Benidorm – The World’s First SMART Destination

Benidorm is the 1st SMART destination in the world. That’s a pretty sweeping statement. So, what’s it all about? It means that this mega resort is whip smart. And intelligent. And it’s boxing clever. A trip to the Town Hall where Antonio demonstrated on gigantic MAC screens how Benidorm is leading the posse in tourist intelligence was simply fascinating. The data collection is second to none and checks flight connectivity with local airport, Alicante; it collates visitor opinion regarding nightlife, culture, beaches etc; it compares data from year to year; it measures hotel occupancy; convenes with hotel and business owners; follows social media commentary and it even tracks “Posidonia” – an underwater plant that naturally cleanses water. This is all pretty smart.

We even had a presentation with Maria at Dinapsis who gave us an insight into how a resort such as Benidrom manages its water consumption; how it keeps an eagle eye on its underground pipes; conducts a desalination programme where necessary and maintains an enormous resort day to day providing adequate water supplies for locals and visitors alike. Of course, sustainability is key to the ongoing success of all these smart plans and is essential to the viability of our planet in the future. Quite an eyeopener. And, pretty smart.

Naturally, we had time to play and our marvellous guide, Sergio Frau, from Visit Benidorm was on hand constantly to ensure we saw every side of Benidorm. Sergio showed us every facet of the resort. As a first-time visitor (as was my colleague Kevin), we were amazed that Benidorm is a large city and, with that, comes all the opportunities and infrastructure of a mature resort. There are doubtless pre-conceived notions about Benidorm and not all of them positive. However, I assure you that we examined all the amenities, walked through the delightful old town, shopped till we dropped, stared (perhaps enviously!) at beautiful beaches Levante and Poniente, tasted all the mouthwatering food from tapas to innovative dishes of local provenance and managed a jeep safari and a wander round the picturesque mountain village of Guadalest. We even enjoyed a tasting tipple at local Enrique Mendoza’s wonderful winery where the Monastrell grape was king.

Terra Mitica is a marvellous family adventure park where Greece, Egypt and Rome are represented, and daredevil adrenalin rides are par for the course. Golf is a big deal in Benidorm too as is cycling with mountain bike practice trails all over. The beaches are pristine and accessibility for the less mobile features strongly. So, plenty of activities for all ages.

Highlights of the trip must include the gastronomy of Benidorm: we ate stunning seafood paella (Paella del Senyoret) in Ulia Restaurant overlooking Poniente Beach; delicious tapas in Taperia Aurrera on Tapas Alley in Old Town; La Fava Restaurant in the vanguard of modern cuisine (Benidorm Old Town) and Exotico Benidorm for innovative Spanish food (in Primavera Park Hotel). A glass of wine (house wine Rioja) was 3.5 euro in our 5* Melia Villaitana Hotel. Now, that’s pretty smart!

Truly, I believe there is a Benidorm for everyone, and it’s got 300 days of sunshine per annum. It would be pretty smart to visit.