Isn't Benidorm for older people? Absolutely not! Of course, naturally you hear Benidorm and think of the long-running TV show with Mags and her mobile scooter, but after our recent hen weekend in the Spanish seaside town we've certainly seen a whole range of sights for all ages, from families with young children to seasoned Benidorm lovers to copious amounts of stags. Take a look at some of our best bits of Benidorm to help you plan your visit.
Budgeting
Lets start with your budget - remember who you're inviting and consider what they can afford to spend. Don't be surprised if some of your invitees decline due to the price. If you're happy to stay in a budget hotel, self-board, and catch some early morning flights this can be more affordable for everyone, but if you're looking at an all-inclusive resort with more socially acceptable flight times expect the price to bump up. We managed to get flights and an all-inclusive hotel for £300 (and those flights were late i.e landed at 2am - grog alert!). As the destination has become more popular, prices have inevitably increased, and in Benidorm it really is true that you get what you pay for.
Where to Stay
If you don't mind slumming it a little you can get some pretty cheap hotels in the centre of town near the main strips, ranging from £30-£80 a night, or for an ocean-view hotel you'll start pushing £100 a night. You'll be close to the action if you're looking to party with plenty of options for places to eat at your fingertips.
We actually stayed in the Magic Robin Hood Hotel - yes it's as magical as it sounds! It's a little way out of town so you don't get the late night noise of music and drunks, but they are a family hotel so don't really like having hen and stag parties to stay (we were a "birthday party" - luckily we're a tame bunch!). We can totally see why they choose to do that - the chalets of 'Sherwood Forest' and 'Nottingham' that you stay in are very close together and the walls are pretty thin; not ideal when there are lots of young kids around, so if you're planning on having a lie in...don't.
This resort is themed around the medieval hunk himself, Robin Hood, with varying degrees of chalets available, some including hot tubs, 2 pools (one being an awesome water park with slides and swim up bars), mini golf, a spa, a theatre (with some...ahem...interesting tribute acts, shall we say), plus plenty of all-you-can-eat buffets. This is an all-inclusive resort only, which was perfect for us as we chilled by the pool in the day, drinking and eating to our heart's content, before catching a taxi into town in the evening. We cannot express enough how brilliant this hotel was - lovely accommodating staff who even let us keep our all-inclusive cards after check-out time as our flight home was so late, brilliant food with so much to choose from, plus really nice showers - very important!
Taxis from the hotel to the main strip were around €10 each way, which split between 3 or 4 of you is super cheap. Alternatively, if you decide to stay somewhere else, you can get day passes for the Magic Robin Hood Resort to go and use the pools (totally worth it).
The Town
Obviously if you head to Benidorm you have to go 'out out' at some point. English Square is full of bars and reps trying to tempt/drag you into their establishments by offering free booze of some kind - jugs of cocktails and shots seem to be the favourites. You could get round the whole town without spending a penny (I managed to only spend €40 the whole trip, which was on taxis and presents in duty-free!)
This part of the town is full of stag do's. SO MANY STAG DO'S! There are scantily-clad ladies dancing on podiums outside each bar and, just as a warning to the ladies, quite a bit of unwanted touching. Just be firm with them is all we can say.
One bar we did like was Club Benidorm - they played the cheesy classics we could sing along to with a bit more room for strutting.
By the second night, as a hen party we decided to avoid English Square and headed to Neptune's Bar where they film some of Benidorm - a must to keep those avid fans happy. Turned out this was the best place of the lot. There were live bands and decent tributes constantly on the stage (Bruno Mars and his dancers were excellent!) plus there was plenty of room to boogie. Drinks are a little more expensive, naturally, but for a happy, welcoming atmosphere, this is one to visit.
The beach strip also has a cool tiki bar, but it gets pretty busy down there all the time, day and night. People just love the beach no matter what country you're in, plus you have to get that classic lads/girls on tour beach shot.
Planning on booking Benidorm for your hen or stag do? Check out some of these top tips for planning your getaway.
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