Sandos Benidorm Suites

First time in Benidorm and our first stay at this hotel.

Unfortunately, we arrived during a heatwave, which definitely affected our experience. The biggest issue was the air conditioning. There was none in the lifts or corridors, and the air con in the rooms was very weak, making it difficult to cool down after being outside. The room air conditioning also appears to be locked at 22°C. The only way we found to make it cooler was to switch it to the heating setting, turn the temperature down to 10°C and increase the fan speed. Luckily I'd seen this tip on a Facebook page.

One of the reasons we booked this hotel was because it looked like there would be plenty to do. Unfortunately, we found there was very little entertainment or activities. The teen room is tiny, and our children, aged 12 and 15, were bored for much of the holiday.

The food was okay overall, and we always found something to eat. The drinks selection was very good with plenty of choice.

The rooms are spacious, but they're looking tired and could do with some fresh paint and new curtains. You only receive a tiny bar of soap, and it isn't topped up during your stay. You have to ask at reception for more.

We stayed for 10 days, and by day 7 I had to ask for the toilet and floors to be cleaned and for the bedding to be changed, as the floors were very dirty and the bed needed fresh linen. Thankfully I repeated my request the following morning because there was no record of it having been logged.

The reception staff were a mixed bag. Claire was brilliant and quickly sorted a couple of issues we had, but one member of staff with dark hair and glasses was very rude and spoke down to us, which wasn't pleasant.

The bar and restaurant staff were lovely, with the exception of one bar male staff member. We also ate in the Indian restaurant. The food was ok, my husband and son especially enjoyed it, but the service there was outstanding and definitely one of the highlights.

Overall, the extreme weather did spoil our holiday to an extent, but better air conditioning would have made a huge difference. Combined with the lack of things to do and the issues we experienced, this didn't feel like a 4 star hotel. Unfortunately, we wouldn't return.

Upon arrival, we were a little early for check-in and were told the luggage room was already full. Unfortunately, the staff weren’t very helpful in suggesting alternative luggage storage or somewhere we could get changed. We ended up leaving our luggage behind a glass door in an area that wasn’t supervised, which didn’t feel particularly secure.

Once we checked in, the room was spacious, modern, and had a good layout. However, there were noticeable signs of wear and tear. One of the bedroom sliding doors was hanging off and wouldn’t stay closed, there was only one small bin, and the patio door handles were difficult to use. The balcony was a good size and had a clothes drying rack, which was useful. The air conditioning wasn’t great, as it wouldn’t cool below 22°C, and leaving it on made the bedroom and living room feel damp. The walls were also very thin, meaning we could hear neighbours walking, talking, and even using light switches.

Our experience with the staff was mixed. Some were lovely, especially Denis, who was always friendly and incredibly helpful. Others were much less welcoming. During our stay, there was a major fire nearby (not on the hotel grounds). When I informed reception, the response felt dismissive. On another occasion, guests were trapped in the lift, which isn’t air-conditioned, for around 45 minutes. When I checked on them, they said they hadn’t been told if help was on the way. I informed reception, but despite explaining that the guests were unaware of what was happening, I was simply told an engineer had been called, with no indication that anyone had updated the people stuck inside.

We stayed on an all-inclusive basis, and the food offered a good variety each day. However, for anyone with food allergies, the lack of allergen labelling is a significant issue and something I think should now be standard in hotels. Denis was excellent at helping identify what I could and couldn’t eat. The all-inclusive alcoholic drinks were also unclear, as there didn’t seem to be a readily available menu showing what was included.

A few additional points: the hotel is around a 10–15 minute walk from the main strip, which suited us. There was entertainment during both the day and evening. A small shop is located within a five-minute walk, although it appeared to close around 10pm. Our airport transfer to the hotel took approximately 1 hour 30 minutes due to multiple drop-offs, while an Uber back to the airport took around 40 minutes and cost approximately €75.

Overall, the hotel has some positives, including spacious rooms, a good food selection, and excellent staff members like Denis. However, the inconsistent customer service, maintenance issues, and lack of attention to guest safety and communication meant the experience didn’t quite meet expectations.