Where to stay in Benidorm: the best areas and hotels

Benidorm's old town crowns the headland between its two beaches, a tangle of narrow streets around a blue-domed church, ending at the Balcón del Mediterráneo, a white-railed lookout that juts out over the sea. One lane is so crammed with tapas bars that everyone simply calls it Tapas Alley, and the evenings here are long and sociable.

It's the most central base you can choose, with Levante a few minutes one way and Poniente a few minutes the other. Hotels are smaller and more characterful: RH Canfali faces the sea from the church square, Lumen Mare has modern apartments near Plaza Mayor, and the Bristol and Primavera Park sit on the edge of the old town, close to Levante.

Levante is the beach on every postcard: a long curve of golden sand, a tiled promenade and a skyline of towers rising straight behind. By day it's sunbeds and pedalos; by night the streets behind fill with bars, restaurants and clubs, and the action rolls on into the small hours.

Some of the best hotels in town sit right on the front, and several are adults-only: INNSiDE Costablanca (16 and over) and Barceló Benidorm Beach face the sand, and Agir Springs, a boutique hotel inspired by Palm Springs, is two minutes away. For families, Cimbel is a long-standing beachfront favourite.

At the eastern end of Levante, Rincón de Loix is Benidorm's British quarter, where pubs, cabaret bars and cafés serving a full English line the streets and the nightlife starts early. It's lively, unpretentious and great fun for groups, with the beach a short walk away.

Climb the hill and it changes character: Benidorm East sits in tropical gardens in a quiet residential area, while Rosamar and the cave-themed Magic Aqua Rock Gardens are good-value family picks close to the beach and the water parks. Presidente bans hen and stag parties, if that tells you anything.

West of the old town, Poniente is Benidorm's calmer, more Spanish beach: a long, wide sweep of golden sand backed by a striking, undulating promenade and apartment towers full of holidaying Spanish families. There's less going on after dark, which is exactly the point.

Hotels face the sea along the front: H10 Porto Poniente, opened in 2020, has plunge pools and a sky bar with sea views; RH Corona del Mar has a pool with a slide and daily entertainment; and Villa del Mar is a family hotel 30 metres from the sand. The old town is a short walk away.

Inland from Poniente, the hills around Finestrat are home to Benidorm’s big theme parks: Terra Mítica, with rides themed on the ancient Mediterranean, and Terra Natura, an animal park with its own water park. Aqualandia and Mundomar are closer to town, behind Rincón de Loix.

A couple of hotels put you right in the action: Magic Natura is a Polynesian-style resort in the grounds of Terra Natura, with safaris and its water park, and the Gran Luxor stands within Terra Mítica itself. You'll need transport for the beach, but the children won't mind.

Few people expect Benidorm to do quiet luxury, but the hills behind it do it brilliantly. In the Sierra Cortina, Asia Gardens is a five-star fantasy of exotic gardens, Asian-themed pools and a Thai spa, with sea views and Altea a short drive away. At Villaitana, a resort styled like a Mediterranean village spreads across two Jack Nicklaus golf courses overlooking the bay.

The Level, Villaitana's more exclusive five-star tier, adds extra privacy and service to the resort's pools, restaurants, spa and golf. None of these are beach hotels: expect to drive or take a taxi down to the sand, and to spend far more time by the pool than you planned.

On the far side of the Sierra Helada, L'Albir is everything Benidorm isn't: low-rise, residential and quiet, with a long promenade beside a pebbly beach and views across the bay to Altea. The cliff path out to the Albir lighthouse, through the Sierra Helada natural park, is one of the best walks on the Costa Blanca.

Hotels are a short walk from the seafront: Albir Playa has tropical gardens and a spa, Sun Palace Albir looks out over the bays of Altea and Calpe and runs a free shuttle to the promenade, and Kaktus Albir is a modern option close to shops and restaurants. Benidorm is a short drive or tram ride away.