Book ahead for bargains

LEAVING hotel bookings until the last moment is no longer a good idea for a Benidorm holiday.

Foreign tour operators have made so many advance bookings, often six months beforehand, that few of the last-minute rooms habitually offered at bargain prices were available last summer.   

Hoteliers welcomed this trend which increased turnover and allowed the sector to standardise accommodation charges, although travel agencies reacted more negatively.  

Their own turnover increased by approximately 15 per cent in July and August, but this could have been doubled if last-minute bookings had not fallen, they said.

Spanish tourists were the most affected last summer by the advance reservations tendency as they are notoriously late bookers, explained travel agents’ association, Avibe.

Only days before setting out for Benidorm many found little to choose from and instead of the good deal they had expected they encountered few options and high prices.

The best way to secure a bargain on the Costa Blanca is to book well in advance instead of waiting until the last moment, Avibe sources warned.