Playa means beach, but the town is called Albir Playa, and this hotel is not on the beach, about half a mile inland. Having got that out of the way, we thought it a good place, especially if touring with a car. Albir is a few miles from Benidorm and quiet, though has all the tourist facilities, restaurants bars etc. Hotel very smart, efficient reception, we didn't like room allocated (personal decision, nothing wrong with it), rapidly moved. Large bedrooms, well furnished, large balconies. Breakfast buffet good choice and changed through the week, a bit crowded at times. Other meals buffet style also, didn't sample, good value meals five minutes walk away. Pool area good plenty loungers, pool bar not open April but main bar convenient for poolside. Car parking underground very expensive, even receptionist said not to bother, street parking OK.

this is a truly well run hotel, we really enjoyed staying here the reception was beautiful and they helped us if we needed and spoke good english. The hotel is modern very clean and stylish large open spaces for relaxing, The restaurant was amazing very good food we ate very well indeed with a great varied buffet every day i really loved the lamb shanks they were yummy, different styles of potato every night and veg also great seafood selection on friday nights, salads rice pasta you name it we tried it all. The dessert section was very good cakes, ice creams, fresh fruits, cheeses, pate, we so loved the food and the kids had there own section as well which was good. Breakfast had every thing you could think of and of course the fry up if you wanted with english sausages, omlettes, pastries fresh bread, fresh juices it was all yummy. The rooms are of a good size with large balconies with great views of the mountains all around, free toiletries in room even toothbrushes and toothpaste, maid service was good we stayed in room 201 and had a lovely view towards benidorm you can see the tall hotels in the distance. The pool area is one of the best i have seen its really beautiful with a cascade waterfall into the pool, childrens park exercise equipment at pool side handy to work of the dinners, plenty sunloungers. There was a wedding while we were there and the hotel made the pool area really beautiful it was great to watch i cannot reccomend this hotel enough it was great and i would defintley return to the albir playa if you go here relax and ENJOY.

I loved this hotel! the location was perfect - near some lovely resturants (if you are planning on going then you MUST visit the Japanese resturant - its amazing!! well worth the money!) The hotel is very clean and modern - the pool is lovely and the rooms are basic but clean and nice, all with balcony's wich are quite spacious. We had a pool view room which we requested when we booked and the view was stunning! mountains and trees and a bit of the sea - spectacular! The area is lovely too - quiet and clean and the people are friendly enough. just a short bus ride away from Benidorm, although i hated it there - felt dirty and loud and filled with tall ugly buildings - completely the opposite of where we stayed. They had some nice little pubs, including English and Irish bars! Brilliant! would definetely reccommend - we only went for 4 nights but wished we had longer there. very relaxing and perfect for a couple's holiday!

We have just returned (May 2008)from the Albir Playa and would like to report on what a lovely hotel this is. Perhaps not for teenagers but for older couples and families with small children. The dining room and food were excellent and the bedrooms very clean and quiet. Pool area very relaxing. The resort is small but enough bars and restaurants(noticed a few Chinese and Indian restaurants) and a nice promenade. Easy to get into Benidorm by taxi 9 euros or bus (service about every 20 minutes)1.40 euros. Drinks prices in hotel also reasonable considering it a 4 star. Coffee 1.40euros soft drinks and small beers 1.80 euros. Overall very good holiday. would recommend.

We have stayed at this hotel now on six occasions with our seventh visit approaching this June! we have always had a great time each visit, we have stayed half board, but we do prefer to dine out at one of the numerous restaurantes within Albir, but the food has always been very good with an excellent choice. We have found the staff to be friendly & helpful at all times. the hotel is well presented in a fresh modern style & exceptionally clean at all times. The beach is only a five minute walk & all facilities can be found within Albir, (even two newsagents on the main street as you walk down to the beach!) The new Spa facilities open this month within the hotel, so cant wait to try it out! This resort is very clean & well maintained, nothing at all like Benidorm, much classier & more peaceful to say the least! We are very lucky though, we only live an hour away & its a great place for a break not too far away from home!

Amazing hotel, which was renovated a year ago. For those who have a bit of quality needs, this is the one. Rooms are very clean and really nice. We loved the colors they used. Staff in the hotel were always smiling and very helpful. The food choice for breakfast was great, as well as for lunch. You can have buffet lunch for just 17EU but you can also find other restaurants in the surrounding. A recommended restaurant is the Japanese one located in a walking distance to the beach. The hotel is a 15 min walk from the beach. You can also rent a bike if you feel like. We stayed mostly all the time at the hotel pool cause it was a bit cold for us at this time of the year to swim. They have a great pool outside and a spa which will be ready soon. A really great experience for young people, with kids as well. Very romantic.

I stayed at this hotel early March for 4 nights. As a lone female I was looking for safe, secure, clean hotel to stay in.The Hotel went beyond my expectations. The staff were very friendly and efficient. The layout of the hotel is very modern and clean. It is a very big hotel, but doesnt feel like it and has quite a intimate atmosphere. Check in was very smooth with no problems.There are two lifts that have windows looking out to the outside and one internal lift. Lovely decorated hall ways. My room had two single beds and large wardrobe with plenty of hangers and also a safe. There was a 28" tv with lots of spanish programmes but also with Sky news 24. There was a fridge, good for storing water etc and also a radio withe speakers not only in the bedroom, but also in the bathroom. The bathrroom was very spacious, adjustable shower in the bath, big sink with lots of room around it to put my bathroom stuff.A toilet and also a bidet. I had a balcony with a table and 2 plastic chairs, this looked out on to the swimming pool area, which although looked very nice I didnt visit due to the weather not being to warm.I was situated on the 2nd floor so had the benefit of also having the most wonderful view of the mountains as well. Self controlled heating/air con which all worked great. I only ate in the restaurant for breakfast, which was very lavish, with a lot of choice for all, including cooked on the spot foods. All in all i would recommend this hotel, the prices are very good at this time of year. The only problem I encountered and also this seemed to affect a few other guests (I overheard them in reception) was the promise of free wireless internet access.This is one of the reasons I booked here.I could not get access, went to reception for help, a technician came out, he got me online, but as soon as I got back to my room, it stopped working again! I ended up finding a large internet cafe just 3 minutes walk up on the left hand side of the Avenida del albir which had approx 12 pc's and was open all day, from early on to at least 9pm. Internet here very cheap and also they had webcams and headsets to utilise skype etc.

We have just returned from a week at this hotel This is a 4-star hotel and fits the description, the service and food were everything we expected. The rooms were large and spacious and although it was a big hotel it was quiet and we were both able to get a good night's sleep every night. There was entertainment provided but I cannot comment on that as it is not something we were particularly interested in. The hotel was mostly used by Spanish, Dutch and German customers which for us was also a strong point in its favour as there was no rowdy British element. Although the location is only 10km from Benidorm you would not think so. Albir is a quiet town. The only criticisms I would make are the views from the room were not particularly wonderful (ours overlooked the Lidl car park) and the walk was not five minutes to the beach as was suggested it was more like 10-15 minutes. The pool was out of action for much of our stay but this was due to the flooding that the whole area experienced a few days before our arrival and cannot be blamed on the managemement.

I will get the moans out of the way first. We booked a late holiday at this hotel on line through Travel Republic. The only downside to the holiday was the airport transfer that we booked with them. Be awair that if you use a coach transfer to this hotel they will drop everyone else off who is stopping in Benidorm first. Taxi transfer takes about 45 min. Our coach transfer took 3 hours and the return was made even worse because they picked us up at 2.15 pm. We arrived at the airport at 3.30 pm, only problem was our flight was not until 7.05 pm and we could not even check our bags in until after 5.0 pm. The only bad thing about the hotel is the lack of entertainment at night. Saturday night is good,all you can expect the rest of the week is disco music,line dancing and the occasional quiz.. Albir is an upper class mainly residential resort not a bit like Benidorm (thank god). No larger louts,no high rise buildings.It has a good shopping center and lots of small friendly bars and cafes.The beach is about a 15 min walk from the hotel and mainly shingel, probably not best suited for young children. If you want some disco dancing and night life the bus is every 30min and 1 euro to Benidorm or Altea. The hotel is one of the cleanest I have ever stopped in. It is spotless they never seem to stop cleaning floors and windows. The maid service is first class and would put some 5 star hotels to shame. The only thing that lets the room down is that the only English channels on T.V are Euro sport or CNN and there is no D.V.D player. There is also no tea or coffe making facilaties but we always take our own with us anyway. The food is excellent, fresh,hot and something to suit all tasts.If you like fish and prawns Friday night is a gastronomic delight. But don't worry if you do not like fish they still have a choice of meat dishes or vegaterian. The pool is not large but adequate for the amount of guests and you do not have to dash down to book a sunbed there are plenty to go around.You can get towles to use around the pool from reception 10 euro deposit. Apart from one barman (the tall one with glasses) all of the staff are very friendly and helpful and there is no preferential treatment towards the Spanish guests. Most of the staff speak good English but if you wish to try out your Spanish they are happy to help you with prenounciation or teach you new words. We really enjoyed our stay at this hotel and will probably return next year. But next time I will hire a car. It is a lovely area and we are looking forward to exploring some of the local villages.

This hotel is clean and serves it's purpose, far from glorious but nice enough. In a great location and a nice pool area. Breakfast was a bit of a fight with people banging into you and of average standard, but general amenities were pretty good. Albir itself is lovely, very quaint with a nice array of restaurants and bars swirling into the rock face on the sea front. Definately a must - don't be put off by it's proximity to Bendorm - This is a completely different world altogether. For the price we paid for this hotel - it was excellent.

The hotel was fantastic, simple as that. It is very modern and it couldnt be cleaner. There are 200 rooms in the hotel and it was booked out when i was there. Despite this there was loads of room at the pool with lots of free sun loungers and the restaurant always had free space. The Breakfast was delicious at all times however the evening meal was not so good. More like canteen food. In one week I only ate twice in it. This may have been more to the fact that there are so many reasonably priced restauants very close, that offered great food. It is five minutes from the beach, one straight road( check google earth). It is a quite area and a quiet town but if you want to go mad just hop on the number 10 bus and twenty minutes down the road is Benidorm, It only costs one euro. About 70% of the guests were spanish and employees did not speak great english, although i'm not fantastic at it myself. To finalise, if you've booked this hotel your in for a treat, and if you haven't I would recommend it to fanilies and couples alike.

My husband went this year for a week and booked it because it was 4* and maybe we expected more. The rooms were quite large and clean. Only 1 english channel on the TV though, mainly spanish and german. We had a pool view which was very nice. The food was okay and plenty of it, we especially liked the night when all the different prawns, lobster etc were on the menu. Restaurant staff were very pleasant, except when I tried to speak to them in spanish they would only answer in english, guess they wanted to practice. We did think the restaurant was a bit dangerous as there were lots of children running about and there could have been an accident with hot food. The entertainment was terrible, wonder how much they paid their 2 entertainment staff. All of a sudden they moved it outside and there was never enough seats to sit on, so if you wanted to see a show, (limited) you had to stand. Albir is lovely, really laid back and not at all like Benidorm. Pebble beach is okay, no sand in your sandwiches, ha ha. Really liked the place, would go again but would not stay at Albir Playa. Only problem we could only find one newsagents in the whole resort. Of course things are expensive, like drinks etc., but then it is everywhere you go.

I booked this hotel direct via the XL website and got a great price. I wanted to go to this area so I could take my son to the Terra Mitica Theme park, but the thought of benidorm turned my blood cold. benidorm has always seemed too busy for me, and this hotel was nicely placed about 6k north. We arrived very late (after midnight) and desperately needed a drink, so we were pleased to be told that the main bar was open till 3am! Don't worry, the main entertainment stops at 12 so it isn't noisy enough to disturb your sleep. Some reviewers have said that you only get a pool view if you are Spanish, I can assure you this is not the case as we got one - the room was nicely furnished and was roomy for 2, but with the sofa bed set up for my son it was a bit cramped. The pool area was lovely. Again there have been complaints that there aren't enough parasols - there are about 6 massive ones, but the pool is surrounded by palm trees which give plenty of shade. The only draw back is that many of the other Europeans do get sun beds reserved before 8am so the best ones were always gone, but there were plenty and staff would always bring out more if you wanted to find a spot together. Towels are available to hire at reception just for the pool area so you don't need to take your own. Breakfasts were excellent with plenty of choice and a chef was cooking omelettes to order each day. There was the usual hot and cold biffets, cakes, bread and cheese, cereals, etc and the hot food varied each day. This hotel is about 5 minutes walk from the beach (or 15 minutes if you don't know the short cut - I looked on Google earth!) and busses stop close by. Each journey costs 1 euro it seemed! - we took the bus in to benidorm and I was glad I hadn't booked there as it's not for me. In the other direction is a town called Altea which has a very pretty harbour and has a great market on a Tuesday. I would recommend this hotel if you don't want the bustle of benidorm, and it's a very friendly hotel - the staff were always very polite and were happy to help - there aren't too many Brits in this hotel as we didn't have a rep so there was no info on trips, etc, but we managed very well with the local bus service. The rooms have a fridge in them for keeping drinks cool, and right outside there is a Lidle supermarket, with a Supermercado in the small shopping centre across the road. In Albir itself there are plenty of places to eat ranging from the best Chinese we have ever eaten in (buffet style - 3 people, as much as you can eat, 3 rounds of drinks for 39euros!), Argentinian steakhouses, Mexican and Spanish food, and pizza restaurants, although the nearer to the seafront you get, the pricier it becomes.

i have just returned from my hoilday staying at this hotel and i can not fault it in any way, the location was good not far from any where (not long on buses to travel) i enjoyed my stay and would recomend it to anyone

Having returned from the Albir Playa Hotel on 6th August I am shocked about the last couple of reviews. For people complain that the pool is too busy all I can say it – IT’S JULY/AUGUST! For those that complain that the beach is too far away - you must have gone the wrong way or walk very slowly because it took my boyfriend and I 7 minutes. I found this hotel to be excellent and I’d find it tough to complain about. Hotel I couldn’t fault it! It surpassed my expectations. All facilities are modern and stylish. The room was spacious with a king size bed, music, tv, sofa, double wardrobe etc. Large bathroom with mosaic tiles, powerful shower over the bath and a bidet! The pool was very picturesque, surrounded by palm trees, flowers and a small waterfall. There is a large swimming pool, kids pool and Jacuzzi. The pool area did get busy during the day but no more than you would expect for peak season! Food The dining room was very large, cool and airy. The food was exceptional and served buffet style! I couldn’t stop eating. There was so much choice. Breakfast – Danish pastries, coissants, bread, jams, the usual cooked breakfast (eggs, sausage etc), omlettes, fruit, cereals, coffee juices. Dinner – in my opinion was fantasic. Lots of fish, meat, vegetables, salads etc. During my stay there was crab, seabass, mussels, monkfish, steak, rabbit, turkey, veal, chicken……. The list was endless. Plenty of olives, cheeses, mixed salads, breads, pototoes. For the fussy eaters there was the childrens section with pizza, chips, fishfingers etc There was so much choice and it changed daily. Lots of deserts too! Drink The drink was pretty cheap if you were drinking beers and wines about 1-2 Euros each. Cocktails and spirts were around 6 Euros though. The beach bar did get busy and there was a long wait at times. I found it better to use the bar inside and take the drink out with me. Entertainment Evening entertainment varied – some live music, magic show, flamenco dancing, quiz, bingo etc The quality wasn’t fantastic but was comical at times. The singing duo were good, bit cheesy but they had a charm. Location Beach – less than 10 minutes Bus stop – 2 minutes Nearest bars & restaurants – 2 minutes Supermarket – 1 minute Albir There was plenty to do in Albir. Lots of bars, restaurants and cafes from the hotel down to the beach. The ones on the beach front are best – try coco loco. I was worried that there wouldn’t be much nightlife but there was plenty, it was more laid back and exactly what I wanted. The beach is less than 10 minutes walk and it’s a pretty walk too. Check that you’re going the right way because I’ve heard people moan that it’s 15-20 minutes walk. The hotel also offers a free taxi service to the beach. Simply ask at the desk – they drop you off and pick you up. The beach was very attractive. It is a pebble beach, but this didn’t bother me as sand gets everywhere. I’d recommend getting shoes for the sea if you don’t like standing on rocks. Albir is located very close to Altea, which is also a wonderful place. We visited twice. It’s very traditional and quite chic. Great bars, restaurants and shops. There’s an evening market and a lovely beach (also pebble). The marina, together with the mountainous backdrop make it a very picturesque area. Altea is easily reached by the number 10 bus which runs regularly and stops near the hotel, takes approx 10 minutes. Benidorm can also be reached (if you’re brave enough) by the same bus heading in the opposite direction. It takes about 20 minutes. All journeys cost 1 Euro. Overall it was an excellent – ten out of ten. I’d go back tomorrow and definitely recommend it. Good for families, couples and friends that aren’t looking for a boystrous holiday.

I booked this Hotel because it was 4 star at a price that only self catering apartments or 2 star could compare. The website of the hotel looked promising enough, so lets start with the positives about this hotel, and Albir in general. POSITIVE - The hotel is modern, clean and has some good facilities. The rooms are all clean and modern with a wooden floor and air conditioning although the stated mini bar is just an empty fridge (handy for storing water never the less!). We requested a low floor (with children) and indeed we were given one, with a poolside view. More on that later. The breakfasts were plentiful and there was always somewhere to sit, even at the busiest times. The poolside bar was handy for drinks and ice creams and the pool itself, although not as big as it looks in the pictures, was very clean. The staff were extremely helpful in the main, and the hotel was about 80% spanish clients, 15% Dutch and 5% English. Albir itself is a little town, joining Altea on the northern peninsula above Benidorm. It has an east facing coastline to the med and our first shock and disappointment was to find that the beach is not sand but huge pebbles. Not great for kids who like making sand castles. Bear this in mind if you want to keep the kids occupied long enough for you to sunbathe in peace! We found a suitable alternative in a packet of felt tips so that they could decorate the stones! My daughter even tried to set up a stall to sell them back to the locals (Alan Sugar watch out). The nighttimes in Albir during July and August are excellent with a quant little artists market on the beach front selling handmade wares (fans/clocks/paintings/jewellry etc.) - added to the feel of a cosmopolitan resort. The best part for us is that locals involve their children and many small children could be seen out late at night playing and enjoying the sights and sounds. This would never happen in the UK where there is a "lock them away" or "palm them off to babysitter" mentallity. Albir and Altea are largely undiscovered by Brits, which is great - non of the football shirts and lager lout mentality that is found just down the coast in Benidorm. It actually felt like I was in Spain, not Blackpool, which I was dreading. Now for the negatives: The hotel is on a busy main junction, and about a 10-15 minute walk from the "beach". The beach is large pebbles not sand. The restaurants are mainly in the beachside area. Once we discovered the beach, we found the Albir Kaktus Hotel was literally on the beach, surely this should have the Albir Playa title ? Our room overlooking the pool, was actually overlooking the restaurant extension, so we could see very little of the pool. But worse was to come - we arrived on the first day after a very long days travelling (up at 3am to catch the flight to Spain) only to have entertainment blasted in our room from the poolside area from 9pm to midnight. This happened every night and was so loud it prevented anyone with a poolside room getting to sleep before midnight, even if they wanted to. After the first night we decided to stay up till then just avoid as much of it as possible, We were offered the chance to move rooms, to the hotels credit, but they warned us a roadside view room would mean traffic noise may wake us up in the early hours.... we decided to stay put. Overall - would i stay there again? I would say yes, as we did have a great time in Albir. Perhaps next time I would look into the Hotel Kaktus first, as it is more in the centre of where you want to be in Albir.

I stayed there with my girlfriend for ten days and found everything very good. The staff are okay and the surroundings/rooms are good. Local beach is pebbley which is not too great but the beaches of Benidorm are 15 mins on the number 10 bus and they are very nice. This same bus in the other direction goes to nearby Altea, which is up in the mountains. It is lovely there with lots of excellent restaurants and fantastic views. We thought breakfast was very good (we stayed B & B) and maid service excellent. On the way to albir beach is a corner with 3 restaurants, 2 of which we tried and were very good. The pool is good but busy. We did manage to get loungers together whenever we needed to and it was pleasant. Overall we would recommend the place for a relaxing family break or for couples wanting to do day trips and eat out in the evenings.

The positives of this hotel,in my opinion are spacious clean rooms,very good breakfast (except bring your own tea bags!), and its good location with lots of restuarants nearby .But the pool area is far too small and by the afternoon it was impossible to get a sunbed unless you reserve it from early morning which we refuse to do.I counted only 6 umbrellas (one had broken before we came home)for all the sunbeds.It was very hot when we were there,and there were lots of people with small children who should have had shade.There is a free shuttle to the beach where you can pay 11euros for 2 sunbeds and an umbrella which we gladly did.I have never been in a hotel before that had no information in the room about the hotel.I thought it was a mistake but when I asked in reception they just asked me what I wanted to know! I found out from english guests about the shuttle bus,and that you can hire hotel towels for 20euros deposit .We were just bed and breakfast and had some really good meals in Albir,we also took taxis up to the square in Altea where there are amazing restuarants and quaint shops .We did have a good holiday,but the cramped pool area pool would put us off returning.

I was pleasantely surprised by this lovely hotel. i went there with 12 other girls for a hen week end and was really pleased to find it away from horrible Benidorm! The area is very quiet and you have all you need: a few restaurants, cash point, a few shops and supermarkets. The beach is about 10-15 minutes walk and is very nice and quiet (there is a free shuttle from the hotel twice a day if you get lazy...) The hotel is good, the rooms are spacious, clean, with good air conditionning and if you get the best side, you have a pretty nice view of the mountains. The pool is particulary great although they seemed a bit understaffed at the pool bar and we had to wait a bit to get served. The breakfast is also very good with an amazing choice of food, though it is only served between 8 and 10 so it was a bit hard to get a lie in and breakfast.. the only thing I was a bit annoyed about was the lifts.. for some reason, they were incredebly slow and if you are on floor 1 or 2, it's quicker to use the stairs!!

My girlfriend and i stayed at this hotel in June 2006. We are a younger couple but appreciate a more relaxed and peaceful holiday. Rather than waffling on like most people do in these reviews i'll just type our opinions in bullet form. Location: Just off a busy road, but set back from the noise. 10 mins walk to the beach, next to two small supermarkets. Hotel: Looks pleasant and modern, staff very friendly. Room: Very clean, laminate flooring mini bar etc.. Pool: Lovely pool, not a great size but there is also a heated pool with a large hot tub inside the main building, which is great. Food: Nice morning buffet, didnt have lunch so cant comment, good selection in the evening but would recommend trying one of the local places. Beach: A bit of a walk, but no more than 10 minuites with a few bars along the way to enjoy during the evening. The beech itself had a well kept front with various bars and a great view of the surrounding bay. This Hotel wasnt the Ritz, but me and my girlfriend really enjoyed our week here. In the future we would probably go again.

On the whole we had a good time staying B and B for 14 nights. Don't think this would suit a family with children that like to have hotel entertainment but there was live group carbaret for adults most evenings. Bedroom confortable and clean. Breakfast ok. Hotel reception polite that is when you found a person who could speak English! No information for Brits in this hotel although more are staying there now. It isn't that difficult to find out things for yourself! Good service to the beach by hotel shuttle car running up to end of September. Beach not suitable if you want to build sandcastles as it is made up of pebbles. Swimming pool area very nice and as we were there at the end of September beginning of October we had a choice of where we would like to lounge and again very peaceful. We would however like to point out that during the first and second weeks of October and the first week in December, the hotel is taken over by Spainish pensioners and take over is a good choice of words, so be prepared it you go at those times.!!!!! Would also like to recommend some of the restaurants we came across and there are also many more as the area is abundant with them. Our favourites were Dos Lunas (need to book) and the Ritz on the sea front - excellent. Also Cocina Francesa on the main 'strip' Some of the best food we ever had on holiday. Would use hotel again.

On arrival,although we booked full board,reception insisted it was half board.We had also asked poolside and first or second floor but were directed to fourth floor with a not so friendly sneer that she had given us ALREADY poolside.I hate to say it,but that was the best part.When we entered the room,wich is of a very good size,the first thing we saw was the not so very clean bedspread (BLOODSTAINS).Going further to the balcony, there was a lot of bird--- on one side(from more than a couple of days).After complaining everything was brought to measure.About the food:breakfast was o.k.but the ''fresh'' pineapple came back until it became a rotten mash.As for lunch and dinner:weekends,when there were lots of Spanish guests(all located on 1or2 floor!)the food was really great:mountains of all kinds of seafood,fillet-steak,fine pastry and other desserts.BUT:from sunday-evening,when these guests had left,recycling started,rests of the shellfish(not on ice) and different kinds of meat mixed in a pasty were presented on the buffet.Once I served myself a little of that pasty but when I smelled it I gladly put it aside.Some guests who couldn´t resist the shrimps had to use their Immodium afterwards. About the pool:Nice but not as big as the photos in the brochure would like to make you believe.And during our stay (27 may till 17 june) a big glass building was being constructed next to the pool with all the noise and construction-machinerie that goes with it. One other thing,apart from the' 'maitre d´' the staff was very friendly especially Natalia and Adriana in the restaurant. P.S.The drinks in the bar aren´t that cheap eighter:5,60 Euro for a small low quality brandy.

Not the hotel to go on a half -board or indeed any board basis, nor if you are not Spanish if you want a room with a view. The hotel is modern and clean and the staff are helpful, up to a point. However it is quite obvious that the rooms facing the sea are only allocated to Spanish guests and the rooms overlooking the busy road intersection are given to others. The food was dreadful and not just a case of foreign food, the meat was either under-cooked or cold and quite often both, oh yes, that,s when the staff forgot how to speak English. However the facilities were ok and the jacuzzi got a big thumbs up. Plenty of excellent local eateries but a bit galling when you,ve paid for meals already. Last but not least we did lose some items that we did not put in the safe, not expensive things but so annoying.

I stayed at this Hotel in October 2005. I found all of the staff to be very friendly and helpful. The trip was booked to concide with my parents golden wedding anniversary and the Hotel management even presented my parents with a complimentary bottle of champagne to mark the occassion, a nice touch. We found the rooms to be comfortable and clean (daily maid service). The restaurant is buffet style service with a good selection of dishes. As mentioned in one of the other reviews of this Hotel the restaurant does cater for holidaymakers from countries other than the U.K. so expect the menu to reflect this. All i will say to those who have made negative comments about the food is that you should expect slight changes in the menu that you would usually have at home. Experiment a little as the overall standard is very good.If you dont like foriegn food then go to Blackpool ......... The Hotel is situated within a very short walk of numerous shops,bars and cafes. So if you choose to go out at night there is an excellent choice of different cuisines. The beach is approximateley 15 mins walk away from the Hotel. Albir town both during the day and night is a safe place for people to spend a holiday. Although plenty to do at night there is a noticable lack of drunken rowdy youths as you might expect in some areas. A very enjoyable holiday and i have already booked to return later this year (2006)

My wife and I created our first internet holiday this year staying at the Albir Playa, we were very impressed, the staff were very helpful and even opened the dining room at 6.30am to serve cerelals toast juice and coffee for our early departure. The beach shuttle ran as a taxi , the rooms were serviced daily and facilities were all excellent , expecially the landscaped pool ,(plenty of shade and sunbeds) indoor pool jacuzzi and gym. Food was varied with the traditional eggs and bacon breakfast as well as other choices, served on a buffet system. Evening meals included omelettes cooked to order, as well as meats , fish , pasta and salad options. Rooms were serviced daily, and were clean and comfortable with full 'aircon' , safe, minifridge and satelite TV. Thanks to Alpharooms, Flybe, and Tripadvisor for recommending Direct Transfers, who were very prompt.

My girlfried and I stayed at the Albir Playa hotel over the bank holiday week of early June 2005. The hotels surroundings well deserve the rankings and praise that it has received. The reception, bedrooms, and the pool areas are kept immaculately clean and tidy. The rooms are modern with well equipped bathrooms, laminate flooring and individual balconies. While the hotel would not be awarded 4 stars in the UK, (cheap plastic patio furniture on an unfurnished balcony?), the rooms are more than adequate. Each room has a minibar, with minibar prices, a television and two very large single beds, which are always pushed together to form an enormous double. The maids frequent daily, and change the linen twice weekly. The pool area is nicely landscaped with a large pool and two childrens pools with accompanied waterfall. There were plenty of sunbeds supplied. However.. We stayed full board, which was a mistake. The hotel has clientele from many nationalities, mainly Spain. The food therefore tries to cater for too many people and fails miserably. The breakfasts on the whole were ok, plenty of supermarket bought pastry, machine made coffee, and a pretty dire cooked english. The lunch, again, plenty of shop bought rolls, prepacked meats, plastic 'Mcdonalds' style cheese etc, which was precisely the same every day, which quickly grew monotonous. The lunches also comprise some hot dishes, see below. The evening meals were hot, although still in a buffet format. The hot food was, in a word, bland... and sometimes inedible. The food hall had a way of smelling exactly the same no matter what had been cooked, the smell was of school dinners, and not the 'new' Jamie Oliver ones. While some dishes looked relatively appetising, no two dishes went together. For example one night the hotel served Ravioli, Liver and spring rolls. Accompanying all of the sittings were some of the rudest, unfriendly staff we have ever encountered. After four nights, we left the confines of the hotel and ventured out to the local restaurants and had the three best meals of the holiday. My advice to any potential guests, if you want a relaxing holiday, then the Albir Playa suffices. Do not however book anything more than B&B, you will regret it and if there is no more money in the 'petty cash tin' the food will ruin your holiday. JK Nottingham

This is a brand new (but finished) 4 star hotel between Altea and Benidorm. Plenty to recommend it: Nice laminate floored rooms (will sleep up to 3). The best overlook the pool, and have satellite TV (CNN, BBC World and Eurosport are the only English channels). There is a fridge with minibar drinks. Good bathroom. Lovely outdoor pool with palm trees providing some of the shade. Not overlooked by other hotels. The pool was cold when we stayed at the end of March - perhaps something could be done to heat it a little in low season? Pool bar and a lot of sunbeds. Shallow children's pool and Jacuzzi. Indoor pool with Jacuzzi. Small gym and sauna. Large bar with small stage for entertainment. Can't comment on the quality of this as we stayed off-peak - but there was a band / music on 2 of our 4 nights. Breakfast was good - plenty of choice and often English sausages included in the cooked section! The only restaurant is the "buffet" style one used by half board and full board guests. The food was well presented and reasonable quality but I feel it catered more for the Spanish clientele. We found it monotonous after a couple of days and had to eat out sometimes. I would not recommend booking half-board or full-board in advance, but rather arrange meals directly with the hotel as/if you fancy them. This was our main grievance. The hotel loaned towels for use around the pool for a 10 Euro deposit. Handy, and may save you taking beach towels in your luggage. The underground car park costs 9 Euros per night. The hotel is NOT situated on the (shingly) beach, or indeed "overlooking the bay" as some of its advertising literature says. It is a 12 to 15 minute level walk, either past the shops or along a tree-lined road. There were indications of a shuttle bus later in the season. The hotelesoasis website has photos - we enjoyed our stay would consider it again. Maybe a useful hotel if part of the family want to enjoy the nightlife of nearby Benidorm, and the others don't!

We have just returned from a week's holiday at the Albir Playa Hotel. The room was spacious and the view was stunning, overlooking the distant mountain towards Altea. The selection of food in the buffet style restaurant was varied and plentiful. The staff were courteous and attentive. The advertised Xmas Day dinner was a non event, with only Gluwein and Turkey as additional dishes from the rest of the week. We are non smokers and had seen an earlier review that stated the hotel was non smoking. Unfortunately this is not correct. Although the restaurant and the small bar area are non smoking, the main entertainment room accepted smokers and in consequence we were unable to participate in any of the entertainment offered because of the smokey atmosphere. The bar area is located just off the main entrance and as it was invariably cold, residents were wearing outside coats just to keep warm. It has occasional seating for only 26 plus 3 bar stools and sometimes it was difficult to find somewhere to sit, to have coffee after an evening meal.

Very good hotel. Good situation with great views from our room. Very quiet rooms, and excellent, friendly service. The spa was being refitted while we were there, but looks like it will be good when finished. Great, varied breakfast (but terrible coffee!).