Melia Benidorm Hotel Sol

area is as described very nice indeed. It rained twice whilst we were there and it was quite evident that the roof of the premises leaks as towels were placed on the floor in the lobby reception areas to catch the water and prevent guests from slipping. Not a 4 star hotel.

The food here I have to say was the worst I have encountered in an all-inclusive hotel anywhere and I am not a stranger to travel I have been to Tenerife, Lanzorote, Los Angeles, Las Vagas and Mexico since Christmas, I travel a lot. Some of the guests in the Melia actually went to the Flamingo Oasis next door and purchased there all inclusive package, effectively paying twice once at the Melia and then paying the Oasis.

The location of this hotel is good a short walk from the Laventi beach (some people have moaned about this distance, I am mildly disabled and I did it so don’t worry about it, it’s not that far) Turn left out of the hotel and it’s a short walk to the Benidorm Palace. This is one of those places that you go to because you’re in Benidorm.

Would I recommend it or return, the answer is no. It was a waste of good money and an evening that could have been better spent. I found the staff in the main good however there were several that were rude and ignorant preferring to serve the Spanish or Catalonian guest despite the fact that you were first in line and despite the fact that you tipped in euros and they tipped in cents.

The entertainment in this hotel on a rating of 1 - 10 is 2. It was on twicein our 10day stay and one of those sessions was Bingo! We were one of those that went to the Flamingo Oasis next door. The entertainment there was full on day and night. Ok some of the entertainment was not the best but some was very good. Lets remember A.I. entertainment is what it is. All in all this hotel is geared to the Spanish business industry. Several conferences and groups of students attended during our 10 day stay and as I say these were attended to by staff in front of you.

Would I visit this hotel again No. Recommend it to a friend No.

first was the food - it was certainly plentiful and services lasted three hours - however it was at best lukewarm and if you dont like a lot of fish you were sometimes left with a limited selection. The dining area is akwardly laid out - you would have to cover the whole area to get all the things you might need - ie: toast was in one corner, teabags in another, hot water in another etc.
However with that said we only missed a couple of meals at the hotel so it wasnt that bad!
The second drawback is the hotel\'s location. If you could pick it up and move it towards the central part of the resort it would be perfect. It would take roughly half an hour to walk to most of the nightlife in the centre of town - although with that said there are some nice places around the Melia - especially the Rock and Roll House which we warmly recommend.

So book with confidence if your considering the Melia, we really enjoyed our stay there.

ps: If you havent seen him before, go and see the comedian Mike Curtis at the Zodiac club - he\'s from the Bernard Manning/Mike Read school but he\'s very funny without being too offensive.

and plenty of beds for everyone.

A nice walk down to the beach about 15 minutes max. We took a trip on the road train one evening which was lovely a definate must if you get the opportunity.

Overall a fantastic holiday missing it already.

time i\'ve returned from Benidorm feeling relaxed (although i am getting older!!!).

previous emails which were both read but not replied to.) The room was filthy and every surface, including the floor and balcony, was covered with thick dust. The \"twin\" beds were made up but crumpled. The large 6ft mirror had fallen off the wall on one side and the television aerial had been yanked out of the tv socket leaving bare copper wires. I counted four english speaking channels. The beds however were comfortable.

The bathroom, which in itself is an utter shambles in design layout, had a toilet seat with a mere 3in gap to the radiator and toilet roll holders located out of reach and the throne\'s rear. Our toilet seat had a sanitation sticker between seat and porcelain yet there were waste remnants on the seat itself from the previous user, absoultely disgusting. The shower leaked through into the bedroom so a towel was laid their the whole week of our stay and never changed, lifted or cleaned around by the maid. The silicon seal around the bath and shower looked like it was applied blindfolded. We did however have clean towels.

The furnishing were pretty but crudely put together and the drawers would not close properly. The balcony door had been prised open at some point in the past and had never been fixed, hence it never locked and never allowed the air con to work in the room as the door sensor was busted. The balcony recliner seats however were great.

The pool are sunbeds were plentiful but thick with dirt. The pool itself looked inviting, even in December, but it too was utterly filthy.

The restaurant was nice enough but the seats are spaced too close together therefore making it near impossible to return to your table with food without brushing past other diners. Food was Ok and despite a large choice was very bland. Breakfasts were great but monotonous. Restaurant staff were all pretty dour with the exception of waiter Patrick and waitress Eva. Maitre\'d (spelling) service was OK but chaotic at the busiest of times, A little spanish was appreciated. Too little staff.

The hotel reception is gorgeous and is the only part of the hotel that I can truly say was up to the part. Nice pianist, if you like lounge music, and very comfortable furnishings. Reception staff were pretty dour and slow but reacted quickly when our safety deposit box (free) acted up and required maintenance.

Location is pretty good for Benidorm although a bit far from the beach at 800 yards or so. Lots of low key bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinty with very cheap prices for food and drink. My favourite was the Beer\'s Friends Bar, just left across the road. The staff were happy to arrange any football match and sport you required and there was no loud music which is often associated with bars in this resort. Ask barman Gary to make you one of his Cheeseburgers, very simple and brilliantly tasty. You may need one if you stay at the Melia due to the often bland food.

My wife and I have twice stayed at the excellent Levante Club (two hotels behind the Melia) and believe that it is a much better hotel in every respect. We won\'t be back to the 4* looks and 2* service of the filthy Melia Benidorm. A major disappointment.

for a drink and this was in May.

The pool clean but cold, but the indoor pool was a nice temperature and with 2 large whirlpool baths in the same area we spent more time in the indoor pool than the outdoor.

There where changing rooms and a steam room. If you wanted you could pay for a massage or beauty treatment at the leisure club.

We where shocked to see a queue for breakfast on the first morning, this queue was present every morning and evening and was due to each couple or family being shown to a table individually. This was the source of several complaints from other guests. To be honest the most we queued for was less than 5 minutes and the food was worth waiting for. The food was plentiful and changed daily. A breakfast chef was on hand to cook fresh ommlettes or fried eggs and he was there again in the evening cooking fresh meat/fish etc. Champagne was available free at breakfast time !

All of the staff where helpful.

I would return to this hotel again without doubt.