Dont go all inclusive in the dorm Andy as you will miss out on all that this charming place has to offer.
It is so cheap to eat and drink that A.I is not really a viable option.
Unless of course you get a stunning deal in a quality gaff.
You can go to the Melia £300 A.I which is a 4 star hotel with Atrium lobby decked out like central park with triffids and bush growing over the chrome work.
They also have a piana bar were you can sip cocktails and engage in pleasantries before dinner.
The crux of the matter is that if you have only paid circa £250 to £300 for a week then you are not really a captive audience as the value is already there in just the flights and room quality alone.
We had an all inclusive in the Dorm and stayed at the Benidorm Suites which for a three star represented superb value for money and is a top ten hotel out of hundreds on Tripadvisor.The rooms are incredible with a seperate bedroom with flexible 50 inch plasma tv that can be tilted towards the front room and bedroom having English channels.
The bed and sleep quality is very good incorperating memory foam mattresses and memory foam pillows.
The balconies are enormous and overlook the mountain range to the rear.
Entertainment is not restricted to the architypal parrot show and flamenco bollocks of days gone bye.
They have turns on from the clubs like Michael Jackson and Take That (examples only.)
So yes all inclusive can work but only if it's for pennies.
Its not so often we go to the dorm on all inclusive and I advise bed and breakfast only.
The food in the bars is good.
A favourite of ours is the Wooky Hollow and the food is pub grub but topo notcho.
The best fish and chips in the dorm and served on a giant silver platter with mushy peas.
The biggest fish you will ever sea and I am a hungey fooker but struggle to get it all down.
Steak ale pie and chips liver and onions which is superlative and Cajan chicken to die for
Average prices at around circa six euros like wow !
Two sides to the dorm and one has the new town or English quarter with an amazing stretch of beach called levante which means quite literally sunrise.
The other side is more quaint and is the old town with tapas bars galore.
The beach on this side is called poniente meaning sunset.
It's ok for a night or two but it wont make you grin as much as the new town.
Levante promanade stretches for around 2 kilometres and houses some great eating and drinking establishments
One of our favourite is Tikki beach with a sterling view of the sea looking not dissimilar to a carribean hidaway.
Live music all day long normally accoustic sessions with oasis and style council.. that sort of thing.
Beer on tap is quality and is priced at one euro fifty a pint or around £1.30 a pint.
Some good artist doing the circuits are El Divo Tom Jones which was incredible Chris rea a tribute to the seventies with the who and style council
Albir senouir (ill be seeing you ) good british comic Lionel Ricj=hie and the commodores Pablo Bloom The drifters and many many more.
The oprato moderindi with all these artists that they are streets above the club turns you see back home.
If I was to describe the quality I would say they are in a catholic Limbo somewhere between stardom and club land.
They only accept the best of the best here and I cant emphasise that enough.
I shall let you into one of my little travel secrets but keep it to yourself.
The best value by a street mile is the Thomson deal section.
Log on and clik deals at the top and pop in Manchester and let TUI weave of it's magic spell.
Self catering at the moment in the dorm for £110
I mentioned a week ago on a thread called deal or no deal of the hotel Helios offering half board for £120
What you have to bear in mind is that these deals all actually exist and can be booked immediatly online.
Not like the icelolly brigade where you ring up and that deal has gone and they try to have you for a fat lad and charge you a hundred more.
Also unlike teletext and icelolly etc Thomsons include the full package of bags and transfers.
I implore anyone off here to find me a better site to deal with such bangs for bucks when vacationing
Thomson are the second comming but only if you get them off the deal section.
I will upload some piccies shortly.
Some peoples idea of hell is Benidorm but it makes us grin and it does the same for hundreds of thousand of sunseekers the world over.
I have travelled the globe extensively and Benidorm will fufill your every desire.
Hope this helps mate and Adios
Ps here are some reasonable hotels we have used.
Helios
RH Royal
RH Victoria
Melia
Benidorm suites.
Hotel orange
hotel venus
hotel nero
hotel calypso
hotel rivierra ..brilliant
Use tripadvisor for guidance and follow the herd
The bay of Levante beach from the headland
And there is more to a holiday than vegging out on sunbeds.
The costa blanca has some of the finest ranches in the region.
Hi ho silver and away
(riding boots not obligatory)