Gala Placidia - Benidorm
Operator and Date: global travel - Sept 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Frank & Isobel Gibb
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just came back from this hotel it is clean and has been upgraded last year.
We found that none of the staff at reception spoke any English.
The meals were cold and tasteless with not much choice which was repeated throughout the week.We found out that the spanish government use this place to accomodate spanish pensioners during the months of September to the end of November.
I will definately not be using this hotel again so be warned.
Would not recommend
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Gala Placidia - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - Aug / Sept 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : john&gail swankie arbroath (40-42)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just come back from this hotel it is passed its best and is to be demolished in october.
The good points are it has air con in all rooms towels changed every day bedding changed every two days. Bad points are the rooms are not cleaned properly bedding is old and holed food is not of the best quality very samey and any food left on trays is reused next day eg left over veg is mixed with rice or pasta and appears on the salad bar the next day.
The pool is in total shade until afternoon rooms are quite grubby with mould on tiles and fittings in bathrooms as i have said this hotel is to be demolished in october so staff do not seem to be motivated at all.
The resort is great we have been to benidorm many times and will go back thankfully not to this property. Anyone looking for food in the early hours should try marianos next to the picadilly bar near sol pelicanos they do spit roast chickens that melt in your mouth and great hotdogs also try foodland for great breakfasts real back bacon and pork sausages.For good coffee and great brandy you cant beat los arcos bar cheap too.
Beni has something for everyone great beaches great nightlife and good honest fun in the sun.
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Gala Placidia - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Barcelo hotel rooms for rent - Feb 2004
Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : June harwood- Bolton (46,50,51,56,61)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Hotel bedroom were kept clean every day and clean towels.But hotel was in need of a complete face lift staff were helpful food was not very nice.This hotel was a upgrade from the hotel we should have been in. We will not be going back. We stayed there in febrauary 21st to 28th for one week and that was enough.
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Gala Placidia - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Booked with Beninter Jan 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : Paul Whitehall - Coventry 59,58
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
After many holidays in either the levante & old town parts of Benidorm, we decided for a change to try the Rincon. Booking through Beniter.com we chose the Gala Placidia, whilst in no way can we fault Beninter, we really were more than disapointed at our choice of hotel. Not expecting a great deal as the price was pretty fair for a three star hotel, we were shocked to find the hotel fell in our oppinion fell far short of its competitors.
In its day this was probably a good hotel, but alas we were not there that day. We found it in dire need of gutting & refurbishing. Our room was small and had a bed in there that was not required making moving around uncomfortable. The glass in the aluminium sliding door to the balcony was broken and rattled and only slid when lifted with two hands.The room was ill equiped and dowdy.
The food was very poor in my oppinion, and I am not convinced it was cooked on the premises as it was never hot and had the appearance of being kept warm for long periods even just after the restaurant had opened for business. Apart from a chef who popped in now and again there seemed little steam, smell or activity you would expect from a kitchen preparing 200 or so meals. The hotel had a great deal of Spanish penioners who clogged every where up and spending no money.The Hotel in fairness looked & smelled clean, and the staff tried hard and were pleasant enough but the accomodation was oh so old fashioned and drab.
All in all, the Rincon end of Benidorm a big yes, but The Hotel Gala Placidia be it at your peril.and not for us again i'm affraid.
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Gala Placidia - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Aspro Discounts) Aspro holidays - 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : 42 39 20 19 14
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We first visted the Gala Placidia in 1984 and found the hotel to be very good,but 20 years on the hotel was still the same apart from the air-con which was a god send,in our opinion the hotel needs a total revamp to bring it up to the current day standards of a 3 star hotel.
The hotel was rated a 3 star i would give it a 1 star,lifts took a long time when requested and then could only fit 3 people in max, a lot of the time we had to walk down the stairs, not very good when you have got bad knees.
The food was very poor,a very limited choice and ever thing seemed over boiled or reheated a lot of the time hardly had any food left.they didnt replace food trays until all of the food had gone,and you had to ask them to replace it.ther was not enough cutlery or cups when asked for some more they brought about 20 cups out for 30 people waiting,so some nights we ate out.only made breakfast 4 times out of the 14 nights we were there that wasnt very good either,
the hotel rooms was very clean and tidy the maids came every day to tidy up the rooms there was always clean towels.there was some so called entertainment in the hotel if you call a man on an organ playing music entertaining,the switch board was very old the type that you plug in and out,didnt like the fact that if you left your keys people knew you was out of your room, on arrival at the hotel which was 11-30pm the 24hr receptionist informed us that we could not obtain a security safe until the next day,so we had to the walk to a bar at midnight for a drink and snack with all our passports, holiday money and flight docs in a bag.
The patio doors would not lock and my wife was unable to open or shut them due to the fact that they would not slide you had to lift them.
on the coach to the hotel the rep (ASPRO) was very quiet only speaking to annouce the hotel we were at, when we arrived at the hotel gala placidia , the rep just pointed down the hill and said it,s on the left. the rep who was appointed to do the welcome meeting at 10 am the next morning didn't turn up and for the entire two weeks we were there we didn't see her once,another company rep helped us with any queries we had (thankfully)
People would get up in the mornings to claim there place at pool side but soon lost interest when they realised the sun didn't arrive until 1-30 in the afternoon
All in all the hotel took the sunshine out of our holiday, enjoyed Benidorm ,but would NEVER go back to the Gala Placidia
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Gala Placidia - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Martin Reynolds - Date Not Specified
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : 43
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I stayed in this hotel for an entire month at that time it was full of elderly people about 40 percent English and 60 percent Spanish. Thought the hotel was ok on the whole typically spanish, very clean-bedrooms were tidyed daily (which was inconvenient at times) Location was ideal and pretty close to the beach. food was not that great,limited selection,samey. by the second week I was eating out.
The entertainment seemed mainly for the Spanish,(at the hotel) this was not a problem as there is so much entertainment everywhere else.It's a great opportunity to practice your spanish with the majority of staff speaking both languages.
On the downside they don't seem very flexable to guest- Receptionist wouldn't allow me to bring a female guest back to my room for a drink.
Great chinese nearest to the beach 2 can enjoy a decent meal with wine for( would you believe?) 5 euro! Best steak is the dutch one at the back of a music/keyboard bar I think it's called the tropicanna or similar.
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Gemelos 22 Tower 3 - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Folies Vacanes (internet) - 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Fraser McFarlane - Falkirk 43,42,18,17
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
These apartments were superb in location and cleanliness could not fault them at all. We were in tower 3 which was quite and peaceful at night it has 3 lifts and there was no problem with them at all. There was everything in the apartment that you need. The pools were great. I will definitely be going back to these apartments and booking through the same company as the price was brill aswell.
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Gemelos 2 Tower 1 - Benidorm
Operator and Date: bonus week breaks - Oct 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : dave,sharon,connor,katie (43,39,9,8
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
Having heard so much about Benidorm we though we`d give it a try, we arrived on the 15/10/06 we were taken to our apartment at 11.00am on Sunday having booked a 2 bedroom apartment, when we went into the room we were only given a 1 bedroom, the room was about 34C with no air con or fan, the put you up bed that was available was broken and there was no bedding for my wife and I,the swimming pool had been drained so nothing for the kids to do,
these apartments are the worst I have ever stayed in its like going back in time to the 1960s,I ended up paying 480.00 euro to move to a hotel. On complaining to bonus week breaks they couldnt or wouldnt help. Bonus Week Breaks ring you up in England to offer you cheap accomodation, please be very careful as they say they offer very high standards, they certainly dont and do not help you if you have any problems.
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Gemelos 2 - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Mckenzie Cook Sep 2006
Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : Jill Guest 36,32,50
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I booked our holiday from Mckenzie Cook over the internet,some of their details on the holiday were wrong.For instance,we arrived at 10.30am & i had rung the company months before asking if we could get into our apartment any earlier than 4pm which was the stated time,they said the apartment should be clean & ready to occupy between 1-2 pm which was great. However the office where we had to pick up our keys didn't even open until 4.30, the lady actually turned up at 4.45. We were soooo tired,it was such a long day....
The apartment itself was fairly good,it had everything you could need,washing machine,microwave,cooker,kettle.
The balcony was huge with a settee & table & chairs overlooking the pool.
The beds were 'Rubbish',the slats under the mattresses had broke several times & then taped back into place,hence,when my friend (who is no stick insect) turned over they broke again!!!!
The apartment wasn't over clean but other things made up for that like the location,it was excellent,5 mins walk to the square & yet not too noisy from our bedrooms.
The pool area was brill, really clean with beautifully looked after gardens & a rather handsome LifeGuard even though he was a misery!!! Lot's of locals actually live in these apartments & are very friendly.
On our next Girls Holiday we will definately go back to these apartmenst
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Gemelos 2 - Benidorm
Operator and Date: benidorm spotlight-sept 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : chris, john-35-40
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Have been to Benidorm several times, usually stay in hotels but chose to stay in apartments because of area. Great area, loads bars, shops, entertainment. Apartments are residential and booked through different sites so all will probably be different. Unfortunately ours was worst I've stayed in! 2 tiny beds, that make such a noise when moving. Walls dirty, handles falling off wardrobes and cupboards. but worse was no pillow cases, had to go and buy own.in 2 weeks only got 1 sheet change so washed our own in sink. good kitchen and terrace area.
however apartments are quiet and gardens and pool area well maintained.
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Gemlos 2 Torre 1 Apartments - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Booked Independently - 2005 / 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Ellen Fishwick - Ages: 51, 40, 14, 12
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Booked into the Gemelos 2 torre 1 as our friends used to live here. The apartment we were given was very different!
Not only was it littered with rubbish when we arrived, but it was in a poor state of repair. We had to wait for the room to be cleaned and tidied from the previous guests and the handles were dropping off the drawers and cupboards, the walls and shutters were filthy and nobody dared lock the bathroom door as it was so hard to open!
It's mainly residential so there's no loud music or drunken youths kicking about which was good. The pools were lovely and the pool area was kept very nice aswell. However, you're not allowed to play with a ball in the pool even if it's completely empty!
The location of the apts is great...loads of bars, cafes and arcades nearby and the main square is only a couple of minutes away. A must see is DAVE KEEGAN in The Town nightclub - he is by far the best Elvis we've ever seen!
All in all, we enjoyed our holiday but would certainly not stay in this apt block again. Apparently, the next block has undergone some renovation and the apts have washing machines, bigger beds and handles that stayed put!
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Gemolos Apartment - Benidorm
Operator and Date: benidorm direct - 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : julie burgin 40,60,66,44
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday Review:
please beware anyone staying in these appts. we were robbed while we were there the robbers have keys to these appartments they knew that we had only just arrived. we were on the 10th floor of an 18th floor block. the appts we stayed in were the gemolos 22. please,please be aware as we found out that we were not covered by insurance as they had a key, not forceable entry. benidorn direct wont help, neither the ideal holiday com in benidrom they only changed the lock,they told us that this has happened before!!!! we lost altogther approx 900.00 on the 2nd day we were there. they have no reception to ask for a safe key, please get a safe key ordered before you depart as i don't want this to happen to anyone else.
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Gemelos 22 ( XXII ) - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Mc kenzie travel
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : dave maden lancs 42,61,39,13,8
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
excellent apartment, large balcony with great view from 30th floor. good bus service to anywhere in benidorm for one euro, even went terrimitica for a euro(25 mins away). good pizza place to eat is to turn left as you get out of main gate and walk 250 yards up street , called pizza jardin, or try the queen vic on the (gerona) street where a lot of the clubs are on ,there was always plenty of people in and we enjoyed it there. taxi price from airport was approx 60 euroes during week and 70 at weekends.
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Gemelos 22 ( XXII ) - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Mckenzie Cook Travel - May 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Deborah Cobb - Manchester (44)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We stayed at the Gemelos 22 in a fantastic 3 bedroom executive apartment booked through Mckenzie Cook. The apartment block Gemelos 22 consists of modern towers around an excellent pool ( one of the best I have seen in an apartment block ) There is a safe kiddies slash area and even an indoor heated pool !
The apartment was exceptional on the 30th floor with an excellent view we had satellite TV and every possible comfort.
Having been to Benidorm a few times in the past we decided to spoil ourselves with a top quality apartment and i must say it was even better than was described in the brochure.
At first we were a little worried about the location as it was near to the Rincon de Loix and we usually stay near to the square or the Hotel Orange but the exceptional apartment and the facilities for the kids more than made up for this and after the first couple of days we realised there was as many shops and bars in this area that we didnot even know existed to keep us amused and if we did want the beach or the clubs it was only 15 mins stroll away.
All in all I can recommend the Gemelos 22 to any one and donot be put off by the location the facts is you are only just behind the Hotel Sol Pelicanos.
Benidorm is unbeatable for entertainment.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Thomson Holidays
-august 2007
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : susan 34
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
the hotel was very pleasant and food was good.the entertainment was o.k. but got a bit repetative.
the location was well placed with lots of shops and bars handy.
look out`big nellies` bar which isnt far...there food was great with a lovely family atmosphere..we are hoping to go back and visit neil and shaz next year.
an altogether great holiday
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Independent - April 2007
Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Shaun & Katie Thomas (23,24)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
We stayed in this hotel between the 3rd and the 10th april. First opinion of the place was v good, its an impressive looking building. However, it did not last. We arrived at approx 1230hrs and checked in no problem, were told that the room was not yet ready, which we were somewhat expecting as we were told check in was at 1400hrs anyway. So we waited until 1400hrs and went to confirm the room was done, they said all was fine and we were good to go, however, when we got to the room it was not done!!!!! still dirty from the previous occupants! this is supposed to be a 4 star hotel! so not the best of starts!
Now for the good, there isnt much so i will get it out of the way before all the bad. The room was nice when done, lovely view over the sea and pool area, the cleaner was v good and v friendly, however, doesnt understand the "do not disturb" sign. We had to have a twin room instead of double that we wanted but the 2 "single" beds were really big anyway. The Hotel reception staff are friendly and speak good english.
Now for the not so good:
The location: If, like us, you want to go out in the evenings for a nice meal and a drink, this is not the right place to be, buses only cost 1 Euro and they run approx every 20 mins but tend to be v v v packed and they finish at 2300hrs. A taxi costs approx 10 Euro and is quite possibly the most tense car journey you will ever experience, driving is chaotic. If you want to walk it we were told it takes approx 2 hours.
The prices: Everything in this hotel is expensive, Not even guests of the hotel get to use the Spa for free, the Spa costs 7 euro per person for only 1 hour, after 2030hrs every night the drinks go up to a min of 3.25 Euros. If yo want some water with your food that will set you back 3.20 Euros for 2 small bottles. You can put money on your room card for a 15% discount off drinks in the hotel but it cannot be used during their happy hour or if you wanted a cup of coffee in the cafe for some reason! If your a guest you still even have to pay to go to the top of the big building!
The Entertainment: This was rubbish, the same old guy miming some old tunes every night then usually some spanish dancers. Everything in this hotel seems aimed at the older spanish generation or just the spanish full stop!!!
The food: Apart from the salad bar i wouldnt trust anything, unless your spanish and really really enjoy fish every meal. the cases of food poisening i kept hearing about was enough to keep me paranoid while eating there so i would check everything before eating, luckily, because they put a chicken curry dish out 1 night and the chicken was v pink inside. (Let me remind you, this is a 4 Star hotel!!!!) I went to get some bread to make a sandwich and there was mouldy bread on display, clearly visible yet none of the restaurant staff seemed too bothered. Unfortunately, even as i type this my wife has food poisening, we practicaly ate everything the same apart from 2 things, lamb chops and the breakfast sausage in the hotel!!!!!!! Apart from the previous review not 1 english speaking person had anything good to say about the food, or the hotel at that matter. I remember seeing an ambulance rushing to someone on my floor, wonder if that was food poisening as well!! There was 1 couple there who werent sure if they would be able to fly becuase they were being so sick!
The Spanish: This time of year is a big holiday in spain so there was a lot of spanish people in the hotel and we just found them v v arrogant. They dont even know what a queue is for example, waiting for a lift, or bus, or barman become more like a free for all pile up! I found that the Spanish staff would always be biased towards them too and they would nearly always get served for anything before you.
If i had to give anyone going to benidorm any advice it would be not to stay in the Bali, I have stayed in better 2 and 3 Star Hotels, However, if you do find yourselves there, Eat and drink out! If you dont fancy going into Benidorm centre everytime there is a lovely chinese restaurant called The Wok just on the main road and literally round the corner of the hotel is the Pheasant Plucking pub which is a nice place.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: independant march 2007
Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : kim 44 james 38 kyle 3
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
My husband,our grandson and I returned from this hotel on the 7th april 2007 and this is our review. Hotel definatly 4star! Room great sea view and pool view.Staff great not once did we feel like second class citizens. Clean towels everyday bed linen fresh every day. Full english breakfasts fruit ceareal breads. Lunch was good all nationalitys catered for there was even chips! food always hot. We even asked for packed lunchs for 3 people well what can I say about that! What we got would have fed five people.
Only one complaint italian school football team came in for 2days very rude speaking italion slating british but did not bargain on british person understanding italion so I gave them what for and they appoligised even my 3 year old grandson speaks italion problem was that he ran around hotel saying bl--dy british in italion after listening to them. Must point out these footballers were 14-16 years old left to run riot while whoever they were with were who knows where?
Please visit this hotel it is very good. We had good time.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: march 07
Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : Denise 43 ,Brian,54 cleethorpes
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
This hotel has only 1 thing missing,king kong on the top.Service is poor ,food is poor,and you feel like second class citizen .They cater more towards the spanish,and as a brit i felt uncomfortable .we booked this hotel on the internet as we felt this is what we wanted, 4 star service and entertainment , the only entertainment worth seeing in this hotel is the puppets dressed up like chucky out of the film.
All in all benidorm great , buses great ,weather good. Hotel not up to standed.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: findmytravel - 2007
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : 40,34,13 and7
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
exelent, no further comments.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: . 2007
Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : kathleen perry - cumbria (59, 60, 61
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
the hotel gran bali was a very good hotel, but the food was VERY POOR. everyone I spoke to had the same opinion and when I spoke to an English lady living in Benidorm who I met on a bus, she said everyone she had met and spoken to said the same about the food. the staff in the dining room were very unfriendly, totally ignoring you when you thanked them for anything and not returning your smiles. the reception staff we came across were very helpful especially Annabel and could not do enough for us.
I would return to the hotel but it certainly would not be my first (or second or third)choice.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: via MedHotels.com - end Nov/early Dec 2006
Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Vipin Adhia (40's)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
My wife and I stayed at Gran Hotel Bali Thursday 30 November until 3 December 2006 which was on a full board basis.
On the whole, our experience was reasonably good but please read below. The facilities in the restaurant for breakfast, lunch and supper were good and, as vegetarians, we found that the choice was excellent. We also found the labelling next to the food very useful.
However, we did find that a supposed "vegetarian" dish might have a fish or meat sauce and/or stock contained within it and this was not made clear. It's only when you look closely that you could see that some foods contained little pieces of meat.
Sometimes it was not always apparent whether a particular food was vegetarian or not.
We found the staff on the 19th floor particularly unwelcoming to guests which one would not normally expect. We went up on Saturday 2 December at 4.40 pm and there were two women sitting there, probably hotel guests like us. One of their members of staff was also there. While we appreciated that the Gym, Spa, etc would not open until 5.00 pm, we wanted to know whether the sauna, Jacuzzi and steam room would be open on Sunday as the only notice there said that the Gym is closed on Sundays.
The two women then left while we were just left sitting there. Their member of staff then just disappeared. It is only when we knocked in one of the doors on the corridor facing their reception opposite the lift that she said that facilities would not be open until 5.00 pm and we were informed that everything was closed on Sundays.
Drinks are expensive even the water! So, just be sure to top up your hotel card with some credit to get a discount on your drinks.
The hotel is a magnificent looking structure from both outside and in and is really a landmark so you can't get lost. However, I said to the hotel management in my comments that the fact that this hotel is the tallest in Europe does not mean that we have to tolerate other many shortcomings they have.
The Reception we found gave extremely poor service. It is a "hit and miss" affair in that it really depends on who you get at reception to speak to and their particular knowledge of things such as where you can get excursions from and, to us most important was where to get transport back from Benidorm to the airport on your way back. Here, the reception was absolutely terrible.
We booked through MedHotels who provide a welcome pack. It's only 2 days' after when we wanted to get a hotel room safe key and the discount card, that we were given our "welcome pack".
The hotel management (not reception - they would not know where to start!) had no clue about when holiday reps were coming to see guests who had booked through a particular company and they had certainly no idea in which part of the hotel a "welcome morning/afternoon" might be taking place. We had to go on a wild goose chase and in the end gave up and made our own arrangements.
The hotel does not have literature about excursions apart from one (where they probably get a cut from it!), which is a show in Benidorm Town. It does not even have maps that you can pick up. It's only when you go to Reception to ask that they will provide you with one.
The hotel has no notice boards regarding companies though which guests may be booking this hotel for their accommodation and if you don't have any welcome pack when you arrive and reception don't bother to give it to you, you may well miss out on the interesting info. that we certainly found in our welcome pack.
The views from the 43rd floor viewing deck were spectacular, well worth 1 Euro each although I cannot understand why a supposedly 4* hotel would charge guests for that.
The large Mercado Supermarket 50 metres from hotel is very good with large varieties of food and drink and reasonable prices - I particularly liked the idea of hand baskets on wheels! This would go well in Britain if we had them here!
The room was clean and serviced daily and we had no problems there. Views from our room were good.
Some people we met found the chambermaid curt and hurried. They were located on the ninth floor, in the smaller of the two buildings where the view was quiet good but they found the constant smell of cooking from the kitchen extract system below, irritating.
We only went to reception when we really really had to but the people we met found that reception was like a airport departure lounge and patience was needed to get to the front of the inevitable queue generally, because the Spanish guests were not entirely familiar with the concept of queuing, They also found it sometimes annoying when Spanish guests decided that their need to get on a bus or get in the line for drinks was more urgent than yours.
I cannot rate this hotel as 4* since the service given was anything but that.
I would go back to this hotel if I found a cheap package and if significant improvements were made to management (like chucking some of them out!) and reception staff all sat down on a course to learn about how to serve guests properly and well.
Any reception of any organisation is its face to the world and if that functions disastrously then there is something wrong with management.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Teletext - September 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : J Halai - London, UK
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Departed London Gatwick on 09.09.06 at 5am. Arrived Benidorm about 9am Spain Time. I recommend the transfers as taxi is 58Euro from the airport to the hotel. Arrived the hotel - which was woh.... as it stood out...arrived at about 10.30am.
Rooms were not done.....they knew I was pregnant as I told teletext (who I booked with) and emailed the hotel from London...
They said you can take your room keys and leave your luggage. So we went to the 6th floor and opened our room door with guests from previous in there.....SECURITY is bad ehh..
Went back to the reception who said you have to enter the room at 2pm ish. I said why did you say leave your luggage upstairs? she never commented.
Good bit about this first impression is they have a luggage room behind the reception.
Breakfast - they would not serve you on the day of arrival.... so hungry went to the supermarket opposite the hotel...well cheap! bottle water is cheaper than hotels....so stock up in your fridge provided in your room.
Food for vegetarian? well they call fish vegetarian..... if you do not see a vegetarian item then your stuffed.....they will not accomodate you ... however they provide fresh bread / baguette which are nice....
Vegetarian Food is: french fries, salad, pasta and tomato pasta sauce....and dessert / fresh fruit....however if your strict vegetarian then this is not the place for you as your not 100% sure its vegetarian as it does not state.
Bus is better than taxi.... No 5 and No 12.
English Pubs - they are pubs literally a minute walk on either side of the hotel.
Supermarket - opposite the hotel....open until 21.15 and closed Sundays.
visit the shopping mall and Carrefour Supermarket (duty free alcohol)...found it cheaper than airport dutyfree in London and Spain.... Number 12Bus will take you there.
Day Tour....we booked with Teletext... on the 1st floor is a tour rep room... Teletext will not provide a rep but we spoke to MyTravel Tour Rep who was very nice....we booked day trips with her...less hassle for us.
I never did the water park / theme park but heard it was very nice.... we did choc and shop....this is the Valor Choc Factory. They give you samples of the chocs and the chocs are very ummm nice....but I found it cheaper to buy in Carrefour. The Valor Choc Factory does Sugar Free chocs so buy it in the factory as no one else sells this...well I never found anyone who does.
Waterfall.....nice and relaxed....take your swim kit...do you remember the timotei shampoo advert? she washes her hair under a waterfall? well this is the one...
Hotel...... the entertainment......very LOUD..... You will not be able to sleep until midnight....its so loud...it feels your outside.... the songs I repeated everynight.... starts at 21.30 .... not good for kids or parents who wish to sleep...
Drinks..... my hot chocolate drink and orange juice was more expensive than my husbands alcohol... ???
Lifts..... from the ground floor very good service...from your room floor very slow...thank god I was on the 6th floor....so I walked down most of it...good exercise for pregnant person...but if your higher....well good luck
Panaromic Views - on Floor 43....very beautiful views....only 1 Euro if your a hotel guest or 5Euro if your outside... you show your hotel room card as proof.
1st Floor....opposite the tour rep room is a small lift...near the lift is a floor made of glass.... the glue or surface holding the floor is peeling and you can see the ground below you....oneday some one will fall and injure themself or die....I told the hotel this via the suggestion form....
Good Tip... top up your hotel card with money...like a pay as you go... you will get 15% discount when you buy food / drink from the hotel. If you don't get this then you pay the full price.
If you do not use your money when you depart you get the cash back...so your not really loosing out.
Safe Deposit - You have to pay for the service.... daily rate
Hotel Pool - bring your own basically. They do not provide it.
TV - Sky news and Euro News...only channel in english.... you have to pay for movies...the list is in the reception....I checked the list and they were boring movies..... stick to sky news lol
September Holiday - It rained with thunderstorms on the Tuesday.... Weather in general about 26.... not to hot...reasonable. You will need a cardigan / light jacket as it gets chilly in the evening.
All the best
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: August 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Nicola Skipsey - Wirral (69,65,60,45,34,5)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
Considering this hotel is supposed to be 4 star it leaves a lot to be desired.
When we booked the holiday we asked for a lower level room as we had a 5 year old & 2 pensioners who were not very good in lifts, we ended up on the 18th floor which the staff told us was classed as a lower floor!
As soon as we arrived we took the little one out onto the balcony so that he could see how high up we were & to warn him never to go out onto the balcony without one of us. We were shocked to find that the patio door did not even have a lock, so beware if you have kids with you. People we met around he pool told us they were on even higher floors than us so the staff do not consider ages when allocating rooms!
The week we were there was a spanish holiday so the hotel was overrun with spanish people who were very ignorant & didn't know the concept of queuing. They would push passed you to get in the lift & hold the lift door open for all of their family to pile in infront of you!
If you want a sunbed by the pool then you have to be up befoe 7am to put your towels on the sunbeds otherwise you've got no chance!!!!! You will probably find they have moved your beds along to fit theirs in the front row! They all then disappear for a siesta for a few hours so at least there is room in the pool.
If you have kids with you there is an amusement arcade by the pool which is air conditioned but make sure you've got plenty of euro's as the games seem to eat the money.
The entertainment was geared up for the spanish only so it wasn't worth putting yourself through the pain of sitting there but as the music was so loud you couldn't go to bed before midnight either.
On arrival we requested extra pillows for the 2 rooms we had, on the day we departed we still had not had the extra pillows despite asking at reception every day & the staff filling in a little slip to pass onto the cleaners. For a 4 star hotel this is terrible service.
The ceiling in the bathroom leaked from the floor above for the whole week we were there which was a health safety matter as te floor was soaking wet. It was reported to reception & they sent someone to look at it but was never fixed.
I can't call the food area a restaurant as it was worse than a caffeteria. It was like a free for all especially with the spanish taking over. All of the food was catered for them. We observed their methods of getting food & copied them after a couple days. If there are a few of you in a group it is best to split up & each person be responsible for different parts of the meal & split it as this is the only way to get a warm meal.
The don't even supply water on the table to have with your meal you have to buy this by the bottle. The nicest part of the food was the small cakes & ice cream which our little boy lived on because he wouldn't eat any of the other stuff.
The best part of this holiday was the great people that we met.
We have not been put off by this experience & we are going back to Benidorm next week but would never dream of staying in this hotel ever again!
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - August 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Heather & Graeme (21,22)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We booked this as a last minute deal from Direct Holidays, got a great deal! The reviews were mixed so we didn't know what to expect really. All we were looking for was somewhere in the sun with clean rooms and a nice view!
Before we left we requested a pool view and not too high up because we were worried we'd be stuck on the 42nd floor!
When we arrived the receptionist was very helpful, he pointed us in the direction of all the facilities and told us our room was ready, it was on the 1st floor of the smaller building. The room had patio doors that did not open because we were so low down, we looked out on to the roof of the bar below. It was 11pm when we arrived and entertainment was in full swing. We were very dissappointed with our room but we went straight back to reception and there was no problems what so ever to change the next again day! We were put on a room on the 9th floor, looking out on to the same bit, but a pool view! Rooms were clean, tidy and bathrooms were big. No complaints about the maid service or the cleanliness.
There are plenty lifs in the hotel but you may have to wait a while for them.
The food was good, I don't understand what people are complaining about, there was plenty of meat and fish and salads, bread, chips, pasta etc. wide choice!! The clientelle of the hotel is mainly Spanish, which was actually quite refreshing. The pool sunbeds are quite cramped in, shoulder to shoulder! The entertainment was Spanish again, but its only music to listen too! The other stage was young female dancers, much to the delight of my other half!! Entertainment was quite samey most nights but enjoyable all the same.
All drinks go up to 3.20 after 8.30pm, but the receptionist should tell you that you can put money on to your key-card and pay with this, saving 15% on all drinks, all day! Saves quite a bit of money and you get everything you don't spend back! No catches!
The bus runs 24 hours from outside the hotel, 1 Euro into town. The walk is quite long and not much to see on the way apart from the sea, but a leisurely walk all the same!
I would recommend this hotel and resort to anyone. If you want to be in the hustle and bustle of Benidorm then its not for you, if you want British food when you are on holiday then its not for you, but then you are in Spain after all!!!!!
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays July 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Peter Littlewood Worksop (42-40-7-1)
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
Don't arrive before 12 o'clock at the Grand Hotel Bali in the peak season, because you won't be allowed into your room. We arrived at 11.30 and the receptionist stated that our room wasn't ready and we should come back to reception around 1.00 pm. Great start to our holiday.
We had been up at 2.00 am that morning and just wanted to get to our room and unpack and hit the sunbeds. Eventually checked in. Our room was on the 27th floor, asked the receiptionist if we could have a room lower down, her reply was, "yes, but the room will be smaller". My reply was, " I'll stay on the 27th floor because 3 beds and a cot won't fit eaisly into a smaller room.
The view from the 27th floor of both bay's was excellent, If you are scared of hights, don't expect to use your balcony during your holiday.
Went to dinner that evening and thought it was a joke. Fish, Fish and more Fish. Don't get me wrong I like fish and spain has an excellent choice of fish, but, where are the steaks, chicken, pork, prawns being cooked on the grill or even in dishes with a sauce. All there was was a salad bar with those small fly's flying around the salad, basic bread rolls, pasta with 1 sauce, and a compressed chicken dish. One lot of veg. chips,burgers and potatoes. We thought the food may improve as the week went on, sorry to dissapoint you, it didn't. Breakfast was also poor. The Hotel state's that it is a 4 star, more like a 2 to 3 star where the food and roms are concerned.
The rooms was basic and the drains in the bathroom smelt. The room was quite dusty and I think the window cleaner only had a ladder that reached up to the second floor, because our windows were dirty. The pool was pleasant but everyone was packed around it shoulder to shoulder, the hotel hasn't got much space around it for guests. Same old story, crack of dawn, shoot down 27 floors grab your sunbeds or you will be laying on the concrete floor all day. Not much around the hotel, you can get bus to the old town out side the hotel and it's near to the shopping Mall.
Won't be recommending it to anyone and won't be going back.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours July 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Michael and Fay Docherty 48, 45
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Was'nt looking forward to holiday after reading reviews before we went, however had a great holiday. Hotel not tipical british more cosmopolitain. Food more for the spanish palate but we could always find something to eat.We found lunchtime menu better not as busy as the evening rush. Very busy hotel, can wait a while on a lift at busy times. Any problems were sorted straight away.Able to get a sleep at night no one running along corridors.
Entertainment is geard up for the spanish however good music was had when the young resident band play. The big blonde was not so hot.There are two stages one used for dancers who came on when the band were having a break from the other stage. Pools very clean with two lifegaurds.Great beaches and a lot quieter than Benidorm which suits us. Good local bus service at the side of the hotel running 24 hrs. Also a very good supermarket at the bottom of the road from main entrance. Found a great eating place called Simply The Best down towards cala de finistrat beach, the food is brilliant and the owners Garry and Carl from Wales make you feel at home as do the ex pats who frequent this resaurant. There hospitality made our holiday, Thanks guys.P.S have to mention Bryan the waiter who was run off his feet serving drinks.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - July 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Robert Waddell - Glasgow (45,45,16,14)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
The hotel is impressive from the outside and the reception area is equally so. We were in the smaller buiding and were on the 9th floor. My wife and i had a room facing the pool which had a balcony. My Daughters room was facing onto the front of the building, this room had no balcony with two sides of the room made up of floor to ceiling glass panels. This room was much larger than ours (four beds)so they were not concerned about not having a balcony. If you really want a balcony then it is better to inform the reception at check in rather than try to change the next day as some others did.The rooms were cleaned ever day along with the towels being changed. As has been said in another review there is a fridge which contains beer and soft drinks which would cost 1.5 Euros per can, all you need to do is go to the local supper market and replace what you have used leaving the fridge the way you found it.
The pool area is large with enough space for everyone.
There are two resturants,one on the ground level and one below. We found that the lower one was set out better and therefore was less congested when busy.
I have read other reviews about the food not being good this i totally disagree with. My two Daughters are the very difficult to please and they had no problems in finding things to eat.My wife and I found the food to be ok we also ate some things that we would not have at home and enjoyed it. After all is part of going abroad not to try something different.If you want good old fish and chips or bangers and mash then stay at home. There was on the odd occassion when i did find that some of the plates had not been cleaned properly.
The hotel entertainment was very "spanish" and yes the bar prices were a little high after a certain time but we only used the hotel for a couple of drinks at the end of the evening and the measures were more than triple what we normally receive back home.
With the hotel being so large and can be busy at times i feel that it lacked some of the personal touches than one would associate with a Four Star Hotel.
The Resort of La Cala is quiet with some Spanish/English bars and it also has a nice beach, if you want something more then Benidrom is only 1 Euro away on a short bus ride.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Teletext- july 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Mrs J Timmons
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I have just returned from 1 week at the Gran Hotel Bali on a half boardf basis. My family ( my husband, 2 teenage children and I) enjoyed our holiday but it was not without its fault.
The gran hotel bali is beautiful and very modern, everything glass and chrome. There are 2 panoramic lifts on te outside of the hotel, which speed up the 43 floors of the main building at high speed- very good fun, especially at night! There is a viewing point on the 45th floor of the hotel , which costs 1 euro for an adult staying in the hotel and under 12's are free. The view point is astonishing, very worth at least one visit.
The hotel is well equipped, boasting a large area with 2 lage pools and a fountain pool not for swimming in, but which has a bridge across it. The bars in the hotel are not paticularly cheap- under 2 euros for a soft drink or beer during the day, but after 8pm the minimum charge for anything, even water, is 3 euros 20! Across the road from the main entrance there is a supermarket which is better value 43 cents per can! It also stocks cheap crisps and snacks which are handy to take to the beach or pool with you.
The hotel has a large and impressive reception area, and upstairs you will find an internet cafe and a childrens playground, as well as a medical centre and a hairdresser -( there's a better hairdresser across the road from the supermarket- much better value)
The main building in the hotel has 43 guest floors, and the smaller 1 has 19, the top 1 being a beauty and fitness centre. All the rooms in both buildings facing the pool have balconies, but the ones on the other side do not. However, if you are in a room in the small building without a balcony, there are floor to ceiling tinted glass windows which make the room very bright and much bigger! All the rooms are immaculate, as can be said for the entire complex, from the toilets to the floors, everything is cleaned daily to a very high standard, and we never had any problems with cleanliness during our stay- our maid came all of the seven days and supplied us with everything we needed ( combs, shower caps, soap , shower gel, shampoo and plenty of towels are all provided!)
Our room had a seperate bedroom and plent of space, especially in the VERY large bathroom. The rooms are supplied with a minibar but you have to pay 1 euro fifty for everydrink you use- just buy from the supermarket and put them in the fridge!
Lifts are reliable and plentiful- there are lots in both buildings.
Staff in the hotel were generally pleasant apart from a few of the reception staff.
The 1 thing, however, that in its way 'spoiled' our stay at this luxurious hotel was the food. We are good eaters, but none of my family could find anything eatable at either breakfast or dinner, apart from bread rolls and lettuce- hardly a sufficient diet. Even the toasters at breakfast didn't work properly!
The meals seemed to mainly cater for the spanish- with a lot of seafood dishes- although even they smelt a bit off- to top things off- 90 percent of the food was cold!. The plates all seemed to be dirty and some even chipped or cracked.
The hotel itself is lovely, but I would definetely not reccommend it for its dining experiences. We, after a few days of what we reffered to as 'prison food' we began to venture out to get something proper to eat- there is a small bar across the road from the hotel that serves lovely ( and reasonable ) cheesburgers and toasties, as well as nice ice-creams!
However, if you want something more substantial go to Eddie and Rosies ( when you come out of the hotel turn right and go down the hill past the bus stop). Its a lovely English bar run by a friendly couple who serve up lovely English food from breakfasts to 3 course sunday roasts.
Opposite this is the beachfront that strectches right along into Benidorm centre- there are regular buses from outside the hotel for 1 euro that will take you as nfar as you want along the promenade, or right up into benidorm old town.
Benidorm itself is nothing special- a bit commercialised for our liking- but the beach was lovely.
One thing i would definetely strongly advise you to avoid totally- along one of the streets in Benidorm, you may be stopped by someone ( English) asking you to scratch off a scrathcard to reveal if you have won a prize. They also claim that there is going to be a beer and wine festival in Benidorm that night- but there's no such thing. If you do manage to be as 'lucky' as to scrape off 3 stars, you will be took to a small buyilding called inter-vacatons which they claim is an internet cafe but which is actually an office where you get sat down and they make you sit for nearly 2 hours and try to pressurise you into buying into a holidays club called VIP. trhese people are bad news- and the prizes they claim you have won do NOT exist! It;s best to steer clear of these people and don't give them any details!
In Benidorm you will also find McDonalds, Burger King and numeropus other shops and bars e.t.c
I also reccomend that you go right to the end of the promenade- there is a viwing point that you go down steps too- its painted white- and look over the whole of Benidorm. Its a great place to see how the very tall Gran Hotel Bali really imposes spectacularly in its surroundings!
Well -tats about all the advice you can need- great hotel, not so great food, nice beach and handy benidorm!!
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Globespan - June 06
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : J White - Glasgow (39, 36)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Great Hotel, lovely and clean, friendly staff. Food not great, however good selection of salads and fresh fruit, mainly fish orientated menu with some meat thrown in for good measure and although i like fish of all kinds i couldnt eat it every day!! We got fed up eating there by wednesday and started eating out after that.
Pool area nice and big, never felt crowded, plenty of loungers and shade. The spa on the 19th Floor is worth checking out spent half a day there, 7 euros for sauna/turkish bath and hot tubs, great views of the bays from up there.
Rooms spotlessly clean, cleaner came in every day, she was lovely, nice cheery nature. Air-Con, was a con, didnt give much relief from the heat which was unfortunate as it was unusually hot for the time of year, wouldnt fancy it in July or August considering it had hit 33 degrees mid week last week!! (17th-24th)
Regular buses into town, no's 5 and 12 take you there and back for 1 euro each way which is great considering a taxi each way is about 12 euros!!
Watch out for the scratch card guys, they want you to sign up for CD rom which allows you to log on to internet browser to book your own holidays, you go for what they say is 60-90 minutes presentation, worked out more like three hours!!!, bit expensive too, £1,850.00 for ten year package plus £50.00 membership per year, or £3,900 for life time plus the membership fee each year, never heard of these guys before so buyer beware, looks like a good idea, however they say it is internet based, had two or three p.c.'s in their offices but not one of them offered to demonstrate it!!! It might be interesting to hear from anyone who actually signed up for it and have had good experiences with them?????????
Hotel and La Cala area are ideal if you want a quiet relaxing holiday.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: flyglobespan May 2006
Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : Linda and Brian 31,54
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Had a ball here , came over for the Celtic convention and met up with other fans. Hotel is excellent and our room was in the older part of the hotel. Great pool and bar/snack facilities and a lovely bar inside. Food excellent and great service from all staff. Would go back for a few days but maybe not an extended stay due to the location of the hotle being a bit out of town, would recommend for families.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: teletex may 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Heather N.Ireland50,56,59,59,
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
After reading reveiws I was a bit worried about going to Gran Bali,but I needed have been.
The hotel was even nicer than I thought it would be .Large and small pools.No problem getting a sunbed and no having to put towels out.We found the Staff friendly , some don,t speak great english ,but always managed to say good morning etc to you . I really don,t know what some people complained about .We are people that like nice clean rooms and good food and going out for a drink at night.The only fault we found with the food was it was not very hot ,but loads of nice salad dishes and if you did,t get something to please you ,I think you must be very fussy.Bus just outside hotel goes to old and new town 1 euro each journey no problem ,you get back on bus where it leaves you off . Hero,s bar is great come out of hotel and just walk straight down road at side of supermarket to it .Staff are really friendly and good entertainment .5 mins walk downhill to beach a few shops and cafes at beach .
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Used 'On The Beach' website May 2006
Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Claire - North Wales (20, 21)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I stayed at the Bali in May 06 with my boyfriend.
As with a few of the recent reviews, I had read up on the hotel before we went and was worried about the standards. When we arrived the gentleman on the desk was extremely helpful and we requested a room high up with a sea view, they put us on the top floor of the smaller building, floor 18 and the view was AMAZING! Just to note - note all of the staff were as helpful as they could be (language barrier) but there was one fella with glasses so we made note to look out for when he was on reception.
THE ROOMS... were lovely and clean, a shower and a seperate bath again with a shower over it, plenty of room and storage, approx 8 drawers in total (inc bedside cabinets) and sliding wardrobes with hanging space (we had 8 hangers).
THE FOOD...It was OK, i'm quite fussy about my meats and thought they were all particularly fatty, I could not fault the breakfast selection, it made up for the evening meal (I would recommend going B & B), salad selection was excellent, hot dishes included pastas, hot meats, fish, chips, paella, 2 soups and all foods were topped up regularly.
ENTERTAINMENT.... we didn't stick around for this, it was catered for the spannish and drinks were a minimum of 3.20 euro after a certain time in the evening which would make it expensive if you were drinking water!
LOCATION... Approximately a 5 minute walk to the beach which was lovely & clean, you can pay for sunbeds at 3 euro each, the sea isn't rocky unlike the levante side. La Cala is sometimes called the 'upmarket' area of Benidorm and I believe its true, it was nice to not have hen/stag parties everywhere but plenty of bars dotted about.
BUS SERVICE... The bus service is absolutely excellent and a day didn't go by where we didnt use it. There is a number 5 bus which takes you to the old town and will drop you off close to the harbour and the number 12 bus can take you right to the other end of Levante but drop you off anywhere in between. It is 1 euro per person to go anywhere so you could even just get on the bus and do a round trip to discover some new places (cheaper than tours). Both of these buses pick up just round from the hotel entrance approx every 15 minutes so you never wait long.
AQUALANDIA & MUNDOMAR...If you want to go to Aqualandia or Mundomar they're on the opposite side of benidorm, it would cost 12 euro each way in a taxi, you can get the 12 bus to the bottom road in levante then the number 4 bus directly to the entrances to save money.
BENIDORM PALACE... If you're looking for a good night out I would definitely recommmend it, i was a bit reluctant when it came to paying 40 euro (without transport) but the show is amazing, a 4 course meal with a bottle of wine per couple and a bottle of cava, entertainment is great and we came away with some lovely pictures.
EATING CLOSE TO HOTEL... there is a very nice (and cheap) chinese restaurant about 5 minutes from the hotel, head for the bus stop/shops where they sell newspapers and turn left towards traffic lights (walk round a block of apartments) and cross the road, you can see it clearly. We liked a bar called Eddie's and Rosie's served up lovely british food, and english food, kingsmill bread, tetley tea and english bacon for the breakfasts
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: travel republic.co.uk - april 2006
Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Clare and Paul Turner - Berkshire
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
If you have read the previous alarming reviews on this hotel and are dreading going to this hotel, please don't, its fantastic! I booked to go over easter and then read the reviews on here and was not looking forward to going. I even thought about cancelling.
On arrival at theis 4 star hotel, we were greeted by the friendly receptionists. We were allocated a room in the smaller of the 2 buildings, the 17th floor! beleive me, thats high enough! The restaurants are of a high standard. There is a wide variety of food for 1 weeks stay, although i wouldnt stay for longer than this (purely as i like to sample local restaurants and feel the nightlife) The staff are pleasant. The maids are very accomadating (one even offered to come back later as we were feeling slightly worse for wear after a night out and didnt want our room cleaned at 10am, she came back after 1pm!)The beach is a short walk away.
If you are going out for the evening to the busy part of Benidorm, take a taxi, it will only cost 8 euros. Or walk along the beach during the day to the main part of Benidorm, its a beautiful walk and will only take an hour and its worth it.We went up in the glass lifts on our last day to see the fantstic views of the bay, this too is worth 1 euro. I can honestly say throughout our entire holiday i kept thinking about the reviews on here and i couldnt justify any of them.
So go and have a great time! I would go back!
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: March 2006
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Brian, Barbara, Noel and Rosemary (40s and 50s)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
The four of us went to Gran Bali for 1 week from 22nd March 2006, and were delighted with the hotel and Benidorm in general. Our friends had stayred in the hotel last year and raved about it so much when they came home, that we decided to go with them this year. We were not disappointed!
The hotel itself is very impressive and the rooms are spacious. They were cleaned every day and beds were changed twice during the week, with clean towels as often as necessary. We were on the 16th floor and had a great view of everything! Our room had a corner balcony which was a bit windy to say the least, but we went next door most nights, after coming in, and shared our friends' balcony which was much more sheltered.
The food in the reastaurant was plentiful and always varied, and was very tasty. It got quite busy at times, but the tables were cleared and re-set with clean cloths and cutlery very quickly, so everything kept moving well.
When we arrived the weather was quite dull, so we spent the first afternoon upstairs in the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, but after that the sun came out and we were able to go to the beach, and get out and about, and developed a good tan in the week we were there!
The main building has approximately 44 floors, and has an outside lift, which we went up in, to the roof. What a view!!
While we were there, there were 2 wedding parties on the Saturday evening and one of the entertainment bars was closed to the public to accommodate the wedding guests, but my friend and I enjoyed sitting, with a glass of wine, watching all the style, while our husbands went to the other bar, so everyone was happy!
There are a few bars and shops,and a good supermarket, in the surrounding area, but it only cost 6 euros to get a taxi into town where there is everything you could wish for on holiday! We strolled in along the beach a couple of times, and it only took about 45 minutes to get to Dove Park, which is quite central to everything. There is also a reliable and frequent bus service into town for about 1 euro, which we used as well.
All in all, we had a great holiday, and it didn't cost us a fortune, so we would have no qualms about going back in the future.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Independant - February 2006
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Penny Mills - Birmingham (50's)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Before going I read as many reviews of the hotel as I could find and was concerned about the conflicting reports, especially regarding the food. Why I worried I have no idea. There are two restaurants, both seating about 700 people but both are only open when necessary. The food is exactly the same in both. Breakfast consisted of juices, cereals, dried fruits, various breads, cheese, sliced meats as well as traditional cooked English breakfast items. Dinner was buffet style, with an extensive salad bar, at least 2 cooked meat, 2 fish and 1 pasta dishes plus an assortment of vegetables and potato dishes. There was also a griddle cooking area. In addition there were always 2 soups and a large range of desserts including Spanish pastries and cold desserts, ice cream, fresh fruit etc. The food trays were replenished well before they became empty and food was still being brought out 10 minutes before the sitting closed.
Two words of warning though, one about the hotel and the other about Benidorm itself - after a certain time (in Feb 06 it was 8.30pm) there is a minimum charge of 3.20 euros in all bars. This is a minimum charge per item, not per total bill so if you have children who may want soft drinks this could prove very expensive.
Many currency exchange bureaux have boards outside saying they give a certain rate for Notes. Beware - this is only if you change large amounts of currency otherwise the rate is very poor. I suggest you ask how much you will get for your sterling before handing it over. Alternative there is a bodega called The Wine Barrel just before the Hotel Don Pancho on the Ave Mediterranean. This is British owned and they give the rate advertised, regardless of amount changed.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours FEB 2006
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : DAVE TRACE STACE BRAD 44,42,15,8
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
After reading other reviews about this hotel we were a little apprensive but this was soon forgotten this hotel is not only impresive but a deserved 4 star.
we were on the 9 floor a good view and spacious room.
food is good quality and hot we were full board and always ate as soon as the restaurant opened you can also eat at the sister hotel on the front the SOLAMAR
but i would not recommend it.
all in all we had a fantastic week if you have booked this hotel and read other reviews on this site dont worry you wont be dissapointed.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: First Choice/Thomas Cook
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Angela and Angela (53&50)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Please be assured that this hotel is NOT 4* although rated as such.
The building itself is impressive and the reception area is very pleasant but that's about it.Our room was on the 30th floor and we had a fine view over Benidorm, however the room wasn't that clean and to be fair when we complained the cleaner immediately came to the room and flicked a duster around!
Reading through other people's reviews and their mentioning the rudeness of the hotel staff, please believe them. They had got it down to a fine art of making you feel that you are a burden to them, and we didn't bother them!
We went half board and if you prefer hot or even warm food, best you go B&B.Be prepared to queue for your tea or coffee at a machine at breakfast time, usually due to waiting for cups and don't be too disappointed if there isn't a table prepared for you to sit at. Don't whatever you do try and remove the dirty crockery from a table you wish to sit at, as the fierce waitress will give you a mouthful of Spanish expletives.
Must just mention, if you fancy a coffee in the hotel after 8pm, be aware that the price doubles. How's that for 4* service.
NO beach/pool towels provided.No tea making facilities in the room either.
La Cala is a very pleasant resort and the buses take you wherever you wish to go for 1 Euro. The Spanish have no concept of queuing so push in with the rest of them.
Please don't be fooled by the star rating and you can do better to book in to a hotel that makes you feel welcome and you don't feel that you need to keep your clothes in your suitcase.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: airtpours- Nov 2005
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : P Cavanagh- Doncaster (50,54)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Stayed at the Gran Bali and had a good time, the hotel just lacks a little on service in the dining rooms, apart from that the hotel was fine.Found a great bar called Heroes (150 yds from the hotel) A family run pub with sky football and good entertainment. they also do a mean Sunday lunch & English Fish & chips on Fridays. one or two other bars scattered around the area but not as friendly.
will definately go back next year.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Elaine - Liverpool (43,16,12)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We booked for the Hotel Gran Bali before reading the reviews and were dreading arriving. This hotel is impressive to look at, but the service and accommodation are poor to say the least. Staff are very unfriendly towards English and/or any other nationality apart from Spanish.
The hotel seems to have some sort of cult status with the Spanish people, and they come in their droves to photograph/film the exterior. The food was awful, dining room resembled a badly run canteen... always running out of cups, plates etc,. tables not cleared quickly resulting in people wandering around trying to find a table. We did this three times, walked out and went to the local chinese (which is excellent and good value for money). There is also a nice cafe called "Yagos" which serves food all day, nice croissants, french bread,pizza and sandwiches - staff are friendly. The hotel room did not look like anything on the hotel's website, although it was clean and the maid service was regular. The hotel claims to be 4*, and it certainly looks it - in my view the service and food = 3*. The resort itself is residential and much quieter than Levante Beach.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Independant - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Phil Burton
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Stayed in Gran Bali On 23 August 2005 for one week with wife and two children. Hotel was spotless, staff were very pleasant, if they didnt speak English they would get someone who did, food was fine, pool area was great, Which was a very pleasant surprise, after reading other reviews about this hotel which slagged it of. I dont know what some people want, the only two faults with this hotel, are waiting for the lifts, and the surrounding area, which is very quiet,and were not party animals. But Taxi's into Lavante are only 6 to 8 euro's (£5), all in all we had a great time in Benidorm, especially strolling along Lavante beach front of an evening, stopping for a drink while the kids played on the beach, some 4 to 5 yards opposite the bars, in full view
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Laura Adams - Northampton (43, 12)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I have read previous comments about the Bali from other visitors and have been rather surprised - as I was by comments made by some of the british staying in the hotel.
Yes - it has a predominantly Spanish clientelle. It is in Spain!!!!!!!!!! If you want British food, british pubs, british yob culture etc then either find a hotel near Levante beach (packed like sardines) or Blackpool! It really annoyed me how people critised everything all the time. What is the point of going abroad if you do not wish to experience their culture?
Our room was lovely (and quiet), even though we did not have a balcony. The air conditioning wasn't rationed - and hence on 24 hours a day. We had a mini bar and hairdrier (good tip - there is a supermarket across the road, buy cans and beer from there to stock in the mini-bar, much cheeper option). The towels were changed DAILY. We had clean sheets FOUR times in SIX days.The cleaners were ace and our room and bathroom were spotless. Not only did we have a shower over the bath, but a separate stand up shower that was brilliant (and didn't leak!).
There was entertainment every night and games etc for the children during the day. Plenty of free sunbeds etc and a good games room for older children.
No - the food isn't brilliant every night but there is always something for everyone - especially if you like fish.
I didn't buy lunch at all during the holiday - I just packed up from all the goodies available at breakfast.
TIP: This is one of 4 hotels in the group in Benidorm. If you book at the Bali Reception on the previous day, you can eat your evening meal in any of the other three hotels (all near the old town - very handy if you don't want to break a visit in the evening to return to the Bali to eat).
Beaches nearby: La Cala - a wonderful little cove (not packed) about a 10 minute walk, and Pontiente beach - also 10 minutes and not packed.
Things to do:
1. Mundomar - animal park - a good 4 hours entertainment, especially the dolphin show. You can take in your own food and drink.
(Can buy discounted tickets from Hotel Reception)
TIP: They sell tickets for the aquapark half-price.
2. Aqualandia - brilliant fun-packed day. Again you can take in your own food (the Spanish really know how to picnic in style!)
3 Terra Mitica - excellent theme park (Can buy discounted tickets from Hotel Reception). Try the rollercoasters - the bigger the ride, the shorter we found the queues!
Anyway, contrary to the other reviews we had a fantastic holiday and would definately go back.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Med Hotels.com - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : McGuinness, Monaghan, O'Donnell - England (50, 50, 51, 51, 36, 32, 11, 9, 7, 5)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
I would firstly like to say - I've read the reports and spent a good few weeks considering changing our destination. Secondly, it's now 11:30pm - at 11:30am today I was sat next to the pool at the Bali! In my opinion, this hotel has everything! The highest compliment I could pay our ten days spent there would be to say if we had never left the hotel, it would still be the best holiday I've ever had.
The food in either of the Bali's two large restaurants (breakfast, lunch and dinner) was varied and plentifull. Always well presented and well cooked. Yes - one or two of the dishes on offer where fish - but never the same thing twice - and always with four or five alternatives. Also - the half board option allows you to take breakfast and one other meal - so if you've planned a night out - have breakfast and lunch! (or ask the night before, and take a picnic to the beach!) Get the bus or a taxi to cala finnestrat - gorgeous beach (if you've been to Lanzarote - think the one behind the occidental grand teguise playa)
The rooms where cleaned daily and the cleaners where without exception happy to wait until you had left the room, or if you wanted to sit on the balcony with a beer and enjoy the view, that was fine too. The rooms had everything required, including free t.v. and hairdryer plus combs, soap, shower caps, shower gels, shampoo, tissues, clean towels, mini bar, and firm comfortable beds. Oh, and free, working air conditioning. The pool area was superb! including the hydrotherapy bits and the jaccuzzi, really really superb! The pool area snack bar served hot snacks and cold beer - enough said.
Finally, I just want to adress some of the previous moans - yes there were a lot of spanish people staying at the hotel - but it is (erm,...) in SPAIN??? The staff as with any big hotel will treat you as you treat them - manners and a bit of effort with language cost nothing. The room card you are given to use as a key also doubles as a way of paying for any of your drinks or snacks (you must activate it at reception first by placing some money on it) but then everytime you use it to buy something, you get 15% discount - just for using the card - magic!
I would definately recomend this hotel, and will be there again as soon as funds allow!
10 out of 10 - thank you Gran Hotel Bali for a great holiday!
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cooke - July 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Vinny Fitzpatrick - Male Trip 57, 50, 50,49
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
At first sight this hotel would appear to have everything.It is certainly impressive as you see it from almost anywhere in Benidorm. A trip to the viewing terrace via the outside glass lifts is a must, it is a sight to behold.Your first entry into the reception begins to give a feeling of unease as the staff spoke very poor English considering there were so many English guests and quite frankly they did not really seem very interested in their clientel. This sense pervaded the whole place but the bar staff could only be described as down-right ignorant verging on arrogant. A 4 star hotel that serves no more than 2 Star food at all sittings, really the food is atrocious and and consequently should never have gained 4 Star status. Having said that the rooms are spacious enough and clean with good bathroom facilitiesand regular cleaner visits.
This was our first time in Benidorm. It has a reputaion that it most certainly these days does not deserve. There is something for everyone and I would not hesitate in taking my wife there as well as booking next year for our "OLD GITS TOUR TRIP" but it wont be to the Gran Bali Hotel ever again!!!!
NB We Loved Benidorm
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: JULY 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : KEVIN london 40 38 15 16:(((((
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Be WARNED THIS IS A SPANISH HOTEL you will be the minority and treated as such .On first impressions this looked a good hotel,but you're soon disappointed,this is not A4* hotel,the hotel is very clean but its a very noisy hotel,you can hear everything,from scrapping chairs to the coming and goings outside your room,the rooms are not double glazed so you cannot drown out the awful music all day at full volume and I was on the TENTH FLOOR!!,
all the entertainment in the evening is spanish and the same every night, but this is an spanish hotel and you are let known in no uncertain terms,the staff can have an attitude problem,especially the older ones ,I found the younger staff more friendly.a simple question "why drinks go up in price at 22:30",(in day the price of a coke is 1.50 euro,this goes to 2.60euro)the guy serving me thought I was questioning his honesty and started to rant and rave away,and I still dont know why they increase their already expensive prices. All the treats are expensive so go to the supermarket to stock up on crisps,sweets and water.Dont buy to much as you have to wait for the lifts,which are soooo hot its unreal.
The swimming pool and surrounding area is very nice and really clean which is amazing if you see the amount of dirty people about,who cant be bothered to pick up their rubbish and the lifeguards are good,very observant,great if you have kids,on the down side all the spanish seem to smoke,so you are to far away from some nasty smoke.the toilets around the pool and in the hotel were well looked after and well stocked.
The food is like all mass produced food some edible some cr*p,all the puds are the same,but on the whole not to bad,Ive certainly had worst.
this area of Benidorm is very quiet,DEAD infact,so you have to go to the "NEW" town the taxis into the new town (where all the club n pubs for the young ones are) cost around 7.50 euro,if you get the number 5 bus to the old town and walk to the new bit is where all the nice tavernas ,pubs resturants are.a transfer from Alicante airport will cost 58.00 euro.
the saving grace is the beach and sea,FANTASTIC clean lovely sand and lovely warm clean sea,the sunbeds on the beach cost 3 euro each as does the umbrellas,and a nice couple of tavernas to eat and drink and a lovely snack shop with some great friendly staff(MADE A CHANGE!!)to get you nibbles are a 100m away.
On the whole I would not recommend this hotel its tall big deal so is a tree,at least you would get some sleep in a tree!!!!leave this hotel to the spanish,Ive been to Benidorm b4 and recommend the palm beach Hotel.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - june/July 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 51,19
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
After reading the reviews on this site we took note and went with an open mind.
Location - in a very quiet area with no life whatsoever. Be prepared to bus or taxi to any of the life in Benidorm and not only for night clubs & bars. Basically the Gran Hotel Bali is cheap and as such don't expect 4 star treatment it's like any inner city hotel, come and go but don't bother us. The hotel caters for mainly Spanish guests and as such the entertainment is very much geared towards that end, in the restaurant we were always waiting for a table,cutlery & crockery the food was ok as long as you liked 'fish', forget about the sunloungers at this time of the year unless you get up at dawn there is no chance whatsoever of getting one, they all had towels keeping them company...
Room was quite small with no balcony (we were in the smaller of the buildings) the air conditioning struggled to cope (temperatures in the mid 30's C) the room was a bit like a sauna, the maid kept unplugging the mini fridge which meant you never had a cold drink to come back to. I am struggling to find anything good to say about this hotel oh! the bathroom was good with both a bath and shower cubicle, but then you can't spend your holiday in there.
Overall I would not recommend hotel to anyone as it is not really geared to being a holiday hotel, more for the business community on a freebie. Couldn't wait to get home which is a shame to say about any holiday.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Planet Travel Direct - June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Nat (21)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just returned from a weeks stay at the Gran Hotel Bali (Half Board). Our first impressions were that it definitely looked good and looked up to the standard of a 4* hotel. However there were a few flaws that definitely let this hotel down.
When we arrived we were advised that the check in time for the room was not until 2pm which was a bit of a disappointment after traveling most of the morning a two hour wait in reception is the last thing you want to do on the first day of your holiday, so be aware you might have a wait as this was the case with most guests.
The food in the dinning room was such a let down. It was very bland and looked cheap, hardly any variety, the same starters and desserts every night and unless you like fish every night I would advise not to eat there, no choices for kids either. We ended up eating out most nights as we could not face the same bland food again and again.
The reception staff were most unhelpful on various occasions, a very ignorant attitude most times we approached them.
We were advised from the travel company this was a 5* hotel but after staying in a 5* hotel in Cyprus last year I could not even class the Gran Bali as a 3*. I do feel this is a great shame as this could be a very nice hotel if they changed a few things.
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours March 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : dave johnston belfast (59,57)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We are just back from a week in Hotel Gran Bali, benidorm.19/03/05 -26/03/05. this hotel is supposed to be 4 star but its not, we spent longer booking in than we did booking in at the airport, it was maddness seems a crowd of spanish were down for the weekend and they and the hotel staff thought it was thier right to walk in front of the british people, all communication was in spanish the menus and food were for the spanish the food was always cold in the bar after it went 8.30 pm the drinks doubled in price happy hour thier way and the entertainment was spanish.
all in all it is a lovely hotel but they need to change the reception staff, ignorant and surly.we would be unwilling to go back unless they changed thier attitudes.airtour reps were hard to come and may have become an endangered species,should be a prize for spotting one
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Gran Hotel Bali - La Cala - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Feb. 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Graham Ellidge-Blackpool. (66,64).
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
This was our second visit to this hotel and will probably be the last.
The Gran Hotel Bali is operating as a four star hotel, in our opinion it is more like a two star.The hotel is large and impressive and at first impression looks the part, but stay a fortnight here and and you will discover that first impressions can be misleading. The receptionists,where in the main, surly and not at all helpful.
The worst feature of our stay, was without doubt the junk that was on offer in the dining room purporting to be food. On our previous stay we had found the food,(whilst in no way outstanding), to be acceptable, but this garbage on this occasion was definately unacceptable. The only good thing in the restaurant was the staff who were hard working, friendly and very helpful. We wondered on many occasions what they felt about the so called food that was being left on the plates, when they cleared the tables.
The room we where allocated was on the 8th floor,in the smaller of the two buildings. The first week was relatively peaceful but the second week we had an aspiring clog dancer in the room above,who decided the best time to practise would be in the early hours of each morning. (Not the hotels fault, on this occasion).
Now we come to the weekend invasion of the Spanish nationals, who, judging by their numbers, definately have an higher opinion of this hotel than I do. They come in their droves to drool over this wonderful building and admire its impressive facade. The reception and dining room start taking on the appearance of a railway station at rush hour, this is no place for anyone of a faint heart or nervous disposition.
On this occasion a holiday remembered for all the wrong reasons. Not recommended at all.
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours feb 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Sarah & Joe - Glasgow ( 33,36)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just back from one week in benidorm. Stayed at the Grand Bali Hotel. Never a 5 star hotel.Staff very unfriendly,never spoke much english, very difficult to find out whats on and where, No welcome on first night .Drinks reasonable priced. Gym on 19th floor well worth a look . Gym and spa for 2 people £15,also £2 for locker which is none refundable, SHOCKING.
Food ok .
Service non existent.
Car Hire is very cheap £25 a day well worth it if u like exploring,In which u can book from hotel.
Plenty of places to see ,etc Gualest or Alicante.
More than enough pubs close to hotel,which are very cheap,Try Gins bar just round corner from hotel.
Very friendly,Good entertainment,Good food.
Whilst there weather was reasonable for time of year.
Buses very cheap 90cents to anywhere,Taxi ride about 6euro,
ENJOY
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) MyTravel-january 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : G MC CLEAVE -BELFAST
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
my wife and i along with my parents have just returned from a week in the hotel and all i can say is what a holiday everything was excellent ,food staff,rooms etc it was 5star all the way,the hotel is outside the main town so what!get a taxi 5 euros or bus no,s 5,12 for 80-cents into the middle of town,
the town itself is VERY cheap [WE HAD TO BUY 2 EXTRA CASES TO BRING HOME WHAT WE BOUGHT}the cost of leather shoes is unbelievable on avenue mediterano shoes for men,women ,kids as low as 3 euros and the wed market is even cheaper we would definitly go back ,the only drawback is we thought it was an adults holiday entertainment geared towards over 18 ,but an excellent place for a child free holiday{kids get enough anyway ,time for mum and dad to have a laugh}
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: med holidays - 2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : adam (48,43,20)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Hotel bali was very good,staff very polite,we checked in at 11.30 am with no problems.Bit out of the main entertainment areas but a taxi was 9 euros to the new town and the drink was very cheap £25 was enough for a good night out and a feed. Food in the bali was ok but not really to our taste but there are loads of places to eat in Benidorm all reasonably priced.The hotel was spotless and towels etc changed as often as you wanted,maids were polite and if you were in bed they would call later.
all in all a good holiday ,not 5 star but no complaints , we would go back again to the bali.We all speak a bit of Spanish and i think the staff appreciate a bit of effort,even a hola or gracias.
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Independent Travel booked with Hotelopia
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Ian & Mary 50, 52
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Stayed for 2 nights at this hotel and had an excellent time. Hotel service and food was very good. Staff very pleasant and helpfull.
Although hotel was very busy this did not affect the level of service.
Would certainly go back again
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: med hotels - Nov 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : bob lucas 46 jane walker 44
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
on staying at the gran bali ... one week from the 20th november until the 27th november 2004 .. .. the hotel itself is very modern and spacious ..the rooms of a good standard and cleanliness ... but im afraid that the staff are generally very unhelpful and not exactly cheerful .. the food absolutely rubbish ... if you dont like fish then im afraid you have not got much choice .. generally the same every day ... we chose to eat out even though we were on full board ..
we are generally easy pleased holidaygoers, but we feel this time that we needed to say something about this hotel .. as for our med hotel representatives im afraid that they are without the most unhelpful agents for their tour operators i have ever come across ..
the place itself is very quiet and very hilly so i think it wouldnt suit older couples .. would i recommend the resort .... yes but if you want lively entertainment its going to cost you a 5 euro taxi ride into the resort centre .. or im afraid there not much to do ..
would i recommend this hotel ... no ... we will not be going back and as for 4 star .. well the food is lucky if it gets two stars ......
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Orchid Travel/Thomson Holidays
flights - Oct 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : 59, 44, 17 & 16
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We went to the hotel gran bali 16/24th oct. full board for 1 week. We knew the hotel as we had stayed in this resort a couple of years ago. We were given 2 rooms in the smaller of the 2 buildings, on the 15th floor, which was great. Both rooms were really nice, with full bathrooms, 2 showers in each! Our daughthers had the room next to us, with 2 single beds, which was perfectly adequate, but we had a huge room with 4 beds! Hairdryers in all bathrooms, tv (ony english channels are sky news, cnn and eurosport though. You can pay for films in english. You can also hire a safety deposit box at very reasonable cost.
We had no complaints whatsoever with the hotel, the staff, the food or the services. Food was excellent, i think that if you can't find something you like here, you won't anywhere and you are just too fussy! This is a big complex, and very grand, lots of spanish guests in the hotel, but that didn't make any difference to us, the entertainment the week we were there was all in english, and was good. Local bus stops at end of the road and goes about every 15/20 mins to benidorm for 85 cents.
Finestrat is a nice little beach, with a pretty little village atmosphere, although there is lots of building of big hotels and apartments going on, i hope its not spoilt next time we go with over-building. I really have no complaints at all about this holiday, it cost us £249 each for full board for the week, with flights from our local airport (with meals).
Wish we were still there is all i can say!
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - Sept 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Sarah & Paul (34, 38)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We were an allocated on arrival with Airtours so were pleased with the hotel on arrival its very impressive. The hotel was clean and tidy and the bedroom was cleaned daily. The food was what you would expect in a holiday hotel not Gordon Ramsay but perfectly edible. This is not the place to go if you want Benidorm in all its entirety but we wanted a quiet week away in the sun and thats what we got. 31 degrees and sunny for the whole week in September what more could you ask for.
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Nick,Andy,Megan,Ben (37,37,7,3)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just returned from this hotel.Paid £1500 HB,AOA for the first 2 weeks in August.This is a great hotel.
The food was great,always a good selection and always well prepared.Okay it did get a bit boring after a while, but we always find that on holiday.
Staff were always very pleasant and polite,we always find a smile,a please and thankyou go a long way in a foreign country!
The rooms and hotel are spotless. We couldn't fault it.
The majority of guests were Spanish,so the entertainment wasn't quite what we were used to (lots of miming!)
According to locals Elton John has a penthouse apartment suite there.
The views from the top of the hotel are a must.
The beach was lovely and quite.
We stayed at Flamingo Oasis in Benidorm last year and would definately rate this hotel of a higher quality.
All in all this was a great holiday
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Imperial Holidays - April 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Brenda Kelsall, T . Brooks - Oldham (39, 31)
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
THE Gran Hotel Bali is situated at La Cala, about an hours walk from Lavante Beach. It is impressive on arrival, the decor is lovely, but the food and the entertainment showed what the real hotel was like - not very good at all.
The food was always cold and a lot of it was undercooked, although the plates were red hot!!It was disgusting and repetitive - by the third day we were both suffering ill effects,so we decided to eat out, especially when a waitress threw crumbs in my face and in my expensive drink of water!!
The entertainment is mostly spanish and our room didn't even have a balcony.The drinks are expensive, and don't expect a smile when you are served.
The only plus is the 24 hour reception.
Whilst we were there the weather was terrible, and there is nothing to do or anywhere to go in La Cala, so we had to keep getting the bus into Benidorm Centre, or resort to staying near the hotel and being bored sick.
I would not go again.
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Med Hotels - april 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Marie Wren
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
Gran Hotel Bali is listed as 4 star. Don't expect to get 4 star. Basically its big and it thinks that is good enough. Rooms ok. Food - rubbish, repetitive mush. Canteen style eating, with go to the bar and get your own drinks. Entertainment - non-existent.
Location - in a very quiet area with no life whatsoever. Be prepared to bus or taxi to any of the night life in Benidorm (and I am not just talking clubs). We were a family of 2 adults and 12 year old daughter and aside from a couple of small, quiet local bars there is nothing in the area. Basically the Gran Hotel Bali is cheap and you should expect cheap service and cheap food. Many much better 3 and 4 star hotels in Benidorm to choose from - even if you have to pay a little more it will be worth it.
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Freedom Flights-March 2004
Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Graham Ellidge-Blackpool 65,62.
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
After reading some of the reviews on "Holidays Uncovered" website, it was with some reservations that we booked a deal through teletext for a weeks stay at the Hotel Gran Bali.
To be honest I had read a lot of articles and seen pictures of this hotel and its appearance, so was not "blown away" on our arrival to see its size and impressive presence. We were accomodated on the fifth floor in the smaller of the two buildings.
The room was spacious, clean and well appointed, but like a lot of Spanish hotels was very noisy with disturbances from adjoining rooms at all hours.
Both my wife and myself found that the food on offer was plentiful,and with a wide choice available at all times.
The entertainment had definately a Spanish bias, (but after all the majority of guests where Spanish, so that was expected).
Within the second day of arrival we found, what was to be our favourite "locale", (where we visited each night of our weeks stay).
Harry & Carol who run "Heroes Sports & Cabaret Bar", (just a couple of hundred yards or so from Gran Bali), proved to be the friendliest and most likeable of hosts, you could ever wish to meet. The fact that we where treated like like long lost relatives will give you some idea of the warmth of the greeting we received. The entertainment at this venue is first class and well recommended.
The weather was not all it could have been, but in all honesty it didn't matter, we had a superb holiday and can't wait to go back to the Hotel Gran Bali and "Heroes".
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Gran Hotel Bali - Cala De Finistrat - Benidorm
Operator and Date: Teletext/Jetliner January 2004
Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : J & T (49, 50)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
This hotel is really something special from the outside, it dominates the skyline of Benidorm. The hotel itself though was fine and really didn't live up to its 4 Star rating. The room (we were in the smaller and older Building One) was reasonable but again short of the 4 Star rating. We asked to pay for Sky Movies (well its dark early) but after sometime were told it was "mechanically not so".
The food was pretty reasonable but very much the same each day and certainly not 4 Star nosh. You can however ask to use the other Hotels in the group in Benidorm for luch or diner if you can't be bothered trudging back to the Gran Bali, but need to book this in advance.
Free English papers are available at breakfast...if your quick..get there for about 8.40am or spend ?1.80 outside for each.
Weekends are a nightmare as loads of Spanish descended for a cheap weekend, was glad to see the back of them by Monday...buy hey I suppose you are in Spain and they have every right to be there. Seems the Gran Bali still has some local novelty value. Visit the observation deck on th