Lap Lap, are you disparaging Marbella specifically or Costa del Sol in general? I don't see how incredulous diffidence helps the OP who is trying to plan a holiday trip there. Just my opinion.
To provide the OP with some guidance, Costa del Sol is a fantastic destination if you want to take in Andalucían history, sights, food and culture. It's all there to be experienced from Granada to Sevilla and along the coast froom Nerja to Gibraltar. The coastal region running from Malaga to Cadiz is located in a regional microclimate created by the mountains which ring the area. Marbella is an ancient city situated about midway between the two.
As mentioned in the other thread, Marbella is a place lots of folks love to hate because it is the focus of what many feel is wrong with the area and life in general -- too many people, lots of money ( or beautiful people who act as if they have it ), flashy cars, yachts, casinos, traffic, pollution, development and all sorts of other aesthetic maladies/shortcomings which could offend or annoy. Then again you could say the same about New York, Las Vegas, the Riveria or any other place one might label as pretentious, spirited, and full of itself.
I would not tell you not to stay in Marbella. But I would ask what sort of general experience you're looking for as there are many places just outside of Marbella which might serve you equally well.
Hotel Dianna some 4 miles west of Marbella comes to my mind as one such example. It all comes down to how hectic ( urban?) of an experience you want. Marbella could suit you just fine or its nearby environs could make a good location to base yourself for excursions into the surrounding Andalucían landscape. It works either way.
The Brits have certainly come to the region in large numbers, and you will find more fish and chips places than you'd care to think about which would appear to be the antithesis of a Spanish holiday. But you're in for a great Spanish experience with fine food and great wine and there's plenty of authentic Andalucían dining in Marbella and all along the coast.
We ourselves own timeshare at the two nearby Marriott resorts so our perspective are as folks who do not spend a great deal of time in Marbella or any of the other places. We have dined in Marbella and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly -- though we certainly prefer our resort locations.
We too get the incredulous " why do you come to Costa del Sol" questioning from folks who disdain the crowds and the confusion that go with them. All I can say is that the Andalacían people are warm and friendly hosts and you can hop in a car and venture to places like San Pedro, Estepona, and all sorts of white villages in the nearby mountains and leave the aesthetics of Marbella and elsewhere behind.
No place is perfect, but Costa del Sol has more going for it than against it ( remember, Picasso is from Malaga ). Good luck planning your trip. We're heading out soon for a timeshare week and we're getting awfully hungry for some of that great Spanish food & wine.
Barry