c/ Ruzafa, 14, Benidorm, Spain | (618) 248-8274
In central Benidorm, near dining and nightlife
Located a five-minute walk to Levante Beach
Rooftop pool, hot tub, and children's pool with waterslides
Wide variety of rooms, most with mini-fridges
Large buffet restaurant caters to British and Spanish palates
Free breakfast (and other all-inclusive rate options)
Lobby piano bar and a rooftop bar with views of the park
Large arcade, game room, and outdoor playground
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Older property with obvious areas of neglect
On a loud street crowded with mopeds and tourists
Rooms have dated furnishings; some have tube-style TVs
Unpleasant odors in rooms and hallways
The 458-room Magic Cristal Park Hotel is an older lower-middle-range property overlooking a small park in central Benidorm. Both of the town's popular beaches are within a five- to 10-minute walk, and plenty of dining and nightlife are within easy reach. The main event here is the rooftop pool, along with a substantial video arcade and game room, so there's plenty of indoor entertainment for kids. All the facilities are dated though, and there's little for romantic couples. Rooms range from simple budget options with tube-style TVs, to suites with private balconies that cater to families. Couples should look across the park, into the more modern Prince Park Hotel.
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Scene
Dated lower-middle-range hotel with a quasi Grego-Roman theme
The Magic Cristal Park Hotel has a half-hearted Greco-Roman theme with small Ionian columns incorporated throughout the interiors. The rooftop pool echoes the theme with mock ancient wall reliefs, though the columns here are square. The lobby and other common areas are covered in various stone tiles, with gaudy mirrored panels (and ceilings), and a mashup of changing seasonal decorations. The interiors are generally poorly lit, and we found that the hallways had lingering food odors. Elderly couples and families, mostly Spanish and British, make up the bulk of the guests.
Location
Centrally located, a five-minute walk to the beach
The hotel is on a busy street in central Benidorm that faces a small park and City Hall. Shops and bars line the street, with plenty of dining and shopping options closer to the seafront in the area known as Old Town. Levante Beach is a five-minute walk away to the southeast, while the somewhat quieter Poniente Beach is a 10-minute walk to the southwest. The town’s main bus station is a five- to 10-minute drive away. Alicante International Airport can be reached by car in about 45 minutes.
Rooms
Various dated room options, most with mini-fridges but little else
Magic Cristal Park Hotel has a wide array of room types catering to different budgets, but all 458 rooms essentially have the same dated look. While this hotel bills itself as a mid-range property, the simple wood furnishings and blue upholstery in rooms betray its budget status, and some of them could use replacing. We found that some rooms smelled strongly of cleaning products and air fresheners. Bare-bones budget rooms have little more than beds with tube-style TVs, though most Standard Rooms also have mini-fridges (and a mix of flat-screens and tube-style TVs). Larger Family Rooms add sofa beds, and some have balconies overlooking the park. Tiled bathrooms have bidets and shower/tub combos. A small bar of soap is the only toiletry provided.
Features
Rooftop pool and bar, children's pool with waterslides, and free breakfast
Features here are focused on families and convenience. The hotel's rooftop pool is sheltered by an open-air atrium ceiling, with a sundeck on both sides. The rooftop terrace expands out to include a landing with a hot tub and a bar with seating that overlooks the park. There's also a shallow children's pool with a pair of small waterslides, next to an outdoor playground. Indoor entertainment includes a large arcade with numerous video games, a jukebox with '80s music (there's also a dance floor), and a game room with pool tables, foosball, and ping-pong tables. Nightly entertainment is held in the lobby bar, and the buffet restaurant serves traditional Spanish food, along with more international options and a free breakfast. All-inclusive rates are available. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.
