The Executive Suite at Okada Manila is a spacious retreat that exudes elegance. From the moment you step into the room, you are greeted by a tastefully decorated space adorned with modern furnishings and a soothing color palette. The well-appointed living area provides ample space for relaxation, whether you’re unwinding after a day of exploring or hosting a private gathering.

Check in

Originally we made the reservation for a junior suite. When we were checking in around 6 PM, we were told that all the junior suites were taken, and we were upgraded to a premier suite, but a smoking room. As we were traveling with a 7 year old child, we would much prefer a nonsmoking room, which was what we reserved at the first place. We asked the check-in staff to honor our original request, and explained our traveling with young. After a bit of back and forth, finally she checked with her manager, and 10 minutes later, she got us upgraded to a nonsmoking executive suite. It was a really nice surprise!

Okada Manila Executive Suite

Okada Manila consists of two main buildings, Pearl Wing and Coral Wing. Our executive suite is located in Pearl Wing, which is where the breakfast buffet restaurant located. It is a big plus for us, because we needed to have breakfast and check out early for our flight the next day.

Okada Manila executive suite consists of one bedroom, a separated dining room, a living room, a study room/office, a massage room, a kitchen (not for cooking), a bar and one and a half restrooms. The suite we were assigned to had a wrapped around balcony, with the view of city and the fountain.

Bedroom

There is a king size bed in the bedroom. Also, a separated sitting area with a round table and two chairs.

A flat screen TV is sitting on top of a dresser, where the safe is located at, in front of the bed.

All the lightings and the window curtains are controlled by buttons on the wall units, and also, can be controlled in an app on the tablets in the room.

The bedroom was a haven of comfort, featuring a king-sized bed adorned with high-quality linens. The bedding was incredibly comfortable, ensuring a restful night’s sleep. I appreciated the attention to detail, such as the dimmable lighting and the blackout curtains, which allowed me to create the perfect ambiance for relaxation.

There is a separated massage room adjoined to the bedroom with a massage bed inside.

Bathroom

The bathroom is huge! It has a big jacuzzi tub, a separated toilet room and shower room, double sinks, and even a semi walk-in closest.

One of the standout features of the suite was the luxurious bathroom. It boasted a deep soaking tub and a separate walk-in rain shower, both of which were perfect for unwinding. The marble finishes and upscale toiletries added a touch of luxury. I particularly enjoyed the bath products, which were fragrant and high-quality, making my bathing experience feel like a spa treatment.

Toilet seat has automatic cleaning and heating system.

The rain forest shower room has steps which allows you to sit on.

Living Room

The biggest side of the living room wall is the floor to celling windows. You can open one of the windows and step outside to be in the wrap around balcony, to enjoy the city and the fountain view. Standard amenities, like flat screen TV, sofa, chair, minibar…etc. are provided.

Office/Study Room

The separate office has a small desk and a sitting area with chairs and a table. Although we didn’t really use this room much, it would be very useful for guests who would work remotely.

Bar Area

There is a big bar right inside the main entry of the suite. There is a sink at the bar. Water and wine glasses are provided and stored in the bar dresser. Hot water boiler is provided for making coffee. Unfortunately there is no coffee maker. I found it a big let down for such a luxury room.

Fully stocked refrigerator is also located in the bar area.

Kitchen?

There is a room with a sink. Some might want to call it a kitchen, but I wouldn’t, because it doesn’t have any oven or cooking wares. I guess the purpose of this room is for dirty dishes, after hosting a party, maybe? Truly, who would want to cook while staying in this hotel with so many eating options downstairs?

Okada Manila Executive Suite – The Video Walk Though

Final Thoughts

Overall, my stay in the Executive Suite at Okada Manila was an unforgettable experience. The combination of luxury, comfort, and exceptional service made it a perfect getaway. Whether you’re looking for a romantic escape or a relaxing retreat, this suite offers everything you need for a memorable stay. I highly recommend Okada Manila to anyone seeking a top-tier experience in the heart of Manila. I left feeling refreshed, pampered, and eager to return for another luxurious escape.

Have not booked the room yet, be sure to visit our tips on maximizing savings on hotel bookings. After have the trip booked, you should consider getting a travel insurance policy to protect your vacation investment. Read our tips for choosing a right policy and filing a claim.

Fancy those lie-flat business class seats in the sky? They are not all that far from reach. Check out our business class deals blog area, where great deals are post almost every day, and no subscription needed! It doesn’t cost you a dime. Check it out!

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There are many different types of rooms in this all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta property. They are Meliá Garden View, Meliá Sea View, Family Room, Premium Ocean Front, Premium Meliá Garden View, Family Suite, Junior Suite Ocean View, Premium 1-Bedroom Suite Sea View, Premium 1-Bedroom Master Suite Garden View and finally, their largest suite, the Grand Suite.

Booking

There is only one Grand Suite in the entire Meliá Puerto Vallarta property. Perhaps because of this reason, you cannot book this suite via other online travel agents. It is only bookable directly from Melia.com or Meliá’s mobile app. Even though the Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite is its version of “presidential suite”, the rate is not so far out of reach like many others. We got our suite for 5 nights all-inclusive rate for under $1,700 including all fees and tax, for the summer of 2023.

Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite – The Suite

Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite measures 114 Mx2 in size. It consists of one bedroom, one dining room, one living room and three bathrooms. The décor is in simplistic Mexican style.

There are three doors as entrances for the suite; one door leads to the bedroom, one leads the dining room and one leads to the living room. Just inside of each entrance, there is a bathroom, for total of three bathrooms. Whole suite is equipped with individually adjustable central A/C unit, which is very strong in the hot summer days.

Bedroom

There is a king size bed in the bedroom. Also, there is a closest with safe and robes, and an LED TV with local channels. I did find HDMI connectors in the back of the TV, but, there is no free electric outlet near by for your devices.

There is a small refrigerator under the TV in the cabinet. It is stocked with few bottles of waters, soda and beers.

There is also a simple filter style coffee maker in the bedroom.

Bathroom

There are total three bathroom in the Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite. They all look the same, in size and orientation. All the electric outlets are equipped with the ones work for different regions. So, you don’t need to bring adaptors.

Instead of individually wrapped amenities, they use bottled shampoo, body wash, lotion and conditioner, fixed on the bathroom walls. There is no separated shower room, only bathtub. Water pressure is good. The towels provided are in good quality.

You wouldn’t feel the bathroom like the ones in a luxury hotel with fancy skincare products, but rather, simple, basic, clean and functional.

Living and Dining Rooms

There is a small round dining table and a bar in the dining room. There is no drink or liquor, only empty shelfs on the back of the bar.

Two pull out sofa beds are provided in the living room. Also, a big coffee table, lounge chair and LED TV are in the living room as well. All the furniture are clean, functional and well maintained.

Balcony

As Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite is the highest level suite, and the only one on the whole property, I was pretty surprised that it was not located at the corner of the building. Hence, even though there are three balconies, you do not get wrap around views. All three balconies are facing one side. Nonetheless, you will still get the stunning views of the property and the Puerto Vallarta coastline.

Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite – Extra Benefits

Based on what’s published on Melia’s website, what come with the suites are pretty basic, and mostly are described above already. The web site did monition “VIP attention”, which we did not feel treated differently than other guests. I did notice that there were two different colors of wristbands, and ours were silver. One of the servers in an a la carte restaurants did mention that with that wristband, we could order Patron tequila. However, we had seen quite a few people wearing silver wristbands. So, that was not exclusively for Grand Suite guests.

Based on the web site “Staying in this room allows access to priority reservations in the à la carte restaurants for dinner, for the Bali beds and spa services.” However, when I asked the dinner reservation staff about it, no one seemed to know what I was taking about, except one girl. She told me I could make “next day” reservation, instead of same day reservation like others. Still, I would need to go down to the desk every day to do so in person.

Another interesting statement they listed on their website for the Grand Suite: “The most colorful sunset from your private balcony with a drink in hand and a gentle sea breeze caressing your skin.” This is not really a true statement either. With the location the sun sets down, there is no way you can see the sunset from the balcony.

Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite – Video Walk Through

Bottomline

Even though Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite is the best suite you can get for Meliá Puerto Vallarta resort, and only one in the whole property, I wouldn’t use the word “luxury”, but “grand”, to describe it. It’s big, but everything is basic. It’s missing those detailed ingredients, like fancy amenities, personalized services and attentions, room services…etc., to be in the “luxury” category.

However, I wouldn’t hesitate to book it again, if I ever go back to the same resort. Why? I would because for the space you are getting with the price you are paying. With two pull out sofa beds, it’s perfect for a group of five or six. Get a few bottles of tequila, you and your friends/family can have the parties of your own in the suite, or, just unwind and rejuvenate like us.

Have not booked the room yet, be sure to visit our tips on maximizing savings on hotel bookings. After have the trip booked, you should consider getting a travel insurance policy to protect your vacation investment. Read our tips for choosing a right policy and filing a claim.

Fancy those lie-flat business class seats in the sky? They are not all that far from reach. Check out our business class deals blog area, where great deals are post almost every day, and no subscription needed! It doesn’t cost you a dime. Check it out!

The post Review: Meliá Puerto Vallarta Grand Suite – A Budget Friendly Grand Escape by the Sea appeared first on Best Bargain.

Embrace the Parade

The Madrid Gay Pride Parade is the heart and soul of the festivities. With its colorful floats, lively music, and exuberant participants, the parade creates an atmosphere of joy and celebration. Bring your kids and witness the spectacle as thousands of people gather to support LGBTQ+ rights. The parade route is family-friendly, ensuring a safe and inclusive experience for all attendees.

Participate in Family-Oriented Activities

Madrid Gay Pride offers a range of family-oriented activities that cater specifically to kids. Various cultural events, workshops, and performances take place throughout the week leading up to the parade. Kids can enjoy face painting, arts and crafts, storytelling, and interactive games, fostering a sense of inclusivity and acceptance. Also, there will be many stages setting up in various locations with music performances suitable for all ages.

Visit the Rainbow Market

Explore the vibrant Rainbow Market, a bustling marketplace filled with colorful stalls, food vendors, and entertainment options. Your kids will love browsing through a diverse range of products, sampling delicious treats, and engaging in fun activities. It’s an excellent opportunity to teach them about LGBTQ+ culture, history, and equality.

Experience Chueca Neighborhood

The Chueca neighborhood is the epicenter of Madrid Gay Pride and home to countless LGBTQ+-friendly establishments. It’s a great place to stroll around with your family, visit local shops, and enjoy delicious cuisine. The area is known for its welcoming atmosphere, making it an ideal destination for families during the festivities.

Ensure a Safe Environment

Madrid Gay Pride organizers prioritize the safety and well-being of all attendees, including families with children. Security measures are in place to ensure a comfortable experience. Moreover, Madrid is known for its progressive and open-minded attitude, which further contributes to a safe and accepting environment for everyone.

Other Kids Friendly Activities

You can also find many activities Madrid has to offer here.

How can you prepare for Madrid Gay Pride with kids?

To make the most of your experience at Madrid Gay Pride with kids, you should plan ahead and be prepared. Here are some tips:

1. Check the schedule of events and plan your itinerary in advance.
2. Bring comfortable clothes and shoes, as you’ll be walking and standing for long periods.
3. Bring snacks, water, and sunscreen, as well as a hat and sunglasses to protect your kids from the sun.
4. Bring a stroller or a carrier if your kids get tired or overwhelmed.
5. Teach your kids about diversity and inclusivity, and explain to them the importance of the event.
6. Keep your phone charged and have a meeting point in case you get separated from your kids.

Conclusion

Madrid Gay Pride is an extraordinary event that celebrates love, acceptance, and diversity. Families with kids are warmly welcomed and can enjoy a range of family-oriented activities and experiences. By attending the parade, participating in family-friendly events, and exploring the Chueca neighborhood, you can create lasting memories with your children, teaching them the values of love, equality, and inclusivity. Madrid Gay Pride is an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of differences and foster a brighter future for all.

Remember, as you plan your visit to Madrid Gay Pride with kids, prioritize their safety, and check the event’s official website for the latest updates and schedule. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey of love and acceptance at Madrid Gay Pride Parade!

Need to book a hotel? Make sure take a look of our tips on maximizing savings on hotel bookings.

Thinking about purchasing the travel insurance for a peace of mind when traveling internationally? Our tips how to to choose travel insurance policies and filing claims surely can help you a lot!

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Day 1: Opera House and Captain Cook’s hop-on-hop-off ferry

Start your first day in Sydney by heading straight to the iconic Opera House. Located in Circular Quay, it’s a stunning building that’s sure to impress everyone in your family. Take a guided tour of the Opera House and learn about its history and architecture. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a performance or show during your visit.

Next, head to the Circular Quay ferry terminal and hop on Captain Cook’s hop-on-hop-off ferry. This ferry service is a fantastic way to see the city from the water and to explore some of Sydney’s top attractions at your own pace. Hop off at Darling Harbour and check out the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, which is home to over 13,000 marine animals.

Day 2: Bondi Beach and Manly Beach

No visit to Sydney is complete without a trip to Bondi Beach. This world-famous beach is a favourite among locals and visitors alike, and it’s easy to see why. Spend the morning relaxing on the beach, playing in the surf, and soaking up the sun.

In the afternoon, take a ferry from Circular Quay to Manly Beach. This beach is known for its beautiful views and laid-back atmosphere. Walk along the Corso, a pedestrian mall that’s home to shops, restaurants, and cafes. Then, head to the beach and enjoy some time in the water or playing beach games.

Day 3: Harbour Bridge and Taronga Zoo

On your third day in Sydney, it’s time to tackle the Harbour Bridge. Take a walk across the bridge and enjoy the stunning views of the harbour and the city skyline. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even climb to the top of the bridge with BridgeClimb Sydney.

After your bridge walk, head to Taronga Zoo. This zoo is home to over 4,000 animals, including elephants, tigers, and koalas. Take a guided tour of the zoo or explore on your own. Kids will love the interactive exhibits and the chance to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s most iconic animals.

Day 4: Sydney Tower Eye and Opera Bar

On your final day in Sydney, head to the Sydney Tower Eye for some amazing views of the city. This observation deck is located in the heart of the city and offers panoramic views of the harbour, the Opera House, and the surrounding areas.

After your visit to the tower, head to the Opera Bar for a relaxing drink and some delicious food. This outdoor bar is located right on the water and offers stunning views of the Opera House and the harbour. It’s the perfect place to unwind and reflect on your time in Sydney.

Summary

In conclusion, a four-day trip to Sydney with kids can be an amazing experience filled with adventure, excitement, and relaxation. By following this itinerary and visiting the Opera House, taking a Captain Cook’s hop-on-hop-off ferry, exploring Bondi Beach and Manly Beach, walking across the Harbour Bridge, visiting Taronga Zoo, and enjoying the view from the Sydney Tower Eye and Opera Bar, you’ll be sure to have an unforgettable time in this beautiful city.

Need to book a hotel? Make sure take a look of our tips on maximizing savings on hotel bookings.

Thinking about purchasing the travel insurance for a peace of mind when traveling internationally? Our tips how to to choose travel insurance policies and filing claims surely can help you a lot!

The post Destination Guide: Exciting 4 Days in Sydney with Kids appeared first on Best Bargain.

Weather

The raining season, called Habagat, runs from June to October. We visited Boracay at the end of the January 2023. Unfortunately before we arrived, every weather forecast Website consistantly showed thunderstorms everyday! However, during our 4 days visiting, we got pretty much lucked out – mostly overcast with very few instances of light drizzles. The sun even peaked out a few times, with a beautiful sunset displayed!

Airport Transportation

We decided to pay for hotel’s airport transportation, and the price was only a little more than other airport transfer companies. Boracay (Caticlan) airport was a small airport. Once we stepped out of the baggage claim area, the Henann resort coordinator had our name on her list, and took us to one of their private van.

Without any waiting, the van took us to Henann resorts’ private ferry welcome center. There the lady helped us filled out the government’s necessary form, and took us to their private speed boat. It avoided waiting on the city ferry with all other general public.

Our luggage were carefully handled and riding with us all the way from the airport to the room after checking in. Highly recommend to use Henann resort’s transportation!

If don’t book the room directly on Henann’s website, you can reach out to them via reservations.hpm@henann.com to book for the airport transportation.

Overall feeing in the Henann Palm Beach resort direct pool access premier room

As soon as you open the door, a nice fragrant scent welcomes you. There was no mildew smell like lots of the pool access rooms in other hotels/resorts we had been to.

The room was nicely and tastefully decorated. The majority of the color used in the the room was light brown with some highlighted of darker brown wood furniture and blue tiles on wall. The wooden window panels gives the rooms some of the southern Asia beach house taste to the over all modem décor.

Sound Isolation

The room had pretty good sound isolation. We hardly heard anyone outside, except people talking and cleaning carts rolling outside the hallway. I guess that’s common issue for any hotels, as the sound comes in from under the door.

Size

The size of the Henann Palm Beach resort premier room with direct pool access was not that big. I would say it’s about 250 square feet. However the see through glass wall between bathroom and bedroom made the room feel bigger.

Bedding

There were two different bed types, either one king bed, or one queen with one single bed. As we were two adults and one 6 year old child, we requested and got a room with one queen and one single bed. The comforters, pillows and matress were soft and comfy. The comforters were thick and fluffy, not those thin blanket type.

Though. we felt the queen size bed seems to be a bit smaller than U.S. standard queen sized bed. It would be crowded for two plus sized adults.

The single bed is right next to the glass wall between bedroom and the bathroom, but not against it. We were able to push it against the wall to prevent our little one from rolling off the bed. We also used the back of the two chairs on the other side of the bed as bed rail.

Amenities

Once you walk in the door, you will see a card insert slot on the wall, which will trigger the electricity to turn on in the room, when the room key is inserted. A lot of hotels and resorts have this type of the feature to conserve the energy. Just keep this in mind, in case you want to leave your devices to be charged, while you are away.

Next to the key slot, there are two buttons on the wall. One is the indicator for not being disturbed, and the other is to indicate for room cleaning. Though, three out of the four days while we were out for lunch, we had the room cleaning indicator on, but still had to call for room cleaning after we returned from lunch. They did have someone to clean the room right after we called.

In the bedroom, there were a small round table with two chairs, and a big mirror on the desk side of the wall with another chair. Two built-in luggage stands were available for use. We used the round table for our third suitcase.

Depending on the seasons, Boracay can rain a lot. Two umbrellas were provided in the room for your conveniences.

A 40″ TV was mounted on the wall. TV channels consisted mostly local channels, with some English speaking channels, such as CNN, Discovery and History channels. HBO and Cinemax were also available. I did see the HDMI connectors were available on the TV. However, I did not try to hook up my Fire Stick, so I wasn’t sure if it’s working.

We were two adults and one child. They provided three bath towels, two bath ropes, three pool/beach towel cards for exchanging beach towels and three pairs of new flip flops to use.

Electric Outlets

There were many electric outlets through out the room. Worth noting that all the electric outlets were adapted with many different type of plugs for different regions, with 220v output. There was no direct USB port plug.

Air Conditioner

Air conditioner was a individual split unit. Hence you can adjust the temperature to your likes. The cold air was pretty strong, and running pretty quietly.

Drinking Water

The tap water in Boracay is NOT safe to drink. There was a drinking water dispenser outside next to the elevator. I have seen them refilling drinking water in the dispenser. So, it’s not just filtered tap water. An empty water jar was provided in each room. A small empty refrigerator and safe were provided for you to use.

Two set of the coffee cups, a water boiler and a few packages of instant coffee were provided in the room. However, we did not use them as their free breakfast buffet served pretty good coffee.

Bathroom

In the bathroom, there was a bathtub, shower room and a toilet. A set of standard bathroom amenities were provided, such as tooth brush, shaving kit, shower cap, cotton buds, body lotion and soaps. There were shampoo and conditioner dispensers mounted on the wall inside the shower room. A hair blower was also provided. The water pressure was strong in the shower room.

The wall between bedroom and the bathroom was a big see through glass. A roll-up shade was also installed, if you need to have some privacy for your bathroom time.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi was pretty strong through out the property. I could also get the signals when on the beach just outside of the hotel.

However, each room had its own login, and only up to three devices can be connected at once. You need to go through a process to completely disconnect a device, if you want to switch devices after three logins. On one of the connected device, go to “http://logout” to disconnect.

However, this process did not work for our iPads. Therefore we ended up calling the front desk, and they just did some magic on their end for us to login for more than three devices.

Direct Pool Access of Henann Palm Beach Resort Premier Room

The main sale point of the Henann Palm Beach resort premier room with direct pool access is its easy accessibility to the pool. After walk out the glass door, you get a small private porch with a round table and two chairs, and there are steps on the porch for you to walk directly into the pool. Also a wet cloth hanger is provided so you don’t need to hang the wet swimming wears on the chairs.

There were two main pools on the ground level, which were surrounded by the premier rooms with direct pool access. One pool had swim up bar, and the other one did not. If you want to be away from the noisy bar, you might want to request a room in the pool without the swim up bar. Although, there was hardly anyone in the pool because of the freezing cold pool water. Both pools were pretty quiet.

We were assigned to room 112. which was next to the corner room. Personally I think these are the best rooms, as it is facing to a wall, which gives you a little bit of privacy. Yet, once you step onto the porch, you still get the view of whole pool. On the other hand, the corner room has largest private porch, as it also has additional space for two pool chairs. However, one could feel claustrophobic with all the walls around it.

Pool Water NOT heated!

One thing to note, the pool is NOT heated. We were there at the end of the January, and the pool water was freezing cold. It was even colder than the ocean water. Staying in the primer room with direct pool access, not even once we used the pool during our 4 day visit. We had seen hardly anyone in any of the pools during our stay.

Freezing cold pool water was the one biggest complaint we had. Especially, summer months are raining season there in Boracay. Lots of visitors would come during the winter months. They really should install the heater for the pool water so guests can enjoy their beautiful pools all year around.

Sky Pool

There was a small pool located on second floor bar area looking out to the ocean, called Sky Pool. Unfortunately the view to the ocean was mostly blocked by the palm trees on the beach. Nonetheless, it was still a beautiful pool to hang out, with a beer or cocktail in hand.

Bottom-line

Henann Palm Beach Resort is certainly a beautiful property and a good choice for visiting Boracay. Its premier room with direct pool access is definitely a way to go, if you are planning on spending good a mount of time in their beautiful pools, and who wouldn’t? However, during the winter season plus overcast/rainy weather, the freezing cold pool water would make such direct pool access room less useful.

Still, it would be hard to know for sure if the sun will come out to heat up the pools during your stay. Also, the beautiful pool view from the private porch is still making the Henann Palm Beach resort premier room with direct pool access worth a little bit of extra bucks, if you do decide to stay at the Henann Palm Beach Resort.

Have not booked the room yet, be sure to visit our tips on maximizing savings on hotel bookings. With my experiences, booking site Agoda.com provides very good rates for the hotels in the Asia region, possibly because the company is based in Singapore. You can search the their rates here!

After have the trip booked, you should consider getting a travel insurance policy to protect your vacation investment. Read our tips for choosing a right policy and filing a claim.

The post Review: Henann Palm Beach Resort Premier Room with Direct Pool Access appeared first on Best Bargain.

It reminded me of Waikiki in Hawaii. Then once I zoomed into the boardwalk and saw restaurants, clubs and bars, one after the other, it brought to mind South Beach in Miami.

This resort town may traditionally be known for its long, sandy beach and packed nightlife scene, but dig a little deeper and visitors can get a true sense of Spanish culture during a visit to this Costa Blanca resort town.

You will easily find authentic Spanish tapas in old town, lively party scenes at the bars and clubs along the beach boardwalk after dark, that appeal to younger visitors, while the resorts and amusement parks slightly more inland are better suited for families with children.

Stay

There are many hotels and resorts that cater to different styles and needs. You can read this article about how to maximize saving, when booking the accommodations. We wanted to have a separate bedroom for our son, a front unobstructed ocean view, and most importantly it needed to fit our budget, so we opted for an Airbnb.

We found this small 2 bedroom condo right on the boardwalk of the most famous Levante beach, with wrap around view of both beach front and the mountain in the back. It had the most breathtaking view of any accommodation we’ve had so far.

Because it is on the beach, we ended up taking our son to play on the beach everyday. If you are more of a pool kind of person, there are plenty of resorts with big pools to choose from as well.

Food

Just like most other cities in Spain, you are going find most of the restaurants serve tapas, grilled meats and seafood. You can also easily find kid favorites, like hamburgers, pasta and pizzas.

If you stay in the Levante beach area like us, this place called “El Galeon” on Avenida del Doctor Orts Llorca, became our “go to” place, when we didn’t feel like searching for a place to eat. It is right around the corner from the beach walk. It serves traditional Spanish grill dishes, and also has live guitar and singing in the evening. Most importantly, it serves the salted grilled baby octopus I couldn’t find else where!

There is not a big Chinese population nor visitors in Benidorm. So, if you are looking for a Chinese restaurant, it might be challenging. It just so happened that next door to the El Galeon is a pretty authentic Chinese owned, Chinese restaurant, called Restraurante Chino Dafa (大發酒家). It’s not Chinatown authentic, but it’s still pretty good compared to other Chinese restaurants we’ve visited in other Spanish cities.

If you feel like having a night out for real authentic Spanish tapas (really, who wouldn’t when you are there?), head over to Old Town, where you will find tapa restaurants one next to the other with outdoor seating. The best starting point would be at the corner of Pl. de la Constitucio & C. Jose Martinez Oriola. You can use Google map to pin point “Marrs Bar Benidorm”. Once you are there, you will see lots of bars and restaurants on small tiny streets.

When visiting Benidorm with kids, sometimes you just need to keep the little ones happy on their meals, before the grown ups can enjoy yours. So, we have to mention that there is a Mc Donald on Av. del Mediterranean in Levante beach just right about running into old town area. Usually before we heading over to old town enjoying our tapa dinners, we would stop over this Mc Donald to let our son have his early dinner. Unfortunately, he was not a 6 year old tapa lover

When visiting Benidorm with kids, you have to try their ice cream shops a few times! There are many ice cream parlors on the streets closed to the beach or on the beach walk. We loved to stop by one of them after dinner on the way back to the condo, and try a few from 30 to 50 different flavors of ice creams. One flavor I would not recommend though, which is black charcoal ice cream. There might be some people like it, but just not our cup of tea.

Things to Do

Beach

When visiting Benidorm with kids, it is easy to keep them entertained with all the beautiful sandy beaches. There are many beaches in Benidorm. Levante beach is the most popular, packed with bars and restaurants on the beach walk. It also is the Central beach of Benidorm. It is the second largest beach in Benidorm, its length is slightly over two kilometers.

As our accommodation was in the center of Levante beach on the beach walk, we went there every day to enjoy calm waves and warm sand. You can rent beach umbrellas and chairs, but we brought our own, as our Airbnb host provided a few. Our son enjoyed playing in the sand and chasing waves.

On the promenade along the sea front, there are an abundance of cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants, most of them from early morning until late at night came the music, and idle youth fun lights with a glass of beer or cocktail in hand.

At the night time, Levante beach turns into parties. It is the main nightlife beach area of the Costa Blanca.

Amusement Park

Visiting Benidorm with kids is a perfect holiday choice as there are many amusement parks in town. They are more of smaller scales of amusement parks you would see in Orland, Florida. As we did not visit any of them, I cannot really drill into much details. Listing here for your references:

• Terra Mitica – Discover ancient Mediterranean civilizations and be blown away by the rides. Egypt, Greece, Rome, Iberia and the Islands! There are rides, pools and shows.
• Aqualandia – Water park. Slides, pools and games for kids are the main features of this aquatic park covering 150,000 square metres, featuring 17 different rides.
• Mundomar – This is a bit like Sea World. It’s a a park with exotic and marine animals, covering 60,000 square metres, complete with tropical vegetation, large waterfalls, caverns and rustic buildings.
• Terra Natura – A spectacular park offering visitors the chance to immerse themselves in the world of a zoo. It consists of four areas: Pangea, America, Europe and Asia.

Walk Around Town

We enjoy walking around town in Benidorm. Our typical day started with breakfast in the condo with breathtaking ocean view and breeze. Headed over to the beach across the boardwalk, after lunch. Sometimes had lunch on the beach. Came back to condo to clean up late in the afternoon. Had a nice walk on the Levante beach walk, and also, the pedestrian only roads in the area where Levante beach meets old town, where you can find many shops and outdoor café and restaurants. We then slowly ended up in old town around dinner time, ready for some yummy tapas!

Biking/Electric Skateboarding/Electric Car

If walking is not your thing, you can try biking or even electric skateboarding. There are many bike and electric skateboarding rental shops around town where you can rent the equipment for reasonable rates. For toddlers 5 year old or less, we found this place called iGOO on Av. Bilbao renting electric car for kids. My son had a blast slowly cruising the beach walk back and forth.

Overall

Benidorm, a Costa Blanca resort town on Mediterranean Sea, offers beautiful weather all year long. It’s a lesser known vacation destination to most of America and Asia side of worlds, but offers many different styles of attractions for different types of visitors. It is the city with the highest number of inhabitants and is the touristic capital of the province. Popularly known as New York of the Mediterranean, because it comes second as the city with the most skyscrapers per square meter. It’s unique combinations of high rises and the coastline makes a perfect postcard shot from any angle. It had became one of our favorite city to visit in Europe.

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