Plush and modern entrance

Benidorm´s newest hotel has opened its doors, and certainly lives up to its name - Flash! I had been watching the progress of renovation for some months now... for those of you that are regulars to Benidorm it was the old Rosaire hotel - and for those of you wondering where that is, its almost opposite Morgan´s Tavern on the Avd Derramator (the road which leads down to the Wednesday/Sunday market).

I popped by the hotel yesterday ... which certainly wouldn´t look out of place in Marbella. But are looks deceiving I wondered as I walked up to the reception to meet to manager - I was soon to find out!

Front entrance

I spoke at length with him about the concept of the newly refurbished hotel, which has 4 stars. Its all very contemporary with clean lines giving it a boutique like feel. The new hotels, such as Riviera, Brisa and Belroy which are opening are certainly aiming to turn the image of the town around - from what was sometimes viewed as slightly tired and old fashioned to modern and bang up to date.

Restaurant...

The reception desk is reached via an ultra modern walkway... it is not at street level, but almost on a mezzanine floor - it looks beautiful at night when it is all lit up! There is a lift available for those with mobility problems. Opposite the reception desk is a massive lobby area which overlooks the front of the hotel and you will also find the restaurant on this level.

We went into the restaurant and they were just laying out the buffet for dinner. They are concentrating on offering quality rather than quantity - unlike some hotel buffets where you are overwhelmed with the selection but on looking at what there is, are somewhat put off! They want to create a restaurant-like feel, not a canteen production line.  I must say that the salad and cold selection did look beautifully presented - maybe I will give it a go one day.

Pool area

From there we wondered outside to the back, where the pool is located. Now I had heard someone saying that the pool was very small, but it certainly wasn´t. There is a separate children´s pool and plenty of sun loungers available around the pool and patio area. Next to the pool area you will find a well stocked bar which also offer cocktails! Their aim  is to offer a wide selection of branded drinks, not just a choice of local and Smirnoff vodka for instance... but a variety of four or five.

For those of you that feel a swim is not enough exercise, there is also a small gym in the basement which is free for hotel guests. They also have a 4 person sauna there, but there is a charge for its use.

Next we went upstairs to one of the bedrooms... don´t go getting any funny ideas now! There are 3 lifts that serve the 192 rooms - 6 of which are suitable for disabled clients as they are larger. Of the remaining 186 rooms, 84 are classified as "family rooms" suitable for up to 4 people with two double beds in them.

I had a look at a standard double room which had twin beds... but they were larger than a standard single bed at 110cm - almost a cross between a single and double making for a far more comfortable sleep! Each room has a balcony with a table and two chairs on it.... so you can enjoy your glass of wine whilst watching the sun go down.

There is a fridge in each room which is free to use, so you can either stock up your own goodies or they can fill it up at your request - this is especially useful if you are arriving late and want to enjoy a long cold drink on arrival.

Each room also has a safe - not an electronic type but one with a key. Often people would either use 0000, kind of pointless having it or forget what code they had used. The safes are big enough to hold a laptop computer which is important as more and more travel with theirs.

There is also a 32 inch flat screen LED television on the wall which wait for it, has 10 English channels including BBC1 and ITV! So you don´t have to miss any episodes of Corrie while on holiday... I can hear the ladies cheering and men groaning already.  Also an important feature for the ladies especially is that there is a hairdryer in each room. The doors are extra thick for sound insulation and are 60 minute fire check approved it was pointed out and obviously there is an emergency exit on each floor  - there are 3 separate emergency exits in the hotel.

I mentioned that Brits in particular like to have a kettle and tea making facilities in their rooms and he said that they would certainly give it some thought - I suggested that even have them in reception and available on request which he thought was a good idea, as the Spanish clients wouldn´t use one. Roughly 75% of the cliental were British, which was apparent when I saw the dining times... dinner finished at 9.30pm. The Spanish are just getting ready to go out for their evening meal at that time, whereas the Brits like to have "their tea" at 7 - 7.30pm (you see I know some Northern terms).

Back downstairs at street level,  the terrace and bar is open to everyone, not just hotel guests. In the warmer summer months the sliding glass doors open up completely creating a massive open plan area. There is a singer that entertains every evening whilst you sit back, people watch and enjoy a glass of something.
To the side of the front entrance is an area for parking your mobility scooters... a must in these times apparently! There are power points for charging up which is FREE for hotel guests - certainly a plus point.

Walkway leading up to reception area

So my opinion ... I would certainly like to stay here, just my kind of hotel. I asked what sort of price range they fell into - in high season a double room for 2 people with breakfast is 100 euros falling to around 60 in low season - which make that under 50 GBP.. very good value for the quality you get. If you want to upgrade to half board it is only an extra 4 euro per person, making it 108 euro per day in high season. You definitely couldn´t  eat out for that price so certainly worth taking that option then you could sample some local restaurants for your other meal and have the best of both worlds. I asked their opinion of All Inclusive and they shook their heads - like me they feel that they ruin local bars and restaurants and wouldn´t ever consider going down that path.

Benidorm is changing... it is trying to attract a new breed of holiday maker which in the past would have turned their nose up at the mention of the name. However, it still has appeal to the regulars, who come back year after year - its what makes Benidorm so special... it caters to all tastes and ages. With its beautiful beaches right on the doorstep, huge variety of free nightly entertainment, sun and close proximity to the UK you can see why its people come back.... contrary to what The Sun says!

NB. This article and review is my own personal opinion. I have NOT been paid or offered any gratuities - (not even a glass of wine) as suggested by someone on Trip Advisor! To date, I have written over 500 articles on various topics and have never been offered payment, nor would I accept any. This way I am not under any obligation to give a false and misleading review.