Which hotel in Benidorm should I book?
Dear Brenda
There are four of us, all mature ladies, going in September, and I feel I've read about every hotel in town. Should we stay in the Old Town or the new? One hotel looked lovely, but someone said it's right at the top of a hill, and another I liked might not even be open. How do we check? My sister wants a big lively pool; I want peace and a decent dinner. Is there one hotel that does both?
Book Hotel Don Pancho on Avenida del Mediterráneo: it's the best-rated big hotel on our list right now, 4.93 from its last 30 guests, with a pool and entertainment for your sister and half board for your dinner, on the flat in Levante one street back from the beach. Old Town or new? Neither, quite: regulars' favourite spot is the border between the two, and if peace matters more than the pool, H10 Porto Poniente at the Old Town end of Poniente beach is visitors' 2026 pick. The hill: before you book, find the hotel on a map and in street view, and if the nearest bus stop or the beach is uphill or a long walk, cross it off. Is it open? In September nearly every hotel is, so the real check is for refurbishment or building work: ask the hotel directly by email, and book early, because Benidorm hotels were 91.7% full in September 2026.
Who the regulars recommend
- Hotel Don PanchoBest-rated big hotel on our list (4.93 from its last 30 guests): half board, pool and entertainment, on the flat in Levante.
- H10 Porto PonienteVisitors' 2026 favourite for luxury and a relaxed feel: beachfront on Poniente, half board, a short walk to the Old Town.
- Hotel VoramarOur best-rated hotel on Poniente beach, with a rooftop and sea views.
- Gastrohotel RH CanfaliOur best-rated Old Town hotel, on Plaza San Jaime above the beach: for the dinner and the views rather than a big pool.
- Hotel DiplomaticVisitors name it for a central spot near the Levante shows at good value.
- Hotel DeloixLong-time visitor favourite in Rincón de Loix, still praised for location and value.
Watch out for
- Some hotels sit high above the Old Town or up the slopes behind Rincón de Loix; check the walk in street view.
- Not every hotel heats its pool. Ask if you're going outside high summer.
- Some all-inclusive deals charge extra for branded bottled beer and cocktails.
- Some well-regarded hotels have bedrooms without balconies. Ask if it matters.
- Booking-site listings can lag behind closures and refurbishments; check the hotel's own website.
Old Town or the new town: which end should we stay?
The border between them, if you can. The Old Town, Levante and Poniente are named almost equally by visitors, and the pattern is clear: people who want to eat out and wander pick the Old Town and its edges, people who want shows and bars pick Levante, and Poniente suits a long, quieter promenade. The spot regulars praise again and again is a few minutes from the beach where you can walk to both. Our best-rated picks: Gastrohotel RH Canfali in the Old Town, Hotel Voramar on Poniente, Hotel Don Pancho in Levante.
How do we know if a hotel is up a hill?
Look before you book. Benidorm looks flat on a map, but some hotels sit high above the Old Town or up the slopes behind Rincón de Loix and Levante. Regulars warn that a hotel can be a long walk from the beach and the Old Town, especially with any mobility trouble, and that the bus may drop you a couple of hundred yards short. Open the map, find the beach and the nearest bus stop, and walk the street in street view. Avenida del Mediterráneo, the Levante promenade and the Poniente seafront are all on the flat.
Will the hotel actually be open?
In September, almost certainly: nearly all of Benidorm's hotels open all year or at least from spring to autumn. Since 2025 visitors have asked about closures, refurbishments and reopenings of several well-known names, and one 2026 visitor heard the Bilbaino by the Old Town beach was set to reopen for its 100th anniversary. Check the hotel's own website for your dates, not just a booking-site listing, and ask whether there is building work nearby: in 2026 visitors reported works still going on at one hotel in Rincón de Loix.
Can one hotel give us a lively pool and a quiet dinner?
Yes: pick a big hotel with half board and its own entertainment, and choose your corner. Hotel Don Pancho has a pool, entertainment and half board, and its last 30 guests averaged 4.93. If the pool gets busy, a sunbed on the beach costs €6 a day at the official kiosks. If you'd rather have peace and the sea, H10 Porto Poniente is beachfront on Poniente with half board and an evening show, a short walk from the Old Town's restaurants.
Half board or all-inclusive?
Regulars split. Many say Benidorm has so many bars and restaurants that half board is enough, especially if you plan days out. Others go all-inclusive for the drinks and the poolside snack bar. In 2025 one visitor found all-inclusive at one hotel about £60 a head dearer than full board at another for five days. Read the small print: a 2026 visitor paid a £2 supplement for branded bottled beer. Of the hotels we track, 28 offer half board and 6 are all-inclusive.
How do we tell if the reviews are still true?
Read recent reviews, not the all-time score. Hotels change owners, menus and managers, and a hotel loved ten years ago can slip. Our hotels page scores each one on its last 30 guest reviews and flags the ones moving up or down. One regulars' trick is worth stealing: search a hotel's reviews for one word, such as 'lift', 'hill', 'noise' or 'balcony', and read only those.
What the regulars say
- Say who is going and what you like when you ask for advice; 'a nice hotel' gets fifty different answers.
- Check whether bedrooms have balconies; some well-regarded hotels don't.
- If the pool is crowded, pay €6 for an official beach sunbed instead of fighting for a lounger.
- Ask for a sea-view room in writing if it matters to you.
- Search a hotel's reviews for 'hill' before you book.
The numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Best-rated big hotel, last 30 guest reviews | Hotel Don Pancho, 4.93 | benidorm.co.uk/hotels, checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| Hotel occupancy, September | 91.7% | benidorm.co.uk/cheapest-time-to-go (HOSBEC, Sept 2026), checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| Average hotel room, September | €127 a night | benidorm.co.uk/cheapest-time-to-go (INE, Sept 2025), checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| All-inclusive vs full board, five days | about £60 a head more | visitor reports, 2025 |
| Supplement for branded bottled beer on all-inclusive | £2 | visitor reports, 2026 |
| Hotels on our list offering half board / all-inclusive | 28 / 6 | benidorm.co.uk/hotels, 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
2026Two places at the same price, one by the Old Town and one higher up: which?
The one nearer the beach and the Old Town. Visitors warned the other sits way up at the top of the Old Town, a climb every time you come back.
2026Will the closed hotel by the Old Town beach ever reopen?
For the Bilbaino, a 2026 visitor heard it was set to reopen for its 100th anniversary. Check its own website before you book.
2026Lively hotel with big pool energy, or a quiet luxury escape?
For quiet luxury by the Old Town, visitors' 2026 pick is H10 Porto Poniente. For pool energy and shows, stay in Levante, where Hotel Don Pancho tops our list.
2025Adults-only hotel in the centre of Benidorm?
Hotel RH Royal on Via Emilio Ortuño in Levante is the best-rated adults-only hotel on our list.
2025Mid-November: which hotel?
Pick one that's open all year and ask whether the pool is heated. In November 2025, 123 hotels were open at an average €86 a room.
2025Four mature ladies want a nice hotel in September: where?
A half-board hotel on the flat near the beach, booked early: hotels were 91.7% full in September 2026. Hotel Don Pancho tops our list.
2024Which hotel suits an elderly guest?
One on the flat, close to the beach and a bus stop, with good lifts. Avoid the slopes above the Old Town and behind Rincón de Loix.
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