Where to stay in Alicante

Alicante is an apartment city

Holiday apartments make up much more of Alicante's lodging market than chain hotels, especially along Playa de San Juan and the residential coast. I usually rent a beach apartment instead of staying in a hotel. Alicante is more often a family beach trip built around an apartment than a trip built around a destination hotel.

The AC Hotel Alicante is decent when a conventional chain hotel makes more sense. The Meliá Alicante is probably the best-known full-service hotel in the city. There is no single luxury property that defines Alicante, and the chain selection is fairly thin compared with the number of apartments.

Pick the area before the property

The center puts the train station, restaurants, the Mercat, the castle, and Postiguet within walking distance. Playa de San Juan has a longer beach and more holiday apartments, with residential blocks behind the sand. Albufereta and El Campello are quieter options farther up the coast. TRAM d'Alacant connects all three with central Alicante, so staying near the coast does not require a car for every trip into town.