Review: we re-visit the Sunborn Gibraltar yacht hotel

This is our review of the Sunborn Gibraltar yacht hotel.

Over Easter we took the family on a circular tour by train, starting in Gibraltar (there is a station just over the border) then on to Granada and finally Seville. In June 2021 Rob had an enjoyable covid-era stay at the Sunborn when Gibraltar was one of the few places you could visit. Four years later we decided to give the hotel a fresh look.

There is no miles or points angle to this hotel but as it is a) the best option in Gibraltar and b) a novelty, it is worth knowing about. The website is here.

We paid cash for our visit and the hotel did not know that I would be reviewing it.

Sunborn Gibraltar is a floating hotel built as a small cruise ship and permanently moored at the Ocean Village marina. The vessel has never sailed and was transported on a heavy-lift transporter ship from Malaysia to Gibraltar. There is a sister floating hotel by ExCeL in east London.

Our BA flight had an amazing approach to Gibraltar airport circling the rock first and landing from the west. The airport would be at the left of this photo and Sunborn is roughly 100 metres parallel to the landing strip, surrounded by the marina and promenade.

Here’s a map showing how close you are:

The close proximity to the airport makes it possible to transfer on foot, with the added novelty of walking across an active runway. It took us roughly 20 minutes.

The entrance is port side (left), slightly hidden behind the bars and restaurants. If you book a room on this side you will face a motor yacht marina, high rising residential buildings and the promenade. Directly in front of you will be an Irish pub with a big screen outdoor TV.

Rooms on starboard side (right) face the marina and the airport runway. It is definitely preferable to book a room on this side as the views are lovely, far reaching and with the occasional aircraft taxiing across your field of vision!

Although not an ocean-going vessel the interior is very ‘cruise ship’ – blingy and shiny. Here is the very wide reception desk! The staff were welcoming and checked us in to our starboard side rooms.

From the ceiling of the lobby a giant blue globe sets the scene:

Our rooms were on the fifth floor. Rooms are on both sides of a central corridor and all have windows, unlike large cruise ships these days! Hidden speakers provide a permanent background sound of waves crashing onshore which was fun and a reminder that you are on a ship rather than in a normal hotel.

Our room at Sunborn Gibraltar

We had a Superyacht Superior room which faced the marina and airport runway. The room was light and very spacious and I especially appreciated the generous desk space on the right. It was convenient to work here on a laptop in the evenings.

The bathroom is equally spacious with a large shower and one sink (no bathtub).

The design definitely has cruise ship vibes with lots of chrome. The toiletries came from Rituals but unfortunately didn’t include conditioner which was unexpected. I have long stopped taking shampoo and conditioner with me when I go to hotels of a certain level, expecting some to be supplied.

A small red leather cupoard houses the minibar and tea and coffee facilities.

The highlight of our room was the view from the Juliet balcony towards the runway and further on to Spain. You can just make the runway out behind the sailing yachts in the photo below. During April there are only three or four flights per day so I couldn’t get a picture with an aircraft! There is no major noise disturbance.

Food and drink at Sunborn Gibraltar

Breakfast is served at the Barbary restaurant on the top floor:

It is very light and spacious with windows on both sides. The hotel was fairly full with a few tour groups but, whilst it got busy, getting a table wasn’t a problem.

Breakfast is mainly served from the large buffet. To be honest the offering wasn’t particular exciting but it was decent quality. On offer were a wide range of warm dishes with omelettes made to order.

There were five dishes on the a la carte breakfast menu with full english, continental, Barbary Coast (basically yoghurt with granola etc), eggs royale and a vegan breakfast.

It was a slightly odd set-up. On our first day we didn’t even know there were cooked options with no menu card on our table. On the second day we had a menu card but no-one ever asked if we wanted anything – not that we did.

There are chairs and tables outside if you want to have a coffee or a bite during the day.

The pool is located at the stern (back) at the far end of this terrace. It was still closed at Easter and it is very small – more plunge than swimming pool.

The hotel also has a sun terrace at the bow (front) with some sun loungers just in front of the (empty) bridge.

The ‘gym with a view’ is quite impressive and was well attended. There is also a spa providing a standard range of treatments.

Besides breakfast we didn’t have a meal in the hotel. At the stern of the ship is the Gastrobar which can also be directly accessed from the pier and is open to all.

It is a good space and looks smart with tables inside, as well as large sofa areas for anyone who just wants to have a drink. There are a handful of outdoor tables and chairs on the small terrace.

The Sapphire bar is located above the reception and is all open plan. A group was having dinner here.

If you don’t want to have dinner in the hotel there are multiple options at your doorstep around the pier and promenade. We had one dinner at a small Japanese restaurant around the corner which was good.

Ocean Village has branches of Pizza Express, Wagamama and Las Iguanos built on piers which extend into the water. Don’t knock it – there aren’t that many other good family options!

Conclusion

You can’t escape the sea in Gibraltar, and staying on a yacht – albeit one sat on concrete pillars in a dock – definitely adds something to your stay. The location and close proximity to the airport are excellent. Grand Casamates Square and the main shopping street (called, erm, Main Street) are under five minutes walk away.

Our room on the starboard side was light and spacious with an outstanding view. The only disappointments were the lack of conditioner in an otherwise good bathroom and the breakfast, which was ok but not impressive in comparison to the rest of the hotel.

You can find out more about Sunborn Gibraltar on its website here. Pricing starts at around £200 per night for much of the year although there is the occasional spike. A Superyacht Superior room like ours, larger than an entry level room and facing the water and runway, is roughly £50 more.

If you want other options, Rhys did a 2022 review of the art deco The Rock Hotel, where we stopped for lunch, and Rob wrote a 2021 summary of the other options, including a Holiday Inn Express if you want to use hotel points. Construction of a new Hilton, on the lesser visited north side of the rock, seems to be going slowly although the old hotel on the site has now been demolished.

What did we do in Gibraltar?

We only had one full day in Gibraltar which was enough to see the key sites. We took the cable car up the mountain and then zig-zagged down on foot, stopping at places of interest including former military bases and a huge cave which comes with its own lightshow. The monkeys, of course, are fun – totally domesticated and liking nothing more than sitting motionless on the walls, staring at you ….

The views from the top of the rock are breathtaking, and my Marine Traffic app went into overdrive with all of the cargo ships at anchor. Gibraltar is a hub for commercial vessels to bunker and change crew.

From afar I saw the ferry going over to Tangier which intrigued me – maybe next time ….

If you walk down you are not far from The Rock Hotel for a quick break and the small botanical garden in front of it.

If you’ve never been to Gibraltar then it is definitely worth a short visit. If I’m honest, I underestimated how interesting it would be. After two nights we took a taxi from the airport to the nearest train station in San Roque – La Linea to catch the (slow) train to Granada. More on that tomorrow.