Hotels near The Thistle Bar, Benidorm

This is a Warning about the times chosen to eat half board at Hotel Melina. We've just returned from a weeks stay based on half board. We chose to have Breakfast and Dinner instead of Breakfast and Lunch. Breakfast wasn't bad , very average for Spain but it was the food quality and selection on the Evening Dinner that let us down. The first meal on the Sunday seemed to be pretty good but then it went down hill. You could tell that some of the food was recycled dishes from Lunch, the soup was limited and not an attractive option. We were usually one of the first into the Dining room ( due to late and starving) which didn't open UNTIL 8pm. Not Good. It was only on the Thursday that we decided to have a sneak into the LUNCHTIME session to see what was served up on that sitting as against our Dinner Menu. We found a BIG difference in the Selection and quality on offer at Lunch. Things like Paella (my favourite) Corn on the Cob, Better items on offer including a big better choice of Soups and Quantity all which we never had on our Dinner Menu. We felt we had been mugged by the food on offer on our Evening Dinner dining menu. So our Warning is DON'T CHOOSE THE 8PM DINING you get a much better choice and selection on the LUNCHTIME menu. Plus 8pm is a bit too late to have to wait for your Evening dinner but its a very Spanishy traditional Hotel which probably accounts for the late situ. As far as the hotel itself is concerned, it was brilliant. Spotlessly clean, great staff, lovely room, quiet position, comfy beds, convenient location.

Visited benidorm many times to different hotels , Only came here due to the tv program and my granddaughters wishes. I had read the reviews and wasn't expecting too much. Firstly there wasn't a large amount of people queuing but it took 1.5 hours to check in . There are 5 lifts ,one of which broke down while we were in it ,one gentleman rattled there door and got it working again telling me it does it all the time. They are clearly tired . We was put on the 13th floor facing the main pool. On entering the room ,that's where the problems started . The room was small for a family room and was a struggle for us ,we only had 1 child with us. The child's bed was stuck in a corner but didn't fit so it had to put at a angle or you couldn't get past.The room was clearly not designed for 3 beds. There was a few broken items including air con adjuster .I got the air con to work by shoving a match in the hole. The room was just tired and needs modernising. The pool area is great ,the staff are great and keep everyone entertained but you still have the normal people queuing at 7am when the pool dosn't open till 9, No chance of getting a sunbed after 10 am , You also need to aware there is a lot of Spanish and are treated differently by the staff ,complaints go there way ,one occasion a knife was pulled out by a Spanish visitor to warn a English off, when reported nothing was done . If you are a smoker there is a small area for you too smoke ,makes you feel segregated but turned out to be ok really. You cannot eat food in the sunbeds . There is one restaurant and the food choice is pretty limited and not always warm ,worst I had in spain

Firstly, the location is great and value for money. Stayed for 5 nights in a suite with two bedrooms and one bathroom. The balcony was a good size. Per pictures expected bung beds and got an uncomfortable settee. The other beds were hard but paper thin walls with next door snoring and tv you could hear from next door. This hotel doesn’t cater for English, and we found the majority of the staff to be unhelpful and looked miserable. The bar staff were under pressure at nights and you struggled to get a drink. The day we left there was a very helpful lady on reception who organised a taxi for us. The food was ok, normal gripe that it’s not that warm but find that in Spain. They put on a Christmas Eve banquet which was very nice, maybe by charging more every day the food could be at that quantity. We found the entertainment wasn’t that great and it looked like the same two acts returned every week.

We stayed here for 3 nights it is a lovely little Spanish hotel in the old town area of Benidorm, it is located on a steep incline. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The hotel and rooms are very clean - the walk in showers in the room are powerful and the air conditioning is great too. Free wifi is included. The breakfast was great lots of choice with hot and cold options. The hotel has a small pool to use, we didn’t use this as we like to go to the beach it is 18 euros a day for two lounges and a parasol on the beach It is a 10 minute walk to the beachfront and tapas alley area in the old town which is where we ate every evening. It is very reasonable in price and the food is amazing the favourite tapas restaurants we sampled were Aura and Tasca Y Basta but there are 100’s to choose from. We went into the Levante one evening it is very different to the old town- party central! But we had to experience it :) it was around 10 minutes in a taxi and it cost approx 10 euro each way. The coach transfers from the airport cannot drop right outside the hotel we were dropped at the hotel port vista oro and it is a 8 minute walk uphill from there to hotel Brazil. There are plenty of taxis to take you back up the hill to the hotel if you don’t fancy the uphill walk Costs around 5-7 euros one way. Would I recommend this hotel - 100% would we stay again 100%

We stayed for 5 nights. The studio was very modern and clean and had everything we needed - especially liked the 2 usb ports on each side of the bed. The location is fantastic - right in the middle of the old town, but no noise at all in the apartment. Friendly check in - comfortable beds and great shower - even got some British TV! There’s a lift and you can use the facilities of a nearby hotel if you fancy a swim. The only criticism is the studio was a bit small - but I suppose the clue is in the name.. Would definitely stay again.

We just spent 5 days at the Grand Luxor resort and village, what a hidden gem. We stayed in one of the two bed villas, it was beautifully peaceful and quiet, amazing views from the upstairs balcony overlooking the towns skyline which was only a 10 minute taxi ride. It was immaculately clean, and had everything we needed in the kitchen, free high speed wi-fi, 3 TVs in the villa all with UK channels. Air conditioning, A helpful and friendly housekeeping team that could not do enough for you. We had our own small pool that was cleaned daily, perfect to cool off.. there were also 5 other lovely pools on the villa complex. The hotel resort and grounds were very well kept, again very clean with two large pool areas, the hotel was modern and finished to a high standard and always smelt lovely. A vast selection for breakfast so something for everyone. The villa was perfect for us, before the start of the season, so peaceful and quiet just what we wanted. The hotel would be ideal for children and families as it has so many facilities and so close to Terra Mitica with free tickets into the theme park. We will definitely be going back.

I went to spend my birthday with my best friend and we loved the hotel with great views, the cleanliness was 10, the staff was very friendly, the spectacular buffet was super well organized, clean and offered us everything, I loved the pool, and a wonderful terrace☺️ we will return

Yes, a last gasp booking made directly with the hotel website. Benidorm hotel availability was scarce, despite being october. So we played it safe. LOCATION. Right in the middle of the Centro Area, in Calle Mirador. Old Town in 10 minutes walk, Nearest Beach also about 10 minutes, harbour about 15 minutes. The ***** (british clubs area) an 8 euro taxi. RECEPTION AREA. A sizeable area. Helpful and friendly staff. Loads of information materials, for day trips and nights out. Baggage room. ROOM. Our room was medium size, with a decent balcony and bathroom. Facilities included, Tea/Coffee Facilities, Small Fridge, Flat Screen TV, Safe and independent controls for Air Conditioning. Daily cleaning. RESTAURANT. Floor -1. A very decent variety and quality at meal times. Friendly staff. POOL AREA. Summer has long finished, and water is freezing cold, but pleasant enough to sunbathe until about 3 in the afternoon. WELLNESS CENTRE. 2 heated indoor pools, Steam Room, Sauna, Jacuzzi, Changing Rooms etc etc. Small charge locally for entry. LOUNGE AND BAR AREAS. The lounge area is very big. It has a balcony overlooking the pool area . And a terrace bar at the front of the hotel, in addition to the main bar. ENTERTAINMENT. Not really for us, but certainly seemed popular with the majority. ANYTHING FOR THE KIDS ?? Plenty of activities and possibilities indoors and outdoors. A games room on floor -1. Some organised activities for young children in the indoor pool. THE 64 DOLLAR QUESTION. The most important question of all. Would we stay again?? Yes, definitely.

Just returned after 6 nights here with friends . We had a pool view room , although there is not a lot of difference in the views for the extra to be honest.its all high rises. Check in was pleasant and quick . We found the reception staff to be helpful and cheerful at all times . In fact I cannot understand previous bad reviews regarding the reception staff. Our room was bright and clean, with fridge and safe ( free unlike other penny pinching hotels that charge) 2 bottles of water complementary. The beds were very comfortable and the housekeeping good and reliable. The showers were nice too. Sadly, the pool bar was never open, so if you wanted a drink you had to go down to the next level to get a drink. Not good and a pain . The bar and reception area is kept spotless by the staff and the bar staff are constantly making sure you are ok for a drink and friendly too. We were booked half board. Breakfast was super and up there with the best . Evening meal was adequate but could get a bit repetitive. Sadly some of the dining room staff were not very nice and banging things down and are obviously not happy. In fact one of the cooks was very abrasive with my brother, who has dementia. ( a course on dementia would be useful here) My brother did mention this to the dining room desk one night on the way out . But we had no feedback.. The entertainment was clearly for elderly Spanish guests ( 90% of the clientele here) which was not for us so we went out most nights . On return at night the hotel is very quiet as they all go to bed after the entertainment at midnight ( quite a few , we noticed were elderly people clearly not residents of the hotel ) However, we were happy with the peace and quiet as this hotel does not attract the younger or the stag and hen dos , which suits us. So, if you are looking for a lively place it wouldn’t be for you . On saying that , it’s central and there are many great bars with decent entertainment all within walking distance. I would definitely recommend for more peaceful oriented people or those in the retirement age bracket.

Fantastic stay. The enclave of the site is ideal, near a fairly quiet beach. The location of the apartment is perhaps the worst point, being located in a point surrounded by slopes. As for the apartment, in good general condition although with some blinds