly, this one isn't close.

Holiday World Polynesia Family Rooms

Holiday World Polynesia offers some of the most spacious family rooms near Malaga we've come across in Spain.

We booked a family suite with a private hot tub on the balcony, which included a separate lounge area, a kitchenette with a microwave and hob, a large bathroom and plenty of storage. Having a proper living space once Joshua was in bed made a genuine difference to our evenings.

If you're specifically looking for family suites in Spain with a private jacuzzi or somewhere with enough room to spread out, this is a real strength.

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol Family Rooms

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol was far more basic by comparison.

Our family room consisted of one double bed and a sofa bed, with limited floor space overall. The clear expectation is that you won't spend much time in your room. It was clean and practical, with a walk-in shower, safe and tea and coffee facilities, but there's no separate area for parents once the children are asleep.

One point firmly in Riu's favour: despite being a large hotel with an active entertainment programme, our room was completely quiet throughout our stay.

Which Hotel Has the Best Family Rooms?

Winner: Holiday World Polynesia, by a significant margin.

If room space matters to your family, particularly on a longer stay or with younger children who go to bed early, Polynesia is the clear choice.

Riu Balcony

Polynesia Balcony & Hot Tub

Riu Family Room

Polynesia Suite

Food and Drink Compared: Which Hotel Has Better All-Inclusive Dining?

Honestly, neither hotel blew us away, but they disappointed for different reasons.

Holiday World Polynesia Food and Drink

Holiday World Polynesia serves its main buffet at Maeva, offering good variety and plenty of child-friendly options such as pasta, pizza, chips and fresh fruit. Our son never struggled to find something he wanted to eat.

However, we did notice repetition after a few days, which is a common complaint with week-long all-inclusive stays.

The bigger issue was seasonal. The themed à la carte restaurants only operate in high season, so during our October visit the buffet was essentially our only dining option. If you're travelling outside peak summer and dining variety matters to you, this is worth checking before booking.

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol Food and Drink

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol offers three restaurants and five bars, including Italian and Andalusian à la carte options that can be booked through the RIU app. My tip would be to book these early in your stay, as the popular slots go quickly.

The food was generous rather than gourmet, with reliable children's choices throughout. You won't go hungry, but don't expect fine dining.

Where Riu genuinely disappointed was the drinks offering. The cocktails were made from pre-mixes with noticeably cheap spirits. If a decent drink by the pool is part of your all-inclusive experience, it's a real letdown.

Which Hotel Has Better Food?

Winner: Holiday World Polynesia, but only marginally.

The deciding factor was simply that the à la carte restaurants were actually open during our stay, giving us some variety beyond the buffet. In peak summer, when Polynesia's themed restaurants are running, this comparison could easily swing the other way.

Holiday World Polynesia Buffet

Breakfast at Riu Hotel

Entertainment and Kids' Clubs Compared: Which Hotel Keeps Children Busier?

Holiday World Polynesia Entertainment and Kids' Club

Holiday World Polynesia is the clear winner here.

The entertainment programme runs throughout the day and into the evening, with sports, organised games, live music, family shows and a supervised kids' club. Beyond that, there's mini golf, bowling, a games room, an arcade, a cinema and tennis courts, so there's genuinely something for every age and energy level.

One thing worth knowing is that some activities carry an extra charge, including bowling and mini golf, so it's worth budgeting a little extra if your children enjoy these.

For us, this packed programme genuinely saved the holiday. When the October weather meant the pools were too cold to use, having so much else available made a huge difference.

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol Entertainment and Kids' Club

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol runs RIU Land, its kids' club for ages 4 to 12, alongside evening shows and a nightly mini disco.

Joshua enjoyed it, but we found the entertainment noticeably young, pitched far more at under-8s than older children. If your kids are approaching double digits, they may lose interest fairly quickly.

For parents, there's also the RiuFit programme, offering aqua aerobics, yoga, stretching and salsa classes, which is a nice addition while the children are occupied.

Which Hotel Has Better Entertainment for Families?

Winner: Holiday World Polynesia, without question.

The sheer variety of activities, both included and paid, means there's always something to do. It's particularly valuable if you're travelling outside peak summer or with children of mixed ages.

Hotel Riu Kids Entertainment

Holiday World Polynesia Bowling Alley

Pools and Water Parks Compared: Which Hotel Is Better for Water-Loving Kids?

For most families, this is the section that matters most. Here's how the two compare.

Holiday World Polynesia Pools and Water Facilities

On paper, Holiday World Polynesia has the stronger water offering. The resort's Polynesian theming extends to the pool areas, with water features throughout and access to the Holiday World Beach Club, a large seafront leisure complex with pools, slides and splash zones.

The catch is seasonality.

The Beach Club operates seasonally and typically closes from November through to April, running reduced hours towards the end of October. During our half term stay in October the park has closed completely due to the weather. This was a significant disappointment, as it's one of the main reasons families book here in the first place.

The outdoor pools are also unheated. By late October the water was genuinely too cold to enjoy, and Joshua had no interest in getting in. There is an indoor heated pool within the health club and spa area, but it comes at an additional cost of around €10 per hour per person and requires swim caps, so it isn't a practical family alternative.

Verdict: excellent in summer, compromised outside peak season.

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol Pools and Water Facilities

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol takes a more modest but arguably more reliable approach.

There are three outdoor pools plus an indoor pool, along with a dedicated children's pool. The indoor pool proved genuinely useful in October, giving Joshua somewhere to swim when the outdoor pools felt too cool.

Sunbeds were plentiful throughout our stay, with no sunbed wars, which made mornings far more relaxed than at many Costa del Sol resorts.

However, the advertised "water park" is misleading. It's really a small pirate ship splash park aimed at toddlers and pre-schoolers, with no slides. I queried this with staff, who confirmed that the splash park is what's referenced in the hotel's description.

Verdict: great for younger children and cooler months, underwhelming for older kids expecting slides.

Does Either Hotel Have a Real Water Park?

Neither hotel has a full water park on site.

Polynesia comes closest through its Beach Club, which is a short walk, but only when it's open. Riu's splash park is firmly a children's water play area rather than a water park in any meaningful sense.

Which Hotel Has Better Pools?

In summer: Holiday World Polynesia, thanks to the Beach Club and more extensive water facilities.

In autumn, winter or spring: Hotel Riu Costa del Sol, purely because the indoor pool means your children can actually swim.

That seasonal split was the single biggest lesson from our trip. If you're travelling outside the summer months, an indoor or heated pool matters far more than the number of outdoor ones, and it's worth checking directly with the hotel before booking.

Riu Pool

Polynesia Pool

Gym, Spa and Adult Facilities Compared

Family holidays are usually planned around the children, but it's worth knowing what each hotel offers parents who want a bit of time to themselves.

Holiday World Polynesia Gym and Spa

Holiday World Polynesia has the stronger adult offering of the two, largely because of its health club and spa.

The spa area includes an indoor heated pool, which is the same facility I mentioned earlier that comes at an additional cost of around €10 per hour per person. For adults wanting a quiet swim away from the splash areas, it's arguably better value than it is for families.

There's also a gym on site, alongside tennis courts, which are a nice addition if you want something more active than a poolside lounger. As with some of the other facilities, it's worth checking at reception which activities are included and which carry an extra charge.

The other adult-friendly perk is the private hot tub available with certain family suites. Ours was on the balcony, and honestly, it became one of the highlights of the stay. Once Joshua was asleep, having somewhere to sit outside with a drink made the evenings feel like a proper holiday rather than tiptoeing around a dark room.

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol Gym and Fitness

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol takes a more fitness-led approach through its RiuFit programme.

This includes a range of scheduled classes such as aqua aerobics, Zumba, yoga, stretching and salsa lessons, plus beach volleyball on the sand just across the promenade. It's a genuinely useful option if you want to stay active on holiday without it feeling like a chore.

There's also a fitness room and a spa area with an indoor heated pool and steam bath, which was one of the practical advantages of staying here in October.

The promenade itself deserves a mention too. It's flat, well maintained and stretches for miles, making it ideal for an early morning run or walk before the family wakes up.

Which Hotel Is Better for Adults?

For relaxation: Holiday World Polynesia, mainly because of the private hot tub option and the larger spa setup.

For staying active: Hotel Riu Costa del Sol, thanks to the structured RiuFit classes and the seafront location.

Neither is an adults-only retreat, and you shouldn't book either expecting a spa break. But both offer enough to give parents a bit of breathing space, which on a family holiday is often all you need.

Riu Hotel Gym

Adults retreat at Holiday World Polynesia

Beach Access Compared: Which Hotel Is Better for Beach Days?

This is one of the clearest differences between the two hotels, and it's worth understanding before you book.

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol Beach Access

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol is genuinely beachfront. It sits directly on the Torremolinos promenade, around 50 metres from the sand at Los Álamos, with the only practical consideration being that you cross a road to reach it.

That proximity makes a real difference with children. You can head down for an hour, come back for the loo or a change of clothes, then wander out again without it becoming an expedition. The promenade itself is flat, palm-lined and pushchair-friendly, and it connects to Carihuela Beach in around 15 minutes on foot.

Worth knowing: the hotel doesn't have a dedicated beach area, so sunbed hire is an extra cost if you want to spend a full day down there.

Holiday World Polynesia Beach Access

Holiday World Polynesia does have beach access, but it isn't on the doorstep.

The resort sits up from the coast, so reaching the sand involves either a 10 minute walk downhill or the free shuttle bus that runs between the hotel and the Beach Club.

The nearest sandy beach, Carvajal, is around a kilometre away, with a dedicated minibus service operating in July and August. Not great for those of us visiting in October.

Honestly, we can't give you much of a first-hand account of the beach here. We visited in October and the weather simply didn't allow it, which tells you something in itself about how much the seasonal shuttle and Beach Club setup affects your experience.

Which Hotel Wins for Beach Days?

Winner: Hotel Riu Costa del Sol, comfortably.

If beach access is high on your list, being able to step out onto the promenade is hard to beat. At Polynesia, the beach is a planned outing rather than a spontaneous one, and you're reliant on the shuttle running at the time of year you visit.

That said, if you're visiting in peak summer and intend to use the Beach Club as your main water destination, Polynesia's setup works well. It just requires more planning than simply walking out of the door.

Beach opposite Riu Hotel

Visiting the Beach at Hotel Polynesia

Which Hotel Is More Expensive?

Straight answer: Holiday World Polynesia is generally the pricier of the two.

It positions itself as a themed family resort, and the pricing reflects that. You're paying for the large family suites, the separate living areas, the private hot tub options and the extensive on-site facilities. The suites with hot tubs sit at the top end and carry a noticeable premium over a standard family room.

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol is a more conventional four-star all-inclusive. The rooms are smaller and more basic, and the nightly rate typically comes in lower as a result.

The Hidden Costs Worth Factoring In

Headline price isn't the whole picture:

• Polynesia: paid parking, plus extras for bowling, mini golf and the indoor spa pool

• Riu: beach sunbed hire, though the cheap train links mean you'll likely spend far less on taxis and transfers

Our Take

If budget is the deciding factor, Riu is usually the cheaper option, and its location saves you money on getting around.

If you want space and facilities and will genuinely use them, Polynesia's higher price is easier to justify, but only in peak season when everything is actually open.

One caveat: I'd check current rates for your specific dates rather than relying on general positioning. Prices swing significantly between school holidays and shoulder season, and the gap between the two hotels narrows considerably outside summer.

Which Suits Different Ages?

Under 5s: Hotel Riu Costa del Sol. The splash park is perfect for toddlers, the beach is on the doorstep and the entertainment is pitched at exactly this age.

Ages 5 to 9: Holiday World Polynesia. More variety, better facilities and enough going on to fill a week.

Ages 10+: Largely I would say Holiday World Polynesia due to the water park, gaming room and additional activities on offer. By 10 they've largely outgrown the kids club so need a bit more on offer to keep them entertained.

Which Is Better for Day Trips?

Either option works well, but it does depend on if you have a car.

If you only want to explore locally, Hotel Riu Costa del Sol has great train links from La Colina make Malaga city, Fuengirola and Benalmádena easy without a car. It's also the better base if you're flying in late or leaving early.

For the bigger day trips, you'll want a car either way. Ronda, Caminito del Rey, Gibraltar and canyoning in Benahavís are all far easier with your own transport.

Genuinely, the day trips were the best part of our whole trip. See The Best Family Day Trips From Malaga for our favourites.

What We'd Change About Each

Holiday World Polynesia:

• Heat the outdoor pools

• Open more water facilities in October

• Clearer communication about seasonal closures

• Lower parking costs

Hotel Riu Costa del Sol:

• Better family room configurations with less reliance on sofa beds

• Improve the drinks quality

• Stop calling the splash park a water park

• More variety in the buffet

Kids Club Riu

Polynesia Games Room

Final Verdict: Which Would We Choose?

For a summer holiday with primary-aged children, I'd book Holiday World Polynesia. The rooms are excellent, the entertainment is genuinely strong, and when the Beach Club and water facilities are open, the value stacks up.

For an October half term or a trip focused on exploring, I'd book Hotel Riu Costa del Sol. The location, indoor pool and train links make it far more practical when the weather isn't guaranteed.

If I'm being completely honest, our biggest takeaway was that neither all-inclusive quite worked for us in October. Next time we'd choose self-catered accommodation with a heated pool and use it as a base for day trips.

Both hotels have their strengths, and both would suit different families. The key is matching the hotel to the season and your children's ages, rather than assuming one is universally better.

For our full experiences, read Holiday World Polynesia Review With Kids and Hotel Riu Costa del Sol Review With Kids.

If neither is for you and you want to explore wider options, see Best Family Hotels Near Malaga.

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About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.