Booking an apartment in Benidorm: what should I check?
Dear Brenda
It's our first time in Benidorm and we've booked an apartment in Rincón de Loix for March. It looks in a brilliant spot on YouTube, but now I'm reading it's up a steep hill: is it as bad as people say? We land around eleven at night and there's no reception, so where do we get the keys? Is there a safe in the room? And where's the nearest supermarket for a big shop?
Don't worry: late arrivals and no reception are normal for Benidorm apartments, but sort the keys before you fly, because that's the part that goes wrong at 23:00. The hill can be real: some streets behind Rincón de Loix and Levante climb steeply, with blocks 100 metres or more up from the main road, so check the walk on street view and ask whether there's a lift. For the keys, your booking paperwork should say where to collect them, often an agent's office or a key box; message the owner or agent now with your flight time and get a number that answers late, and check with whoever you booked through, as the key address can differ from the building. A safe is common but not certain: a 2025 visitor confirmed one in each two-bedroom flat at one Rincón block, so ask the owner in writing. For the big shop, use the small supermarket near your block for day one, then take bus 3 to Carrefour (about every 20 minutes, €2.00) or a taxi back with the bags.
Who the regulars recommend
- Gemelos blocks, Rincón de LoixThe apartments visitors mention most, rated a good standard; check which numbered tower your booking is in.
- Terralta Apartamentos Turísticos, Rincón de LoixOn our hotels list, with kitchenettes, an indoor pool and a kids club. A walk to the Old Town.
- Les Dunes Suites, LevanteSuggested in 2026 for a front-line apartment; the best front-line flats sell out months ahead.
- Carrefour (bus 3)The big shop: bus 3 from the bus station, Av. Europa and Poniente, about every 20 minutes.
- La Marina shopping centres (bus 2)More shops and supermarkets, on line 2 from Rincón de Loix and Levante every 20 minutes.
Watch out for
- 'Sea view' means different things to different owners: ask which way the balcony faces and look at guest photos from the balcony.
- A short distance on a map can be a steep climb; check street view and ask about the lift.
- The key office may not be at the building: confirm the address and opening hours before you fly.
- Keep bags close while waiting outside the block with luggage.
- Block names and numbers can differ between listing sites; check the exact street address.
Is it really up a hill?
Possibly, so check before you trust 'five minutes from the beach'. Parts of Rincón de Loix and the streets behind Levante climb steeply, and visitors describe blocks 100 metres or more up from the main road. Calle Londres, for one, is a moderate incline where people stop for breath. Look at street view, and if anyone has bad knees, ask about the lift and which floor you're on.
Where do I get the keys if there's no reception?
Wherever your booking paperwork says, so read it before you fly. Many blocks have no reception, and visitors say the paperwork normally gives clear key instructions: often an agent's office or a key box. Tell the agent your flight time and save their number. If you booked through a third party, check with them too, because the key address can differ from the building.
How do we get there from the airport at night?
The ALSA coach runs roughly hourly until about 23:00, so a 23:00 landing usually means a taxi or a pre-booked transfer. A metered taxi from Alicante airport is about €105 at night; a private transfer starts at about €69 per car. Keep bags close while you wait outside the block for keys: thieves have targeted tourists waiting with luggage.
Which complexes do visitors rate?
The Gemelos blocks in Rincón de Loix come up most. Visitors rate them a good standard, one picks Gemelos 26 as the best, though without sun loungers, and they warn that block numbers on listings can be confusing, so check which tower you're in. Terralta, also in Rincón, has kitchenettes, an indoor pool and a kids club, but visitors note it's a walk to the Old Town and the New Town.
Where do I do the food shop?
At a big supermarket, once, by bus or taxi. Most blocks have a small shop nearby, and some have one on site. For the big shop, bus 3 runs to Carrefour about every 20 minutes, and line 2 goes on to the La Marina shopping centres. A single ride is €2.00. Ask the owner what the kitchen has first, so you know which basics to buy.
What the regulars say
- Read the key instructions before you fly and save the agent's number.
- Ask which way the balcony faces before trusting 'sea view'.
- On a high floor with bad knees? Check there's a working lift.
- Do one big supermarket shop on day one by bus or taxi.
The numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Local bus, single ride | €2.00 | benidorm.co.uk/buses-and-trams, checked 15 Oct 2026 |
| Bus line 3 to Carrefour | about every 20 min, 06:45–22:15 | benidorm.co.uk/buses-and-trams, checked 15 Oct 2026 |
| Airport coach (ALSA) | €7.99, roughly hourly to about 23:00 | benidorm.co.uk/alicante-airport-to-benidorm, checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| Airport taxi at night / private transfer | about €105 / from €69 per car | benidorm.co.uk/alicante-airport-to-benidorm, checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| Average hotel room, March (for comparison) | €81 | benidorm.co.uk/cheapest-time-to-go (INE, Mar 2026), checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| Official beach sunbed | €6 a day | benidorm.co.uk/practical, checked 14 Oct 2026 |
Reader figures are what visitors reported in that year. We have not checked them ourselves unless the source says so.
Your other questions, answered
2026How do I book one of the high-rise flats on Levante?
Through the big booking and holiday-let sites, or the building's own website where it has one. The best front-line flats sell out months ahead, so book early.
2026Nearest supermarket for a two-week stay?
Use the small shop near your block for daily bits, and do one big shop by bus 3 to Carrefour or by taxi.
2025Arriving at 23:00: where do we collect the keys?
Where your booking paperwork says. Check with whoever you booked through, as the key office can differ from the building, and tell them your flight time.
2025Is there a safe in these apartments?
Often, yes: a 2025 visitor confirmed one in the two-bedroom flats at one Rincón block. Ask the owner in writing before you go.
2025Apartments for two overlooking the harbour?
Look at the Old Town and the start of Poniente, either side of the harbour, and ask which way the balcony faces.
2024Which front-line apartments get the afternoon sun?
Poniente faces south-west and gets the late afternoon and sunset; Levante gets the sun earlier in the day.
2023Top floor and waiting for knee surgery: is there a lift?
Ask the owner in writing before you pay. If the answer is vague, ask for a lower floor.
Read next
Buses and trams · Top 50 hotels in Benidorm · Explore Benidorm by area · Eating at a hotel buffet as a non-resident · Family hotels
More on where to stay
Ask the questions a landlord would, and the apartment will feel like home by Tuesday.
Where to stay: hotels and apartments with live prices
Live prices from Booking.com, Expedia and others via Stay22. We earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. How we earn.
About us · How we earn · How we score · Editorial policy · Is Benidorm safe? · Practical guide · Cheapest time to go · Sitemap
Benidorm.co.uk is an independent guide. Hotel and tour links are affiliate links: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you, and it never changes what we recommend. Prices change; each table shows the date we checked it. Brenda is an AI guide.