My husband and I are going to Spain next week on our much-belated honeymoon (he has been in Afganistan since we married one year ago). Anyway, I realize it's a HOT HOT HOT time to go there, but this is the only time we've got before he goes back to work. Soooo, I need some help.

With the hullabaloo surrounding his return home, I managed to put off booking our accommodation until tonight, when it finally hit me that we leave in a week. Usually this isn't a problem for me when I travel to Europe, but this time I'm having some challenges with Marbella.

So, I am looking for recommendations of places to stay on the Costa del Sol that won't break my budget (thinking $150/night). Any hidden treasures I should know about? Right now, everything that looks like a great place to be seems to be somewhere around 300 Euro and up.

Also open to recommendations for Cordoba and Grenada (less than $100/night). I believe I'm going to book Las Casas de la Juderia while in Sevilla.

I have to admit, I'm on the fence about the Costa del Sol and wondering if we shouldn't just go to Barcelona at the end of our trip for a few days instead.

Here's my itin:

Arrive Madrid
Night 1: Cordoba
Nights 2-5: Sevilla (includes our anniversary)
Nights 6-9: Marbella/Malaga
Nights 10-11: Grenada

So basically, thinking of making Grenada nights 6 & 7, then Nights 8-11 in Barcelona, or something like that.

Any advice on where we go and where we stay is appreciated!

Regards,

Jen

My preference would be to go to Barcelona after Andalucia instead of the Costa del Sol. However, if you decide you want the coast, try Nerja instead of Marbella, you might be able to find accomodations there and it is way more charming.

if you just want to relax after all that touring.. nerja would be perfect. barcelona is great.. but a big metropolitan city with heavy touring and much more expensive hotels/restaurants, if that makes any difference.

you are still in august, the big spanish month-long vacation month so that explains the lack of reasonably priced rooms.

you will need to go inland to get better rates in most cases.

For Granada try the Hotel Guadalupe. http://www.hotel-guadalupe.com/

Also, have you checked the bancotel website? Might be something there, but then again, its August. www.bancotel.es

Barcelona is great, but doesn't make any sense at all for this trip.

Nerja is a good recommendation--it's lovely (check out the caves while you're there.)

Also, suggest the flameco show at Los Gallos in Seville.

Also, try petrabax.com--they have an 800 number too and maybe they can help you.