My friends and I have just returned from a 4 night break at the Centro Playa Hotel in Benidorm. The hotel is situated up on a hillside in the Old Town which is very quaint with lots of little bars and places to eat. Just up from the hotel is a church where we were lucky enough to see a Spanish wedding. There are also quite a few little shops so its great for an evening stroll and the cobbled, narrow streets give a real spanish feel. The hotel itself was very clean. Our room was perfect for us 3 girls, the only disappointment being that we didn't have a view or a balcony but we did have a washing line outside the window which was handy! The bathroom was lovely and modern with a good shower. On the first night, we somehow managed to soak the floor but worked out that careful positioning of the shower head reduced the problem.

The Centro Playa is clearly a hotel used more by the spanish than anybody else. It's not a large hotel by any means and seats only 60 in the restaurant but meal times were spread over enough time to suit everyone. We were full board and although the food cannot be described as exciting, it was fine for our short trip and we ate well overall. A couple of people complained about the food but we couldn't really understand what the problem was. The Spanish holiday makers were infact the worst aspect of the hotel as we found them to be very rude...quite a surprise really as the hotel staff were pleasant at all times.

The hotel pool is situated on the hotel roof. It is small to say the least and the sunbathing area is small with only about 10 beds as well as a few tables with chairs but it was never very busy up there so we never had a problem getting a sunbed and the pool was a great temperature. From the pool area, there was also a fabulous view of the beach.

If like us, you are looking at this hotel as a base for a short trip to Benidorm, it's perfect. Although it is away from the square where all the main clubs and bars are, we walked there every night and it was a lovely walk along the promenade. We did get a taxi back though which was about 6 Euros so didn't break the bank but saved us a long walk back up hill in high heels! The great thing about the location is that you have the best of both worlds...if you want nightlife, it's easily reachable and if you want quiet bars and a walk in the evenings, its right on your doorstep. I would definitely use this hotel again.