Benalmadena Palace Spa

Benalmadena Palace Spa is set up for divers who want a proper base rather than a room with little more than a bed. You have apartment-style accommodation, a kitchenette, a lounge area and a furnished terrace, so the evening can be as simple as making tea, putting your feet up and deciding whether dinner deserves any further thought. It is also built with couples and families in mind, with a children’s mini club, a kids’ pool and a programme of entertainment.

The useful part is the choice of pace. You can head towards the beach, stay around the pool, use the spa or retreat indoors to the cinema and games room. Two swimming pools, a gym and several ways to spend the evening give the place more going on than a basic coastal hotel, without requiring you to leave the property every time you want to do something.

You are in Benalmádena Costa, in Benalmádena, Spain, at Camino Gilabert. Benalmádena Beach is 250 metres away, close enough for a walk but not a hotel-with-your-toes-in-the-sand arrangement. A minibus service runs to the beach and La Paloma Park, which is about 0.8 miles away on foot.

Santa Ana Beach is around 0.3 miles away, while Playa La Cala is about 0.4 miles away on foot. Bil Bil Beach is roughly 0.7 miles away. For a change from the coastline, Benalmádena - Arroyo de la Miel railway station is about 1.4 miles away, and Torrequebrada Golf Course sits next to the hotel. Restaurants are also within walking distance, including Chirinquito Carmen Beach at about 0.3 miles and Ifood at roughly 0.2 miles.

The accommodation is made up of studios and one-bedroom apartments, which gives you more working space than a conventional hotel room. Every unit has a lounge area with a sofa, a dining area and a kitchenette with a hob, microwave, toaster, kettle, kitchenware and refrigerator. That last item matters when you return warm, thirsty and not especially interested in hunting down a shop before dinner.

Choose the one-bedroom layout if you want a separate sleeping area or need room for a family. The apartments are available with pool views or side sea views, so the outlook can guide the choice rather than being left to chance. Studios suit a couple who prefer a more compact arrangement, with a double bed and sofa bed. Family accommodation is available, including layouts for children, but the exact sleeping arrangement varies by option and deserves a proper look before you book.

Air conditioning and heating cover the less glamorous but important part of the night, while soundproofing is also listed. A balcony or terrace with outdoor furniture gives you somewhere to sit without turning the bed into an office, and free Wi-Fi runs throughout the hotel. Daily housekeeping, a private bathroom and a drying rack for clothing round off the practical side.

The main table is Restaurante Benalmadena, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in buffet form. The cooking is Mediterranean and international, with live cooking and what the hotel describes as home-style food. Breakfast covers continental, full English and Irish, vegetarian, gluten-free and buffet choices, so you are not restricted to one sort of morning plate.

Dinner brings themed evenings, including Italian, Mexican, Asian and Spanish menus. It is a useful change of gear during a longer stay, particularly when the alternative is another search for somewhere to eat while still carrying the day’s fatigue in your shoulders.

There are two bars. Snack Bar sits beside the outdoor pool and serves combined dishes, snacks, cakes, pastries and ice cream. Disco Pub Beny is the evening option, with cocktails, live music and a children’s mini-disco. Happy hour is also part of the programme, because even divers occasionally manage to sit down before the second drink.

Two pools give you an easy choice: the outdoor pool for sun and the heated indoor pool when you want water without more exposure to the elements. Pool and beach towels, sun loungers and parasols are available, so the recovery plan can involve very little beyond finding a chair and staying in it. There is also a separate kids’ pool for younger guests.

The spa is the more useful retreat when your back has begun to object to carrying everything around. Facilities include thermal waters, a spacious Jacuzzi, Turkish bath, aromatic bath, jet shower and massage room, with massages and body treatments available. A sauna, steam room, hammam and relaxation area add several variations on the theme of doing less, but with better surroundings. The fitness centre is there if your idea of recovery involves exercise rather than lying down.

For evenings away from the table, you have a cinema, games room, mini golf, table tennis, darts, billiards, bowling, karaoke and live entertainment. Bicycle hire and archery are also available. Families have a mini club, indoor and outdoor play areas, board games and a children’s playground, while adults can make use of the entertainment programme, live performances and movie nights.

Malaga Airport is roughly 7 miles away in a straight line and about 12 miles by road. An airport shuttle is available, and the hotel also has a shuttle service to the beach and La Paloma Park. Car hire can be arranged, while private parking is available on site; parking is paid and requires a reservation. A minimarket, vending machines for snacks and drinks, luggage storage and a 24-hour front desk make the less glamorous parts of travelling easier.

Check-in runs from 3pm until midnight. You need to provide photographic identification and a payment card on arrival, and you should give the hotel your expected arrival time. Check-out is available around the clock, which is handy when flights and dive schedules refuse to cooperate. A refundable damage deposit is collected on arrival and returned after the accommodation has been checked.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Laundry, packed lunches, room service, a tour desk, currency exchange and concierge assistance are available, giving you options when the day’s logistics do not fit neatly around breakfast. Children of all ages are welcome; cots and extra beds can be requested, subject to the conditions of the accommodation selected. Pets are not allowed.

Solar panels form part of the hotel’s energy provision. There is no named environmental certification attached to the property, but the solar installation is a concrete feature rather than a slogan on the wall.