Benidorm gradually getting back to normal
More hotels have reopened, and bars and shops are following suit this week as all budget airlines are back with flights to Alicante-Elche
BENIDORM is gradually getting back to normal this week as more people arrive from the UK and more hotels and other establishments are reopening.
Since Wednesday both Jet2 and easyJet reinstated their routes between the UK and Alicante airport, although low cost Irish carrier Ryanair has already been operating since last week.
The arrival of more foreign holidaymakers is adding to the the also increasing number of domestic tourists, who have been arriving mainly in their own vehicles over the past week. The roads in the resort are noticeably busier, partly due to the influx of national visitors.
Thanks to this, more bars, cafes and restaurants are opening up daily after a long and difficult period, adjusting to the new health requirements for both their staff's and customers' safety.
Many hotels have already opened, including the Dynastic,
Melia, Cimbel, Brisa and Port Benidorm, plus Benidorm's newest hotel, 10 Porto Poniente, a four-star with a luxury rooftop swimming pool.
Servigroup, by far the biggest hotel group in Benidorm, with nine hotels in the resort, initially only planned to open two – Torre Dorada and Diplomatic, but following a lot of public backlash and criticism they have now changed their approach and announced that there will be a progressive reopening of other establishments starting from August 1.
The hotel group reopened its flagship Magic Robin Hood resort on June 22, with 470 cabins available, and the Villa del Mar, on the front line of Poniente beach offering 108 rooms.
The Magic Natura resort opened this week, offering 350 cabins and on July 23, Benidorm Celebration will open with 93 apartments.
The group said that in recent weeks they had experienced a 400% increase in reservations and enquiries, and that the group are offering special deals to healthcare workers and those who were deemed 'essential' during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Both waterparks – Aqualandia and Aqua Natura are now open, as well as Mundomar and Terra Natura. The only theme park missing is Terra Mitica, which announced they will not be reopening this year because the strict social distancing requirements would be virtually impossible to maintain on rides.