My name is Ive, and for the hundreds of travel guides I have created and written over the last few years, I have been to many holiday destinations and hotels in Spain. On this page, I give you my list of where to stay in Spain, the hotels that are the absolute best in any price category.
The hotels below were selected on these 4 criteria:
- Be different and unique
- Location, location, location!
- Great online reviews and live up to them in real life
- Excellent value for money
Below I also provide affiliate links to Booking.com so you can quickly find more pictures, prices and deals!
Best family hotels in Spain
Playa de Muro has to be the best destination for a relaxing family holiday in Mallorca. It is also here that you will find the Viva Blue hotel. This hotel is located centrally in the resort, and the beach is within 2 minutes of walking. Playa de Muro has been often mentioned as one of the most beautiful beaches in Mallorca. So ideal for families who love the beach. However, in the hotel, you find also many different pools for children as well as adults only.
Hotel Riu Gran Canaria in the Meloneras area of Gran Canaria is another excellent family holiday hotel. This is located in one of the quieter, newer and more upscale areas in Gran Canaria. The hotel is, in my opinion, one of the best hotels I have seen for an all-inclusive family holiday in a pleasant and peaceful location.
Iberostar Lanzarote Park in Playa Blanca is great for a family holiday with lots of entertainment for the entire family and an ideal location next to the Playa Flamingo. This beach is one of the more family-friendly beaches in Lanzarote. In the hotel, you have many different pools as well as one dedicated to children with slides and fun things to play with.
In Tenerife, the Spring Hotel Bitacora is one of your best choices for a family holiday. Located in the quiet part of Playa de las Americas you have lots of restaurants and family fun nearby and many different beaches within easy walking distance. The hotel is entirely focused on children with a big playground and lots of entertainment.
For those looking for a family holiday next to a beautiful beach, the Melia Cala Galdana has to be one of the best hotels. From pretty much all rooms in the hotel you have a fantastic view of the sea as the hotel is located right next to it and most rooms face the beach. Cala Galdana in Menorca is also one of my favourite locations on the island. The beach is amazing, and the resort feels nice and compact with plenty of family fun stuff to do and see.
Best adults only hotels in Spain
Lani’s Suites de Luxe in Puerto del Carmen has to be one of the nicest boutique hotels I have been to during my travels. It has a nice and compact feel with a very personal and attentive service. Since there are only a few suites, it is always quiet and relaxing around the pool. In front of the suites, you find a little private beach and many lovely places to eat all around the hotel. Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote is an excellent place if you want an active nightlife with lots of bars, restaurants and things to do, but the hotel itself has a quiet and relaxed location even in the evening and nighttime.
H10 Big Sur is a little boutique hotel located in Los Cristianos. This is an excellent destination in Tenerife for those who like the best of both worlds. A good mix of traditional and touristy. While you have many of the main attractions and things to see and do in Tenerife nearby, Los Cristianos still is one of the more authentic destinations in the South of Tenerife. However, if you like to go clubbing or on a shopping spree… Playa de las Americas just next door is ideal for this.
Want nature, relaxation and to get away from it all in Mallorca, then Viva Suites and Spa might be the best choice for you. This hotel has a nice open feel and is located in Cala Mesquida, one of the lesser-known places on the island. There are only 4 hotels here and a fantastic beach. If you want a beach, nature, and relaxation, this adults-only hotel is ideal for you. If you want to see something else one day, Cala Ratjada is nearby with many restaurants and an active nightlife. You can quickly get there by taxi, bus or a 40-minute walk over the mountain path.
For the ideal mix between active and relaxation, the Artiem Audax in Cala Galdana is perfect. If you want to relax, you can stay in the hotel with an amazing pool overlooking the entire area. The hotel also has one of the best gyms, and from the hotel, you can also do lots of sports like kayaking, hiking and mountain biking. Ideal for an active adults-only holiday.
Marina Bayview Apartments is located in Puerto Rico in Gran Canaria. From here you have a unique sea view setting close to the beach, shopping centre and many restaurants and bars. The complex has a nice breezy and fresh feel. Puerto Rico is ideal for those who want a lot of choices and have everything nearby.
Best luxury hotels in Spain
Sir Anthony is a pretty unique hotel in Playa de las Americas. When arriving, I thought it was an adults-only hotel, but it was not. This hotel is adult-oriented. So mainly aimed at adults, but children are welcome also, but I did not see any under 12 years old. The whole hotel has a pretty personal and private feel and is located right next to the beautiful Playa del Camison and close to all the restaurants and active nightlife this area offers. But the hotel is located far enough away from it all not to be disturbed by it.
Insotel Punta Prima Prestige Suites & Spa is one of the most beautiful hotels in Menorca. Located in the Punta Prima area, it is very close to the airport, so ideal for those staying just a few days. But don’t worry, none of the aeroplanes flies over or close to this area, so it is very peaceful and relaxed here. The hotel is set in a large area with lots of space and beautiful gardens.
The Meloneras area in Gran Canaria is your ideal destination for a luxury holiday on the island. Most of the hotels in this area are new or newly renovated and cater to an upscale audience. In this area, you find the Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia. This is a 5-star GL hotel. That is basically 6 stars, but since Gran Canaria does not have an official 6-star classification, it is ranked as 5-star “Grande Luxe”.
If you are looking for a luxury holiday with small children, then the Protur Biomar Gran Hotel & Spa in Sa Coma in Mallorca might be best for you. This hotel has everything you want for a luxury family holiday, a quiet and relaxed location, and a good selection of activities for small children. However, the children entertainment is located away from the main areas of the hotel, so it maintains a quiet, relaxed and luxurious vibe.
Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel is a 5+ star hotel in the Playa Blanca area of Lanzarote. This hotel is located right next to the Playa Blanca beach and has a grand luxury feel. The hotel is pretty big, so it has much to discover, like many different restaurants and an extensive indoor play area for the kids.
Best beach hotels in Spain
Carema Beach Menorca is a nice hotel with an open and breezy feel that is all about the sea and the beach. From most of the rooms in this hotel, you will have a great view of the beach. The hotel has a nice pool with little islands to chill and sunbathe on. It is also directly connected to the beach and is located in the heart of Cala n Bosch, close to all the bars, restaurants and nightlife. This area of Menorca is excellent for those looking for a family beach holiday.
It does not sound logical to have the most beautiful beach in a big busy capital. But for the Playa de las Canteras in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, this is the case. Here you will find the Bull Reina Isabel and Spa right next to the beach. If you don’t feel like going to the beach one day, they have a rooftop pool overlooking the beach. Since this is the island’s capital, there are many markets, shopping centres, and restaurants.
A very family-friendly hotel right next to one of the more beautiful beaches in Mallorca is the Zafiro Bahia in Playa de Muro. The hotel has many different pools for adults only, children play pools and relax pools, but the main attraction is the Playa de Muro beach. This is often named one of the nicer beaches in Mallorca, and the Zafiro Bahia is right next to this beach’s more untouched and pristine area.
For those who want a unique beach experience, the Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife in Playa Paraiso might be great for you. Here you have many different smaller beaches to choose from and the Hard Rock beach club from where you can enjoy the beach.
The Las Costas in Puerto del Carmen is the most ideally located beach hotel on the island. Due know that Lanzarote can get a bit windy some days because of its location, but for these days, you have a nice pool in the hotel sheltered from the beach by a glass wall. Therefore, if you like to combine the beach with an active place with lots of things to see and do in the nighttime, this is your best choice in Lanzarote.
Best all-inclusive hotels in Spain
Note: For all the hotels mentioned above, one of the big ranking factors was the location. Since in an all-inclusive hotel, you mostly stay in the hotel, I do not consider this as a big ranking factor for all-inclusive hotels.
Gran Castillo Tagoro Family & Fun in Playa Blanca is a very unique all-inclusive holiday hotel in the Playa Blanca area of Lanzarote. I like this hotel as it is very surprising and there are many little things to discover in the hotel. The hotel also has its own private little sandy beach inside of the hotel and many different pools.
In one of the quieter areas of Tenerife, you will find the Bahia Principe Sunlight Tenerife. This all-inclusive hotel is located just on the edge of the Playa Paraiso. It is a huge complex, one of the bigger ones in Tenerife, with everything you could want inside the hotel.
Cala Barca is one of the lesser-known holiday destinations in Mallorca. There is only one real hotel here, the Iberostar Club Cala Barca. An enormous all-inclusive hotel with in typical Iberostar style many entertainment options for the entire family. There are also some lovely beaches nearby, like the Cala Mondrago. If you would want a change of scenery, both Portopedro and Cala d’Or are nearby. Both of these you can easily reach by bus, car or boat trip from Cala Barca.
Clubhotel Riu Vistamar is a great all-inclusive hotel to visit all year round. This hotel is located on top of the mountain overlooking the ocean and Playa de Amadores beach. It has lots of fun things to see and do in the hotel and great entertainment in typical Riu style. A shuttle bus goes from the hotel every few hours to take you to the beach and the neighbouring resort.
Zafiro Menorca is an ideal all-inclusive hotel for those who want a more compact all-inclusive hotel. This hotel is located in Cala en Bosch close to lots of evening and nightlife. The hotel has many different pools and great day and nighttime entertainment for the entire family.
When to go where in Spain
Most of the beach holiday destinations in Spain have warm weather most of the summer, but in winter, this changes:
- May to September, anywhere in Spain near the beach, it will be mostly hot.
- April and October is taking a bit of a risk for most places in Spain but you can get lucky. The Canary Islands have great weather in these months also.
- November to March it is best to plan your holiday in the Canary Islands as there the weather is best this time of year.
