Sandos Benidorm Suites

Most 4-star hotels in Benidorm sell standard double rooms with a balcony. Sandos Benidorm Suites is different: the property is built around junior suites and family suites, which means the average room is significantly larger than a normal hotel room and almost all have a separate seating area, a proper hallway and a generously sized bathroom.

For a family of four, this is the killer feature. Two parents and two children get a real living area, room for a buggy or suitcases, and enough storage that you are not living out of a holdall for the week. For couples, the same suite layout means you book a luxurious mini-apartment rather than a hotel room — and the price gap to a standard 4-star double is usually surprisingly small.

The pool complex is one of the strongest in the English zone. The main outdoor pool is large and rectangular, surrounded by lawned terraces (rather than the usual concrete), with two further pools — a quieter relaxation pool and a dedicated kids' pool with a small splash area.

Sun loungers are free and plentiful; you do not need to be down at 7am to grab one in shoulder season. There is a poolside snack bar serving fresh-grilled burgers, hot dogs and pizza included on the all-inclusive plan, plus a swim-up bar at the main pool — a genuine highlight when the sun is on the terrace.

An indoor heated pool is open from October through to spring for winter sun guests, which is one of the reasons Sandos sells well year-round.

All-inclusive at Sandos Benidorm Suites is well above the Benidorm average. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served buffet-style with themed nights through the week (Spanish, Asian, Italian, BBQ). Live cooking stations cover pasta, grilled meats and fish to order. Salads are fresh and varied, and there is always a kids' corner with familiar British-style food.

Drinks include local beer and wine, soft drinks, hot drinks and a respectable range of spirits — branded spirits are available with a small supplement on most packages. The poolside snack bar is open through the afternoon, and a coffee/cake stop in the lobby covers the mid-afternoon gap.

Entertainment is family-friendly and runs all season. The daytime animation team organises pool games, water aerobics and kids' club activities, and the evening programme rotates between tribute acts, magic shows, live bands and the hotel's own dance team. A separate kids' show usually runs at around 8:30pm before the adult-style late show kicks off in the bar lounge.

For guests who prefer something quieter, the lobby bar typically has a pianist or background live music — and you are a 10-minute walk from the famous Calle Gerona strip if you want to head out to a tribute act show in town.

Sandos Benidorm Suites is on Calle Coblanca, in the heart of Rincón de Loix. Levante Beach is about 10 minutes' walk downhill, and the Square (Calle Gerona / Calle Mallorca) — the heart of the English entertainment zone — is around five minutes away on foot.

Mercadona and a string of supermarkets are within a couple of streets, and the ALSA bus to Alicante Airport stops a 10-minute walk away on Avenida del Mediterráneo. It is one of the easiest hotels in Benidorm to be car-free for the entire week.