Apartments and aparhotel for you to boast of holidays

If you are thinking in a relaxing and intimate holiday you might be searching a 5-star hotel in Palma de Majorca or Marbella: sun and beach guaranteed, maximum comfort, first class services... And of course, luxury prices. The apartments and aparthotels you can find in the main tourist centres of Spain are an interesting alternative if you are travelling for one week or more. Apart from being a guaranty of intimacy and independence, they offer you design spaces and services similar to the ones offered by a hotel.

From apartment hotels in Benidorm to apartment resorts in Majorca, Marbella, the Canary Islands or the luxury villas in Minorca. These holiday resorts have improved throughout the years, incorporating all type of attentions only the classic hotels used to offer. Booking now some bungalows in Lanzarote or an apartment in Alcudia bay will allow you to enjoy the best of a resort with the independency of an apartment.

Apartamentos Garden Marinda Village

Far away from the schedules of an All Inclusive or a half board plan hotel, all these aparthotels in Benidorm, the Canary Islands or Majorca combine the advantages of the freedom of schedules with a restaurant in the resort at the service of guests. These restaurants offer service at dinner and an extra of attention: they are normally theme or buffet restaurants with show cooking or gourmet specialties, varied menus or even special menus for children.

The most complete apartment resorts of the national panorama also feature common areas which include from mini golf to playgrounds, swimming pools for adults and children, solarium areas and Chill out bars at the foot of the beach, where to live an unforgettable experience. The most exclusive apartment resorts are normally part of a larger resort with a hotel and an apartment area but with shared services like a spa or sports facilities: tennis, padel, golf or even parking for bikes.

The apartments that offer special services for children are also very demanded. Families, together with groups of friends, usually choose this type of accommodation, as there you can find triple, quadruple or even sextuple rooms. Besides, some of these accommodations have special apartments for families on the ground floor with access to a small private garden communicated with the swimming pool and the rest of areas of the resort: reception, playgrounds, sports area, beach...

The price is another of the advantages of an apartment or an apartotel: they have normally heaper price than the hotels with the same location and board, so they are preferred by those on a long-term holiday (more than a week) or by groups, as it is easier to get a budget booking an apartment on the north of Majorca than in a hotel in the centre of Palma. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the last one has advantages over the first one –of location and leisure offer- that make them incomparable.  

However, you might enjoy the same versatility (or even greater) booking an apartment and a car in areas like the Canary Islands or Majorca than staying in a room in the centre of Palma or in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, for example. And without losing the advantage of the price.

What is a boutique hotel?

They became fashionable in the 90s. They arrived directly from New York, where they had started to be famous a decade before, in the 80s, although it took long to crystallize the idea. In the European continent hotel boutiques conquered the capitals until they became cult places visited by the most exquisite travellers. Although boutique hotels seem to be of recent creation, they have a large history during which they have left representative gems like the Posada del Peine, one of the oldest hotels in Spain, located near the Plaza Mayor square of the capital.

Boutique hotels, despite being part of large hotel chains, stand out for being unique spaces full of character and with a unique identity which combines architecture, indoor design, decoration, services and the best personalised attention.

The small details are the hallmark of this type of urban hotels we can find in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, or even in medium cities like Bilbao, where we find a boutique hotel in front of the Arriaga Theatre, between Bilbao’s old town and the Ensanche area. Another hotel of this category which has become a meeting point in the local society is the Mencey hotel, a 5-star hotel in Santa Cruz de Tenerife considered one of the architectural gems of the city (and declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity), but which cannot be included in the boutique hotel category due to its size.

And this is one of the features boutique hotels must have: they are hotels of a few rooms (no more than 100), which enables hoteliers to offer a personalised attention. These hotels must have the adequate size for the charming and intimate atmosphere that characterises these establishments.

The atmosphere is another of the essential elements of boutique hotels. An elegant and quiet atmosphere with a combination of classic and modern touches, which creates a sensation of exclusivity and peace for the most demanding guests. Contrary to the bustling atmosphere of the family resorts of Tenerife, Lanzarote or Majorca (just to mention some of the most representative beach destinations), boutique hotels are relax temples where jazz, classical music, chill out sounds and silence prevail.

In fact, in these destinations we also find first class boutique hotels specially designed for couples looking for sophistication and calmness during their holidays. Thus, together with the traditional All Inclusive beach hotels of Majorca we find some small boutique hotels on Santa Ponsa bay, in Illetas, and some new incorporations in Palma’s city centre.

The boutique hotel is normally located in the centre of cities and of large European capitals, such as some of the luxury hotels of Budapest or the hotels in the centre of Hamburg. Although these establishments have also adapted to other locations, the best boutique hotels in Spain are the accommodations in the centre of Madrid, Valencia or Barcelona.

Regarding their public, these hotels are devised for medium-high class tourists with refined tastes who travel for business, on their own or with their couple and who look for a minimum of a 4-star service. Adults Only Hotels, hotels for seniors … However, other hotels can be included in the category of family hotels and hotels for groups of friends.

Basic features of a good boutique hotel:

-       Unique and surprising character and style

-       Elegant, quiet and sophisticated atmosphere

-       4 and 5 star service

-       Small size: not more than 100 rooms

-       Well-cared indoor design and architecture. Even with well-known works of art

-       Attention to small details

-       Personalised attention.

Golfhotels: eine gelungene Kombination

Diese Kombination wirft über 1.550 Millionen Euro in ganz Europa ab und Spanien gehört zu den Lieblingszielen eines Drittels der europäischen Golfspieler.  Damit bestätigt sich, dass das Fremdenverkehrsmodell mit Golf gut ankommt – insbesondere in unserem Land, wo das Modell der Golfhotels eine der rentabelsten Kombinationen darstellt. Zwar scheint sich die durchschnittliche Aufenthaltsdauer der Golfspieler in Spanien etwas gesenkt und auf rund 13 Tage eingespielt zu haben, während die durchschnittlichen Ausgaben beachtlich zwischen 90,- und 200,- Euro pro Tag schwanken.

Andalusien ist die spanische Region, die von diesem Sporttourismusmodell am meisten profitiert, und zwar insbesondere die Golfhotels in Chiclana, Cádiz, Marbella… Laut Angaben der Golf Travel Market, die im vergangenen Jahr in Katalonien stattfand, zieht es fast 13 % der Golfspieler aus europäischen Ländern, die Spanien besuchen, an die Costa del Sol. Von den Restlichen bleiben 3,9 % an der Costa Brava mit ihren komplett ausgestatteten Golfplätzen und in den Hotels an der Küste von Barcelona und Girona; 3,2 % wählen die Kanarischen Inseln, die durch das ständige Frühlingswetter begünstigt und somit ideal für diese Sportart sind und die restlichen 8,7 % teilen sich auf die restlichen Golfziele Spaniens auf.

Allein in Andalusien hat das Segment des Golftourismus rund 500 Millionen Euro im vergangenen Jahr eingebracht. Das geht aus den Zahlen hervor, die die andalusische Regierung im vergangenen Juli vorgelegt hat und die sich aus einer Umfrage an 1000 Golfliebhaber und fast 100 Golfplatzbetreiber dieser Region ergeben. Diese Angaben mögen zunächst erstaunlich klingen, passen aber vollkommen in den Rahmen der Bemühungen, die in diese im Vergleich zu den weltweit restlichen überdurchschnittlich ausgestatteten Infrastrukturen investiert werden: Andalusien besitzt 108 Golfplätze, von denen sich fast die Hälfte in der Provinz Málaga und 22 % in der Provinz Cádiz befinden. Im Jahr 2013 wurden in diesen Einrichtungen 452.000 Touristen und Golfliebhaber gezählt.

Klima, hochwertige Einrichtungen und Professionalität der Branche wie auch die Golfhotels, in denen wahre Luxusaufenthalte angeboten werden, machen Andalusien zum vollendeten Ziel Spaniens für Golfliebhaber.

Unterkunft für Golfspieler

Das Hotelangebot hat sich mit modernen Hotels für Sportler auf diesen Trend einstellen können und umfasst Serviceleistungen, die ganz spezifisch und konkret an die Bedürfnisse der Gäste angepasst sind. An der gesamten andalusischen Küste kann man Hotels dieser Art finden, während die Änderungen in einigen Hotels in den Buchten von Conil (Cádiz), zahlreichen Strandressorts in Marbella und sogar mehreren All-inclusive-Hotels in Torrox-Costa, zwei der repräsentativsten Urlaubsgebiete in Málaga, besonders hervorzuheben sind.

Andere Hotels wurden schon von Anfang an speziell für Golfspieler eingerichtet. Darunter sind die Golfhotels in Isla Canela (Huelva) hervorzuheben, deren Modell sich auch in anderen Ressorts wie im Golfhotel in Llucmajor (Mallorca) widerspiegelt, das vorher von Marriot betrieben wurde und jetzt zum Angebot der Iberostar Hotels & Resorts gehört.

Golfplätze in Spanien

Obwohl die besten Golfplätze in der andalusischen Region konzentriert liegen, gibt es noch viele weitere Plätze in Spanien, an denen man wahre Golfparadiese z. B. direkt am Meer, im Schatten eines Vulkans, neben beeindruckenden Bergen usw. genießen kann. Die Mittelmeerregionen wie Katalonien und die Balearen, wie auch die Kanarischen Inseln gehören zu den bedeutenden Fremdenverkehrszielen, die ideale Szenarien für einen Golfabstecher mit dem Partner oder mit der ganzen Familie anbieten.

Laut Daten der Fremdenverkehrsstiftung Palma de Mallorca 365 stieg der Golftourismus in der Hauptstadt der Balearen, in der es zurzeit 5 Golfplätze gibt, 2013 um 4 % und machte ein Geschäft von 160 Millionen Euro aus. Zusätzlich zu den 5 Golfplätzen in Palma gibt es auf Mallorca weitere 18 Golfplätze, unter denen die an der Küste von Calvià – in der Nähe einiger der besten Spahotels von Santa Ponsa - wie auch die im Norden hervorzuheben sind. Dieses Gebiet eignet sich hervorragend für einen Golfabstecher mit der Familie an, da sich hier die komplettesten Hotels mit Miniklub in Playa de Muro und Hotels für Kinder in Alcudia befinden.

Die meisten dieser Golfplätze auf Mallorca haben 18 Löcher und bieten sehr ausgeklügelte und vielseitige Wege an, sodass Laien wie auch Profispieler aller Niveaus auf ihre Kosten kommen. Einige darunter besitzen sogar eine Golfakademie und die meisten bieten Ausrüstungsverleih, Geschäft, Einzelunterricht usw. an.

Ein weiteres Reiseziel in Spanien, das intensiv auf den Golftourismus setzt, ist Teneriffa. Die Insel besitzt 9 Golfplätze, unter denen insbesondere die der Südküste wie Golf Costa Adeje – ganz in der Nähe des Gebiets der All-inclusive-Hotels in Costa Adeje – und einiger der exklusivsten Luxusressorts auf Teneriffa hervorzuheben sind.

Am Mittelmeer und zwar an der Costa Brava und Costa Daurada befinden sich zwei der Gebiete, die problemlosen Golfurlaub zu sehr wettbewerbsfähigen Preisen anbieten. Hier kann man Hotels in Santa Susanna oder auch in Calella, Sitges, Salou wie auch an der Küste von Barcelona entlang finden, in denen man günstig übernachten und das gesamte Budget in einen guten Golfkurs oder in intensive Übungstage investieren kann.

Golf Hotels: a formula that works

Golf generates more than 1550 millions of Euros in all Europe, and Spain is, among all, the favourite destination of one out of every three European golfers.  This confirms that investing in golf tourism is really advantageous in Spain, reason by which golf hotels are one of the most profitable businesses. Nevertheless, the average stay of golfers in Spain has seemingly reduced a bit, the average stay is 13 days and the range of expenses goes from 90 to 200 Euros per day.

The community that benefits the most from  this type of sport tourism is by far Andalusia and, specifically, the golf hotels in Chiclana, Cádiz, Marbella... Actually, Costa del Sol is the destination that receives —according to data collected in the last Golf Travel Market celebrated the last year in Catalonia— almost the 13% of golfers coming from European countries to Spain.  As regards to the rest of them, a 3,9% go to Costa Brava, with its complete golf courses and its hotels in the coast of Barcelona and Girona, 3,2& goes to the Canary Islands, privileged with their eternal spring which is ideal for practising this sport.  The remaining 8,7% goes to the rest of golf destinations in Spain.

Just in Andalusia, golf tourism produced about 500 millions of Euros in the last year, according to figures provided by La Junta de Andalusia the last July and obtained from a series of surveys of one thousand golf lovers and almost a hundred of managers of golf courses in the autonomous community. The data could be initially surprising, but it is perfectly in keeping with the dedicated efforts and the infrastructure as well prepared as few in the world.  Andalusia has 108 golf courses. Almost half of them are situated in Malaga and 22% in Cádiz. These courses received, in 2013, 452,000 tourists and golf lovers.

Weather, good quality infrastructure, professionalism and golf hotels where we can enjoy an authentic luxury accommodation, make of Andalusia the perfect destination for a golf lover in our country.

Accommodation for golfers

The hotel trade has listened to customers and is offering modern hotels for sports lovers, providing very specialized services, focused on guests' needs.  We can find this type of accommodations in the entire coast of Andalusia, standing out several hotels in Calas de Conil (Cádiz), numerous beach resorts in Marbella, and even several All Inclusive Hotels in Torrox Costa, two of the most representative holiday areas in Malaga.

Other accommodations, nevertheless, were originally created as accommodations specially conceived for golf lovers.  Among them, stand out the golf hotels in Isla Canela (Huelva) whose model has been adopted by other important resorts such as the golf hotel in Llucmajor (Majorca), which was before managed by Marriot and now belongs to Iberostar Hotels & Resorts.

Golf courses in Spain

Although the best courses are situated in Andalusia, there are many other places in Spain where we can enjoy authentic golf paradises: on the seashore, under the shade of a volcano, beside the stunning mountains... The Mediterranean communities, from Catalonia to the Balearic and Canary Islands, are some of the most important tourist centres offering also ideal scenes for a golf getaway with a friend or all the family.

According to the data presented by Palma de Mallorca 365 Tourism Foundation, in the capital of the Balearic Islands, —where there are 5 golf courses now— the golf tourism increased 4% in 2013, producing 160 millions of Euros.  But, besides the 5 courses in Palma, Majorca has other 18 courses among which stand out those located in the coast of Calvià —close to some of the best spa hotels in Santa Ponsa— and those located in the northern coast, ideal area for a golf getaway with family, since there are situated the most complete hotels with miniclub in Playa de Muro and hotels for children in Alcudia.  

Most of these golf courses in Majorca have 18 holes, with elaborate and versatile rounds allowing both amateurs and professionals of all levels to practice this sport.  Some of them have even school and, most of them, offer equipment rental, shop, personalized courses.

Tenerife is another of the destinations in Spain that has invested in golf tourism in Spain. This island has 9 golf courses, standing out those situated in the southern coast, such as Golf Costa Adeje, very close to the All Inclusive hotels in Costa Adeje and to some of the most exclusive luxury resorts in Tenerife.

Returning to the Mediterranean, Costa Brava and La Daurada are two of the most recommended areas for those who want a golf holiday without worries. There you can find hotels in Santa Susanna, accommodations in Calella, Sitges, Salou and all types of accommodations throughout the coast of Barcelona, perfect for resting at affordable prices and investing the budget in a good golf course or in whole day intensive practices.