Where to stay in central Alicante: the best areas

Choosing where to stay in Alicante is the decision that most shapes how you will remember the trip. More than the specific hotel, more than the stars, the area matters. A well-located guesthouse on a quiet street five minutes from the Explanada gives a better quality of trip than a four-star fifteen minutes away down a noisy avenue.

In this guide we go over the real options in central Alicante: big hotels, boutique hotels, guesthouses, holiday apartments and budget hostels. We mention the competition openly because we believe there is no way to choose well if you do not know all the alternatives.

The area matters more than the category

Before looking at prices or stars, it matters to know where you are going to sleep geographically. The centre of Alicante divides into four areas with very different lives:

The Explanada and the harbour

The postcard area: by the sea, palm trees, promenade. This is where the big hotels and the three or four four- and five-star ones are. Hotel Spa Porta Maris (4*), Hotel Hospes Amerigo (5*), Eurostars Mediterranea Plaza (4*). Sea views from some rooms, but noise from the promenade all day and prices 20-30% higher than the rest of the centre.

El Barrio (the old town)

The white lanes that climb towards the castle. Boutique hotels in historic buildings, plenty of personality. Hotel Boutique La Milagrosa, Casa Alberola. Serious drawback: the Barrio is the area for night-time drinking. Until 4-6am there is noise in the street. If you are a light sleeper, not here. If you come to go out, it is perfect.

Calle San Fernando and San Francisco

The shopping axis. Plenty of mid-range hotels, plenty of budget lodgings and plenty of options. The advantage: right up against the centre. The disadvantage: traffic noise until late and little personality. Typical hotels: NH Alicante (4*), Tryp Gran Sol (3*).

Calle Doctor Sapena and around (where we are)

A residential area right up against the tourist centre. The key difference: neighbourhood life (a bakery on the corner, vermouth at midday with the neighbours) and night-time silence (no drinking area). 5 min from the Explanada, 10 from the harbour, 12 from Postiguet. This is where we are (Alirena) and a couple of smaller guesthouses too. It is, in our opinion, the best area for a first visit to Alicante.

Types of accommodation

By traveller profile

Weekend for two

If it is a classic romantic trip, prioritise a room with good light and quiet. A boutique guesthouse in a residential area (Doctor Sapena, Calderón) or a boutique hotel in the Barrio (if night-time noise does not bother you). Reasonable budget: €80-130 per night.

Trip with a group of friends

Look for rooms close together or a shared apartment. The Barrio or streets parallel to San Fernando to have bars and dinner nearby. If there are 4-6 of you, a three-bedroom apartment works out at €150-200/night total: very good value for money.

Family with small children

A holiday apartment with two bedrooms and a kitchen. It lets you make breakfast, wash clothes, sterilise the bottle. In the Postiguet area or near the Mercado Central. A 4* hotel with a pool if there is a high budget and the children are going to use it.

Business trip

A 4* hotel with fast wifi and the possibility of a late check-in. The harbour or Explanada area is the best connected with the Congress Centre. NH Alicante or Eurostars Mediterranea Plaza are the typical options.

Tight budget

A hostel or simple guesthouse around San Fernando. Quality varies a lot; read recent reviews. The Alicante Youth Hostel (the old "La Florida") has single rooms for €35.

Real prices by season

The difference between low and high season in Alicante is very marked:

• Low (Nov-Mar): the "normal" prices in the list.
• Shoulder (Apr, May, Oct): +15-20%.
• High (Jun-Sep): +35-50%.
• Hogueras (20-24 Jun): +50-80% and very low availability.
• Easter week, New Year's Eve: +30-50%.

How and where to book

Booking, Expedia, Hotels.com. They compare quickly and allow flexible cancellation. Note: most hotels have cheaper rates booking directly on their site (the OTAs charge a 15-20% commission that is included in the price you see). A useful habit: find the hotel on Booking and then look for its own website to compare.

Airbnb / Vrbo. For apartments. Note: in central Alicante many holiday apartments are professional businesses, not "someone's home". Real quality similar to an aparthotel.

The establishment's own website. Usually the cheapest option for independent hotels and guesthouses. If you call or write, you sometimes get better conditions (more flexible cancellation, free late check-out).

Common mistakes to avoid

• Staying in Benidorm thinking it is "Alicante". Benidorm is 45 min by car or TRAM. A very different city. If you come to Alicante, sleep in Alicante.
• Taking a hotel by the airport. The airport is 11 km from the centre; the hotels in the airport area are in an industrial zone with nothing around.
• Booking blindly during the Hogueras or in August. Rooms sell out months in advance and prices shoot up.
• Looking for parking at a central hotel. Very few central hotels have their own parking. Assume you will pay for public parking (€15-20/day) or use public transport.
• Confusing "boutique" with "luxury". Boutique means "small and with character". Some boutiques are luxury, others are more loving than costly. Look at the real photos before choosing.

Our option: a guesthouse, no disguise

We are Alirena, a fourteen-room guesthouse on Doctor Sapena 83. We do it the way we want it to be: a good bed, a new bathroom, service by WhatsApp, no unnecessary reception, no breakfast you do not need (the neighbourhood already serves it better). See the rooms or check availability.

If your trip calls for something else (24h reception, an in-house restaurant, a spa, a pool), choose any of the options we mention above. We do not think less of you for going somewhere else: we think it is better that you go to the place that fits you.