Gran Hotel Bali

Impressive looking hotel from the outside and reception. All the staff were helpful when called upon. Our corner room on floor 33 was fabulous with views to die for. Getting a lift sometimes meant a bit of a wait but not too bad. Didn't have a problem with the food as I'm not a fussy eater but my vegan companions did struggle as even most vegetarian options had some kind of cheese or dairy element. I'm sure management could rectify this without too much trouble. Lots of older Spanish guests who all in all were very polite. The hotel is a little out of Benidorm but you can get there easily by bus or cab. Biggest negative for me were the public toilets in the hotel which were awful. The worst I've seen for a long time and well overdue an upgrade. Not the standard I expect from a 4* Hotel.

I picked the hotel because of it's size, the accommodation, gym/spa and position in Benidorm (well away from Valente beach). On first impressions it was an impressive 4 star hotel and the rooms have spectacular views, they are kept clean by the fantastic cleaning staff. However, the air conditioning was not cooling the rooms, but heating them. I understand that in mid-November a lot of the older customers might want warmer rooms, but the air conditioning should be able to heat or cool a room, which they weren't. Also the safe in the room was not free, why???. I have stayed all over the world and safes are considered a room facility and not charged. I wanted to use the gym and sauna and was told that there was a charge, 6 euros per day or 20 euros for 3 gym visits & 1 spa. Again why??? One of the reasons I booked this hotel was to use the gym and sauna. Next wifi was not free. All these issues leave a bad taste and made my 1 week stay a lot less enjoyable. However, the breakfasts were fantastic with a great choice which would satisfy anyone's taste. The staff were all exemplary, very helpful and couldn't do more for their guests. The swimming pools and reception areas were large impressive, and there was entertainment every night. The beach was fantastic and sandy and hardly used. I expect in summer there would be more tourists using it, but it is so long and wide there would be lots of space. Benidorm has been established for a long time and the public infrastructure works very well. The number 2 bus works the beaches and runs from finistrat to to end of levante beach. The number 3 runs along poniente, part levente and ends at the bus station. Both and other buses can be caught near the hotel.