The Cookbook Hotel & SPA

The Cookbook Hotel & SPA suits you if you want a proper hotel rather than a collection of holiday flats, with a restaurant, a bar, an outdoor pool and somewhere to sit outside. The feel is polished but practical: a place for couples, as well as families with children of any age, where the room gives you a terrace and the evening does not require a taxi by default.

The useful detail is that the hotel lets you choose your level of activity. You can walk towards Calpe's historic quarter, settle by the pool, book time around the spa facilities or stay in with room service, a minibar and air conditioning doing the quiet work. WiFi covers all areas, so checking tomorrow's plans does not require a hunt for the strongest signal.

You are in Calpe, Spain, around 0.6 miles from the historic quarter and about 0.3 miles from Salinas Salt Lake. The hotel is not on the beach: Arenal Bol Beach is roughly 0.6 miles away on foot, while Cala del Morello is about 0.7 miles away. Cantal Roig Beach is around 0.9 miles on foot, and Playa la Fossa-Levante is about 1.2 miles away.

The surroundings give you more than a strip of sand. Peñón de Ifach Natural Park is about 1.7 miles away by road, and a golf course lies within 6.2 miles. For a meal away from the hotel, Beat Restaurant is about 250 feet on foot, with Komfort around 500 feet away. Calp railway station is roughly 1.7 miles on foot, and Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is about 49 miles away by road.

The rooms are built around the details that matter when you return tired: a terrace or balcony, air conditioning, soundproofing, a minibar and a private bathroom with both bath and shower. Views look towards Peñón de Ifach Natural Park, while some rooms look over the pool. There is also a desk, television with satellite channels and free WiFi, so you can either ignore the outside world or deal with it efficiently.

For two adults, a Double Room keeps things straightforward, with twin single beds. The Junior Suites are the more flexible choice when you want a little more room to spread out, and family-room options are available for stays with children. The booking categories include Junior Suites for different party sizes, so check the exact occupancy attached to the option you choose rather than relying on the name alone.

The night-time practicalities are solid. Daily housekeeping takes care of the sandy aftermath of a beach walk, the soundproofing helps keep the room separate from hotel life, and the terrace gives you somewhere to sit with a drink from the minibar. Breakfast can also reach the room, which is handy when the morning needs to start quietly rather than with a timetable and a queue.

Breakfast is continental and buffet-style, with the option of having it served in your room. That gives you a sensible start before a walk, a day at the coast or simply a second coffee while the rest of the world gets organised.

There are two restaurants. One is a fine-dining restaurant focused on Mediterranean cuisine; the other serves a range of international dishes. That distinction is useful when one evening calls for a more considered meal and the next calls for something familiar without turning dinner into a research project.

The lobby bar handles coffee and other drinks, and there is a minibar in the room for the later hour when leaving it again feels unnecessarily ambitious. Room service is also available. No grand claims are needed: you have food on site, a bar for the post-water drink, and nearby restaurants within a short walk if you want to change the scenery.

The outdoor pool and sun terrace are the obvious places to put the afternoon on pause. Sun loungers, beach chairs and umbrellas let you choose between full exposure and a little shade, while the garden gives the hotel a softer edge than a building surrounded entirely by paving. Pool and beach towels are available for the practical end of that arrangement.

The wellness side is more than a decorative sign on the wall. A private spa circuit is available, alongside spa facilities, a relaxation lounge, sauna, hot tub and massage treatments. These services carry an extra cost, but the point is clear: you can replace another outing with heat, water and an hour where nobody expects you to be productive.

For a quieter evening, the shared lounge and television area offer an indoor alternative to the pool terrace. The tour desk can help shape time away from the hotel, while the nearby Peñón de Ifach Natural Park gives you a clear change of scenery when sitting still has run its course.

Check-in runs from 3 pm until midnight, and check-out is by noon. A 24-hour front desk, express check-in and check-out, and luggage storage make the arrival and departure window reasonably forgiving, particularly if your transport does not match the neat middle of the day. There is no age requirement for check-in, and children of any age are welcome; children aged 12 and over are charged as adults.

Free private parking is available on site without reservation, which is useful if you are driving around the Costa Blanca rather than relying on trains. The hotel also has a lift, facilities for disabled guests, a tour desk and WiFi throughout. A cot can be requested for a child aged up to one year, while extra beds are not available, so the room's stated occupancy matters when you are travelling with children.

Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is about 49 miles away by road. Calpe railway station is around 1.7 miles away on foot. Cancellation and prepayment rules vary by accommodation type, and cash is accepted as a payment method; check the conditions attached to your chosen room before confirming.