If there’s one thing people ask frequently, it’s where they can have a perfect weekend getaway in Benidorm.

Amongst the hustle and bustle of Benidorm, lies a hidden treasure, which just like Aladdin’s cave, brings a whole new world and a whole new meaning to Benidorm. Have you discovered the other side to Benidorm?

It doesn’t have to be parties and nightlife. What if I told you, you could have a luxurious relaxation weekend without travelling long haul? What if you could have gorgeous views, quality gastronomy and relaxing spa treatments, without the extortionate price tag?

You can do it if you discover the other side of Benidorm.

Spa treatments, jacuzzi overlooking the mountains, pools, bars, restaurants, a gorgeous terrace boasting views from the tallest hotel in Europe. There’s only one place you can have all this and more.

Let me introduce you to my extensive review of The Gran Hotel Bali.

We were lucky enough to spend a weekend at the Gran Hotel Bali in La Cala de Finestrat and today I’m going to talk you through how our weekend went.

Want to know about the entertainment? The Wellness area? The Beauty Zone? Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner times and options? The Suites, with terrace or without? I’m going to feature it all.

Consider this, your Ultimate Guide to Staying at The Gran Hotel Bali. 

Day one:

We arrived to check in just after 19:00 after a fairly long week at work. It may have dragged a little longer knowing that this weekend was going to be absolutely incredible. I have stayed at The Gran Hotel Bali so many times and I have always loved it. I couldn’t wait to return.

It’s impossible not to be impressed by the building, just standing outside The Gran Hotel Bali you can see that it’s something truly remarkable. The architecture, the design – it’s impressionable.

Entering the reception and it’s like the world just opens up. There’s a sense of luxury. A sense of grandness. It certainly lives up to its name.

Check-in is available from 14:00, however, we arrived later. The receptionist was warm and welcoming, which always makes a huge difference. Who wants to start their holiday with stress and rudeness? Nobody. At the Gran Hotel Bali, we were treated like royalty from the moment we checked in.

Every time I’ve been, the staff have always been welcoming and friendly. They have the guests best interests at heart.

Due to the winds, the glass elevator was out of service, so we took the internal lifts up, that came very quickly. We had a wonderful concierge carry our bags up and were introduced to our gorgeous suite on the 35th floor.

I don’t think you can prepare yourself for the beauty of the suite. My mouth dropped. We were given a small tour of the suite before getting ready for dinner.

Have you ever stood open-mouthed just taking in what is around you?

That’s what happened. I stood at the window, saying nothing, just appreciating the gorgeous view. It’s hardly believable that this is our view, even if it’s just for the night. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.

The suite without terrace is a large and comfortable suite, with a passionate red theme. If you’re thinking about a romantic weekend away, this is a very good choice. There are two large bedrooms and a comfortable spacious living area. It also comes with a bathroom, walk-in wardrobe and small balcony which you access from the second bedroom.

There wasn’t much time to hang around as dinner finishes at 21:30. We went down to dinner at 20:30.

We headed down to the Gregal restaurant, which was our favourite restaurant, and we were truly spoilt for choice. We were greeted warmly by Jose in the restaurant who had reserved us a table. We were so touched that the chef at the Gran Hotel Bali came out to greet us and had prepared a platter for us to nibble on. It was spectacular.

We then went up to the bar and pool area to enjoy the entertainment. I love the cocktails at the Gran Hotel Bali, they’re prepared well and are great tasting. We enjoyed a Pina Colada prepared in a frozen pineapple, a real frozen pineapple! The entertainment was enjoyable. There are two areas for entertainment, either inside or outside.

Inside, there is a bar with a British flag outside, here you’ll find the British music. We much prepared the tranquillity and relaxation of the music outside whilst overlooking the glistening pool. It was a great spot to chill out and just enjoy the experience.

When we returned to our room from the bar, we were delighted to find a bottle of 1551 cava as a treat. I felt so glamorous standing on the balcony admiring the views of the twinkling lights of Benidorm whilst sipping the cava. It’s one of those perfect little touches and truly something I’ll never forget.

The tranquillity of Benidorm was something else. Standing on the balcony, you can see as far as the eye can take you. I had to take a moment to appreciate that I was here. It was the icing on the cake of a perfect start to a relaxing weekend getaway in Benidorm.

Just before bed, we watched a little bit of TV, flicking between the channels, there actually was a lot of them to choose from! But, my attention was towards the sea and the city in the distance.

You stand in Benidorm and you see the Gran Hotel Bali. You stand in Villajoyosa and you see the Hotel Bali. Yet, here I am, looking out of the window unaware of all those people looking back at the building in admiration.

I’m excited for what the weekend holds.

Day two:

We decided we wanted to fill as much as possible into the weekend so I could really give you an extensive insight into staying in the suite and having a relaxing weekend.

Some of you will hate the idea of a massage, but love the idea of a jacuzzi circuit or a blast at the gym. Some of you will love the idea of a wine on the balcony, whereas some of you will prefer the atmosphere in the entertainment and bar area.

We want to fit it all in.

That means, getting up early. We awoke at 6:30 ready to be down for breakfast at 7:00. It was nice and quiet at this time, we’d missed the busy flow which meant we were able to enjoy our breakfast in a quieter environment at a slower pace. It felt perfect.

We had a few nibbles from the continetal breakfast and I had a coffee.

Fitness Centre

We then went straight to the fitness area. Alex is a lot better at fitness than I am and is a lot more knowledgeable. I definitely appreciated the views from the fitness centre. It’s located on floor 19 on the smaller building, so it was a good motivation to work out when you can see the sun shining and the waves crashing against the shore on the beach.

There’s something about blue skies and a burning sun that makes you feel good? Feel good, work harder. It’s a small but well-equipped gym with plenty of amenities, such as treadmills, bikes and weights. If you’re staying at the Gran Hotel Bali and like to keep fit and keep your fitness regime intact on holiday, I’d definitely recommend going in. It does carry a surcharge.

Belleza Spa

With no time to waste, I headed to the Beauty Centre where I was greeted by two lovely members of staff. Both of them were incredibly welcoming and professional. They really do work to such a high standard.

I have had beauty treatments across Benidorm, famous spas in Budapest and famous spas across England, plus this is coming from a trained masseuse! The treatments at the Belleza Spa on Floor 19 at the Gran Hotel Bali were the best treatments I have ever had. They are also really reasonably priced, I would recommend you book yourself in.

The first treatment I had was a facial with wooden materials. Wood therapy is an efficient and effortless way to achieve contouring and sculpting of the face without harming the skin. Each tool has a specific use and collectively they build a relaxing and beneficial treatment.

Wood therapy also helps to diminish cellulite and tones the face. It’s very effective for kickstarting the lymphatic system which ultimately smoothes out your face. It’s been practised for centuries, originating in the Oriental countries.

Wood therapy carries many benefits, it’s 100% natural and non-invasive. Unlike some treatments, it carries no contraindications, so it’s suitable for almost anybody! It speeds up metabolism, eliminates toxins and tones and sculpts the face. It’s a perfect choice for a relaxing yet beneficial facial treatment.

I finished off with a Gold Face Mask that was incredibly smooth. The masseuse painted my face delicately and never have I felt more like a work of art than at that moment. You feel relaxed. You feel good. You feel special. It’s essential to take some time out for yourself and the Belleza Spa is a great place to do it.

When the Gold Face Mask was removed, my face was glittering and glowing.

If you’re on holiday or live locally, I’d definitely recommend having a look. I was actually surprised at how economically friendly the prices are. They are so reasonably priced that it’s hardly believable that the home is inside a hotel. The prices were so much cheaper than salons advertising spa treatments in Benidorm and the surrounding areas! I’ll definitely be returning very soon. 

Suite with Terrace

We then moved over to the Suite with Terrace.

Across the suite, there is a theme of a striking yet soothing green. I adored the decor, but there’s one thing that made the suite my favourite hotel room I’ve ever stayed in… The Jacuzzi Tub.

A perfect spa getaway is not complete without a jacuzzi tub with gorgeous views. It’s just a well-known fact. Let me talk about the views from the tub. Picture this, you’re in the tallest hotel in Europe, panoramic windows around the tub, with views of Benidorm, the skyline, the mountains and the beach.

Relaxation is a jacuzzi tub. Ultimate relaxation is a jacuzzi tub with views of the mountain whilst sipping wine and reading your book. 

The suite comes again with two bedrooms, one master and one double, and an exceptionally large terrace. I was so surprised by how big the terrace was. We also didn’t lose the cosy balcony from the second bedroom which I was pleased to find out.

The corridors are long and well maintained. No part of decoration is forgotten about. It’s truly worth making that upgrade to a suite.

There were two sun loungers on the terrace too, which were ideal for laying out and catching rays.

We headed down for lunch shortly at 14:00 in the Gregal restaurant. Food options were broad and of a high quality. I really enjoyed the option to have cooked food in the day. The staff were attentive and constantly refreshing and rotating food.

Wellness Circuit

Shortly after, we headed back to the Belleza Spa area and tried out the jacuzzi and wellness area.

The jacuzzi, steam room and sauna circuit is a 60-minute circuit. We were greeted by a friendly member of staff who explained to us the logistics of the circuit.

We started off in the steam room, starting with a shower, we spent 8 minutes in the steam room. The steam room was exceptionally clean and of a high standard. To rinse the benefits, we then had to take a cold shower to boost the systems. We then went into the sauna, which was a typical Finnish sauna. This was also spotless and well-maintained. Again, we finished off the treatment with a cold shower.

We were then introduced to the three jacuzzis, with each one getting progressively hotter. He stressed to us the importance of only spending a short period of time in each, with spending no more than 2 minutes in the very hot one, that I managed to do! The monitor also was on hand to answer any questions and was attentive to make sure we didn’t spend longer than recommended.

The jacuzzis are all fantastically well-maintained and the entire room was clean, bright and relaxing. From the jacuzzis, there are fabulous views which compliments the sounds of the bubbles.

Ultimate relaxation. 

Belleza Spa

Then it was time for the massage in the Belleza Spa and yes, it was every ounce of perfect that you can imagine.

The rooms of the spa overlook Benidorm and the beach, so if you love Benidorm, spa treatments and relaxation, you’ll adore the Belleza Spa.

Have you ever had a massage so good that you start drifting off to sleep? You head off into euphoria. It’s like a dream. An illusion.

Coming from a trained masseuse, this was an excellent massage. 

I felt the benefits of the massage throughout and thoroughly enjoyed it. I believe I fell asleep at one point. I was always told, if a client falls asleep during a massage, that’s the ultimate compliment. The aim is that you feel so relaxed, comfortable and free from the outside world that you drift off to sleep.

There were the soft sounds of relaxation music in the background, but it wasn’t intrusive or over the top which I really liked. There is a beautiful array of decor that really compliments the spa experience.

After the massage, I was treated to a hydrating glass of rose water.

If you’re considering booking yourself in. Do it. 

You can find out more about the Belleza Spa by following this link: Belleza Spa Bali

Dinner in the Room

Although not part of the regular service, we were treated to a spectacular dinner array in the room. It was a perfect platter of the most spectacular, rich foods.

We had a range of incredibly cooked food in the room. I had never tried octopus before and I must admit, I was a little sceptical, but I loved it!

The meat was tender and rich and the flavour just oozed out. We had a side of chips made with vegetables which were incredibly good, they were a good complimenting flavour.

Then came the main course. I thought the octopus was outstanding, but the steak just turned up and blew me away. Cooked blue, which is not how I’d usually have my steak, but it was superb. The meat just fell apart. It was tender and rich with a burst of flavour. The entire dinner really was cooked to perfection. Huge compliments to the chef. It was outstanding.

It all was washed down with a bottle of white wine, you know how much I love a good white wine! 

Bar and Entertainment

After dinner, we headed down to the bar area to enjoy the entertainment once more. Whilst you’re enjoying the entertainment, the bar staff and waiters are attentive and are ready to take your order. The drinks come very quickly after ordering.

I love sitting behind the pool and enjoying the music from a distance. It’s beautiful to see the show lights reflecting off the pool, it’s like a full on show in itself.

We head back up to the room shortly after 23:30.

The nightfall set in in a few hours previous, so watching the lights twinkle from the bed, whilst flicking through the TV channels, was something incredible.

Day three:

We awake around the same time again, with enough time to enjoy the sunrise.

The Gran Hotel Bali had organised for us to enjoy a continental breakfast in the room, which is not part of the usual service so there wasn’t a need to rush around!

I sat next to the jacuzzi just watching the sun make an appearance from behind the mountains. It’s a slow process, a reminder that even the most beautiful of things take time.

For two days, we’ve watched the sunrise from the Tallest Hotel in Europe. If that isn’t on your bucket list, go add it now. 

There’s something truly spectacular about watching the sunrise and sunset. It’s a gift that we don’t often take the time to appreciate. It’s hard to start the day anything other than relaxed and content when the first thing you see is the array of colours as the sun makes its way to start another day in Benidorm.

Standing and admiring the sunset sends you to sleep happy and appreciative. Waking up to the sunrise starts another day with love and happiness. It’s just a fact.

There aren’t many places where the sunset and sunrise are as beautiful as here. I’m going to put it out there and say it: I’ve seen the sunset and sunrise from a lot of different places in Benidorm, but standing on the terrace of the suite in the Gran Hotel Bali is the best one yet. 

Today is a day of appreciation. I want to make the most of our time here.

Breakfast arrived at 8:30 from Jose, who is a huge asset to the restaurant personnel. He is warm and welcoming and you can really see he wants every guest to enjoy their experience. I spent some time watching him interact with other guests when he didn’t know, and he was everything you’d want in a member of staff and more. His same warm and friendly demeanour and smile was there. He was so genuine and kind, which are some of the best traits to have.

Breakfast was very good, plenty of pastries and continental goodness. I had a coffee with milk and Alex had a freshly squeezed orange juice. We did probably spend a little too long trying to take an “Instagram goals” photo with the breakfast array on the hotel bed, you know how it goes right?

Shortly after, we spent some time taking photos of the suite, we wanted to make sure we had our memory bank full. It was getting close to checking out and saying goodbye and I didn’t want to go, not just yet.

We checked out at 12:00 and spent a little while in the bar enjoying a cocktail and a coca-cola. The summer never ends. You’d never believe it was Autumn, here we are, sitting around the pool hearing the splashes of people jumping in, whilst the temperature soars to the mid-twenties sipping a cocktail.

Who’d have thought you could have a relaxing weekend getaway and still be able to enjoy a bit of nightlife and sunbathing, without a huge price tag? You don’t need to take a long-haul flight for a spa getaway with doses of sun. You can do it here. The other side of Benidorm. You can do it at the Gran Hotel Bali in Benidorm.

For more information about the Gran Hotel Bali or to book your room or suite head to the official page here: www.granhotelbali.com

Hasta luego,