Hotel Olympus, Benidorm, Spain

The first thing I've got to say about Benidorm's Hotel Olympus is that the location is not great. It's described as being 5 minutes (but that is only if you move fast) from the beautiful Poniente beach, and 2 minutes from loads of shops and supermarkets right at the Spanish end of Benidorm.

It's actually 700 metres from the beach and 300 metres from the Old Town Centre, but there are loads of shops literally within minutes of the hotel.

It's location is central, and handy for buses and trains. The nearby main roads are a nightmare to cross, so this location is in my opinion not suitable for families.

It's on a hill. Not a steep hill but it's a long 5 minutes back from the beach when you have to go uphill.

It's also advertised as one of the hotels that is perhaps nearest to Terra Mitica or Terra Natura but it's still a long walk.However, plenty buses supply the route if that is where you want to go. The Hotel Olympus is also very handy for the Old Town nightlife, which has a profusion of gay bars, but you'd really need to take taxis or buses of you want to visit the Rincon where the Benidorm Square is situated, and all the British nightclubs.

There are a few straight bars in the Old Town, and of course a few British bars too, but it's not the liveliest part of Benidorm for the English speaking visitor. That is not to say it is quiet. This is the Spanish quarter where many Spanish holidaymakers go, and believe me, they are noisy!

To those reading here and wondering why anyone would want to go on holiday to Spain and visit English speaking bars and clubs -  the Spanish night clubs which open very late at the weekend and go on all night, are very expensive in comparison.

The address of the Hotel Olympus is Paseo de Las Acacias, 11. (Acacia Walk in English), Benidorm 03502, and its telephone number is +34 (966) 800 271 should you wish to book direct. The reception staff in most, if not all, Benidorm hotels speak English.

The facilities on offer in the Hotel OLympus are pretty great. They are:

• Roof swimming pool (photographed)
• Indoor Heated Pool
• Outdoor Heated Pool
• Children's Play Area
• Offers of car rental and parking facilities
• Solarium/Tanning Salon
• TV Reading lounge
• Dining room
• Laundry facilities
• Wake-up facilities
• Darts
• Golf Course (within 3km)
• Billiards
• Non-smoking rooms
• Safety Deposit Box in rooms
• Gay Friendly.

They have a gala dinner once a week in their restaurant and daily entertainment is laid on for guests.

The bedrooms in the Hotel Olympus are spacious and each have a small balcony. The rooms come equipped with

• Satellite TV
• Air conditioning (in summer)
• Heating (in winter)
• Safety Deposit Boxes
• Hairdryer in the en suite bathroom.

The hotel itself is a fairly new building, and has 4 floors serviced by two lifts. It is officially a 3 star hotel and has 148 bedrooms.

Board available.

• Half-board 
• Full board 
• Bed and Breakfast

• The meal times at the Hotel Olympus are 8am - 10am, 1m - 3pm, and dinner is served 8pm - 10pm.
• Take Note: these are traditional Spanish mealtimes, especially the late dinner. If you are half-board or all-inclusive and fancy a night out in the town, you may find the dinner time unsuitably late.
• All-inclusive guests will find there are no snacks or ice-creams served through the day like there are at other all-inclusive hotels, and that their drinks are limited to 1 per hour!
• All the entertainment offered at Hotel Olympus is in Spanish, and the majority of the guests are Spanish pensioners who are loud and pushy.
• The meals cater for the Spanish, and you may find it is not to your taste.
• The transfer bus does not take guests directly to the hotel owing to the narrow and difficult to negotiate streets surrounding this hotel, so you will be expected to walk there, uphill, from where the bus drops you off, with all your luggage.
• From midnight onwards, the hotel frowns upon noise so if you go a night out on the town, be prepared to only whisper when you return to your room.
• The rooftop swimming pool has no shallow end, and is only open during the summer months. No food and drinks are served on the rooftop terrace. You have to take the lift down to the ground floor and return the same way. The lifts are always in use and you may have a long wait.

If you are looking for a bit of the real Spain, mixing with Spanish people, eating Spanish food, speaking or practising your Spanish language while enjoying Spanish entertainment, and are not incapacitated or disabled in any way, then this is the hotel for you.

If YOU have stayed at Hotel Olympus, and would like to make a comment, please feel free to add your opinion of this hotel in the comment box below.

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**********January 2011***********

If you fancy moving to Spain, I know of a bar business for sale in Benidorm. It's a single locale situated in the centre of Benidorm, smack bang between the Old and New Town - a few minute's walk takes you to either.

With a total of 48 covers including those on the open air terrace which is sunny and ideal for smokers (smoking is no longer permitted in bars in Spain), this would make a great starter bar for those wishing to try a new way of life.

The business is currently closed but fully licensed and so may be opened again at a moment's notice. The current owners would be happy to accept only €9,000 for the traspasso and the monthly rent is in the region of €500 per month.

For further details contact Duncan or Sue on 0034 678982028 or email duncanelliot@live.co.uk

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