Avenida Cataluna 20, Playa de San Juan, Alicante, Spain | (618) 248-8274
10-minute walk from the beach and several restaurants
Rooms have TVs, desks, safes, air-conditioning, and hairdryers
Pleasant pool with kiddy section and hot tub
Seasonal pool bar serving snacks and drinks
Restaurant serving continental breakfast buffet and other meals
Gym, two tennis courts, and a playground
Business center with conference room
24-hour room service
Free property-wide Wi-Fi
15-minute drive to the center of Alicante
Dated decor, and wear and tear throughout
No in-room mini-fridges
Rooms still have old tube-style TVs
Food is reportedly mediocre
The 126-room Holiday Inn Alicante is a dated, three-pearl hotel located a 10-minute walk from the beach, and a 15-minute drive from the center of Alicante. Rooms are bright and spacious, although their scuffed wooden floors, faded wallpaper, and tube-style TVs indicate that they are in need of a renovation. Features here consist of a small pool with a shallow section for kids and a small area with hydrotherapy jets. A continental buffet breakfast and a la carte lunch and dinner are served at the restaurant, plus light snacks and drinks are available at the pool bar (seasonal). An old-looking fitness center, tennis courts, and playground are on-site, as are a sauna and meeting room. Overall, there are far better values in the area, including AC Hotel Alicante by Marriott, which has more modern rooms and a rooftop pool.
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Scene
Dated decor and evident wear make this hotel a poor value
The Holiday Inn Alicante attracts primarily vacationing couples looking for uncomplicated fun in the sun, who are willing to look past the tired decor in favor of affordable rates and proximity to the Playa San Juan. However, the dated decor and evident wear found throughout make this is a poor value overall -- at least until the hotel undergoes a renovation. The lobby and communal areas are low-ceilinged, anonymous spaces, with mauve and salmon-colored seating next to generic artwork and old-fashioned wood furniture. The breakfast and dinner restaurant is a similarly utilitarian space, though lots of windows let in a good amount of light. Most guests congregate around the outdoor pool, surrounded by worn faux grass, while on-site, though visitors primarily head out to the beach. On the upside, the property is quiet.
Location
10-minute walk from the beach, but 15-minute drive from Alicante’s center
The Holiday Inn Alicante is not in Alicante proper, but rather the beachside suburb of Playa de San Juan. The property is a 10-minute walk from the beach, and a 20-minute walk from the 18-hole Alicante Golf course. While there are shops and restaurants nearby, there are many more retail outlets and eateries in Alicante's old town, a 15-minute drive away. Expect transfers to Alicante Airport to take 25 minutes by car, while Murcia-San Javier Airport is about 70 minutes away.
Rooms
Dated but serviceable rooms that lack mini-fridges
The hotel’s 126 rooms tend to be spacious and bright, but all are in need of a thorough revamp, due to dated wood furniture, poor-looking seating, tube-style TVs, and old-fashioned linens. Wear and tear is evident, though guests find rooms clean. Some rooms can sleep four people, either with two double beds or pullout sofas. Unfortunately, there are no mini-fridges or kettles in rooms, but there are desks, air-conditioning, and safes. Nearly all bathrooms have shower/tub combos, old-fashioned colored tile accents, hairdryers, and basic toiletries. Accessible rooms have large wet room-style showers.
Features
Outdoor pool with shallow section, tennis courts, and restaurant
This mid-range hotel has a pretty predictable list of features, with its biggest selling point being the outdoor pool. Although surrounded by worn faux grass, the pool is pleasant and has both a shallow kiddy section and hot tub. The terrace is lined by a few loungers, and there's a small, adjacent playground area. During the summer months, a pool bar serves light meals and drinks. A continental breakfast buffet and a la carte lunch and dinner are served at the restaurant, which receives mixed reviews. Room service is available 24/7.Guests looking to work off vacation excess can either utilize one of the hotel’s two tennis courts, or the gym with a handful of older machines but no free weights. A small sauna is attached to the gym. A conference room and a small business center with printing facilities are available, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the property. On-site parking is also free.
