A 13-STRONG group of travel agents from Saint Petersburg and Kaliningrad visited Benidorm last week. All represent leading firms in Russia and they spent the three-day break touring the resort and learning what it has to offer.  

This was the first time they had visited this part of Spain, they explained, as they are always keen to find new destinations for clients.

CLIENTS at Benidorm’s Hotel Poseidon can watch their weight despite being on holiday. All the food in the hotel buffet is labelled with its nutritional values, and that includes calories.

The Poseidon is the first hotel in Spain to take this step.  The innovation was presented to the public by Antonio Mayor, president of the Hosbec hoteliers’ association and Manuel Llombart, who heads the regional government’s Health department.

The idea has been introduced at the Poseidon as a pilot scheme although it could eventually be adopted by others of the 161 hotels belonging to Hosbec.

The multi-language labelling on the buffet food also gives information regarding suitability for those with coeliac disease, dietary allergies or hypertension.

BENIDORM Golf Society and British Armed Forces Golf Society took to the fairways of Alenda Golf Course on Wednesday April 24, for their annual Challenge Cup.

A 10.00am start saw 32 players competing in a singles, doubles & team competition. The weather conditions were ideal for golf, clear blue sky and very little wind. The golf course was in perfect condition, fast greensand lovely fairways made the course an absolute delight to play.

The loud zumba class music blaring out from an open window of the first floor clubhouse didn’t deter players as they tee'd up on the first hole, several even took the opportunity to practice a few dance moves.

 The 2013 winners trophy went to the Armed Forces Golf Society beating Benidorm Golf Society 13.5 points to 10.5 points. The best individual prizes went to Martin Hendry (BAFGS) 39 points and Jim Gordon (BGS) with 36 points.

Winning pair from BGS was Terry Willetts & Jim Gordon on 68 points, runners up from BAFGS Les Jordan and Martin Hendry with 66 points. The best front nine award went to Martin Hendry 22 points and best back nine went to Paul Thacker(BGS) with 17 points.

A special award for the player who found the longest way around the course went to Dave Edmunds into double figures.

The societies also competed for eight spot prizes; Nearest the pin hole 3 Mick Vessey, hole 4 Gavin Dent hole 5 Kevin Innes, hole 11 Martin Hendry, hole 16 Matt Woods, hole 17 Les Jordan, longest drive went to Jack Caruthers and Paul Thacker won the longest putt. Guests are very welcome to join Benidorm GS for a game by using the contact form on their website at www.benidormgolfsociety.com or telephone Paul on; 652 192 182

BENIDORM’S neglected Parque de Elche is being spruced up. Growing criticism of its increasingly run-down appearance has spurred the council into action.

Flowerbeds have been dug along its length and planted with hardy perennials including lavender, germander and weeping fig. They have been separated from the road by a fence which serves the additional purpose of making the children’s recreation area a safer place to play.

The park is the responsibility of the regional government but as it has failed to take action, Benidorm town has carried out the work itself. “The Generalitat continually forgets about Benidorm,” complained Tourism councillor Gema Amor.

WHEN the Madrid-Alicante high speed AVE train service begins, Benidorm wants some of the action. The date is set for June 24, coinciding with Alicante city’s Hogueras fiestas, and in Benidorm it is felt that if private enterprise is to benefit from the AVE local businesses must take the initiative themselves.

It rankles that the arrival of the AVE in Alicante is not receiving the same treatment as Valencia. “A great deal of money was spent in promotional meetings,” pointed out Antonio Mayor, president of the Hosbec hoteliers associaiton. “Possibly too much,” he continued, “because Valencia city’s hotel trade has hardly benefited from the train.

“With Alicante the opposite has happened and the AVE has not been linked to the tourist sector,” Mayor claimed. Benidorm businesses are already in talks with six tour operators and travel agencies and are putting together packages with accommodation in Benidorm for visitors who arrive from Madrid on the AVE.  

The offer will include a coach or minibus shuttle service from the AVE station in Alicante to Benidorm. “They will always sleep in Benidorm,” said Gema Amor, councillor responsible for Tourism, during a meeting of members of the Benidorm Tourism foundation.  

“The aim is to promote Benidorm, not the AVE,” she explained. Her department is now discussing with rail authority Adif the possibility of including the Benidorm offer on the AVE web page.

Local businesses also believe the AVE link will be an added attraction for Russian tourists, Mayor said. “In a little over two hours they could find themselves in the country’s cultural centre as well as first class shopping and leisure facilities,” Mayor pointed out.

The Madrid excursions would be a complementary offer that will not distract Russian tourists from Benidorm’s restaurants and theme parks, Amor stressed.

HOTEL occupancy in Benidorm is expected to be between 75 and 85 per cent over Easter.

The highest levels are expected between today (Thursday) and Sunday, and at the time of writing, the Benidorm and Costa Blanca Hotel Association was hoping for some last minute bookings to improve figures.

The association also pointed out that Benidorm was the most sought for holiday destination on hotel comparison site Trivago amongst the Spanish for Easter holidays.  It is also amongst the most popular destinations all year round, along with Madrid, Barcelona and London.

The President of the Association, Antonio Mayor, said that Benidorm is the only tourist city on the Iberian Peninsula which has all services operating.

“All the accommodation, leisure and complementary services are open and running, whereas other destinations haven’t opened for the season yet,” he said.

The fact that Benidorm is open “all year round” means that there are plenty of tourists even out of peak times such as Easter.  Almost half of those tourists come from abroad, and many have headed to Benidorm in the first few months of this year to escape the cold weather in the UK.

High temperatures are expected on the Costa Blanca and Valencia at Easter, in contrast will most other parts of Spain where rain is expected on and off until Wednesday.  Although some showers are expected in the area, they will not be heavy on the coast, the State Meteorological Agency reports. 

A BOILER-ROOM gang which operated from Benidorm and scammed people in four countries has been dismantled and eight people arrested.

National Police report that they had stolen up to €300,000 from people in Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Holland since 2007.

Arrests took place in Benidorm and Denia, as well as Austria, Germany and Slovenia.

The gang, using false names and companies, offered fake financial investments over the phone to their victims at very attractive rates.

The salesmen get as much money out of victims as possible before ceasing all communication. The money was paid into bank accounts in Spain and then transferred to other accounts.

The investigation began following the report of an Austrian woman who was the victim of fraud. National Police believe that more victims of the scam could still come forward and that the amount made by the gang may be as high as €10 million. 

ABOUT 700 would-be actors queued for a chance to be an extra in the hit TV comedy Benidorm.

People of all ages, shapes and sizes were clamouring to get their five minutes of fame plus a small wage for appearing in the sixth series of Benidorm.

There were many Spanish people in the queue at the Hotel Melia Benidorm who were attracted by the chance to earn €50 a day.

The hit series has boosted Benidorm’s coffers considerably as they need to rent rooms in hotels as well as in the bars they use.

The Sol Pelicanos features in many scenes as well as Morgan’s Tavern, which is known as Neptune’s in the series. It has also inspired many more people to visit the resort to see for themselves where filming has taken place.

A British man is in hospital after fire broke out in his holiday home in Benidorm.

The 34-year-old man and his son were taken to the Alicante General Hospital after the blaze in their second-floor flat.

He is being treated for first and second degree burns, while his son suffered minor injuries.

Around 30 people were evacuated from the building, located in Calle Armada Espanola, and it took firefighters more than an hour to get the flames under control.

An investigation has now been launched into the cause of the blaze.

Last week, an 83-year-old German died in a fire at his home in Benidorm.

AN elderly German has died in a fire at his home in Benidorm (Alicante).

Police, firefighters and ambulance staff rushed to his home, a fourth-floor apartment on the C/ Virgen de la Merced, but were unable to save the man, who is believed to have died from smoke inhalation.

The emergency services were alerted by a young mother, who rented a room in the same apartment. She had been woken up by a neighbour who had had seen smoke billowing out.

The woman went to wake the 83 year old man, but he was already dead.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known, but an ashtray was found near the mattress that went up in flames, firefighters said.

by SGL