Chapter 7. Book your Own Accommodation in Spain

How to book your own accommodation in Spain       Apartment for rent in Gandia, Spain Costa Blanca apartment rental



Book your Own Accommodation

There is a vast range of different types of accommodation available in all parts of Spain. These vary considerably in terms of facilities, services, and of course price. Cheapest has got to be camping. If you bring your own tent this will keep down the cost of your holiday accommodation! For those of us not inclined to the outdoor life, self-catering accommodation is very reasonable and provides the facility to cook your own food. This eliminates the cost of eating in restaurants. At the other end of the scale there are top class hotels with all the luxuries you could expect. The DIY Holidaymaker will have a huge choice of hotels and will almost certainly get better value for money than a Package Holiday traveller.

Types of Accommodation

  • Hotels
  • Self Catering Apartments, Aparthotels, and Villas
  • Guest Houses
  • Camping
  • Youth Hostels
  • Paradors

    Hotels, Aparthotels and Self-Catering Apartments

    In Spain some of the best (and cheapest) accommodation options are hotels, aparthotels, and self-catering apartments. Hotels are graded from one to five star, five being the most luxurious.
    Self-catering apartments are especially favoured by DIY Holidaymakers because you can buy your food in the local supermarket and prepare it in your own kitchen or kitchenette. In this way the food part of your holiday costs no more than if you stayed at home! In addition, self-catering accommodation tends to be more spacious than hotel rooms and this can be a bonus for families. Apartments come in a full range of sizes from studios which consist of one room containing bed, living area and cooking area, through one_bedroom apartments, up to four bedroom apartments. For even bigger groups you can hire entire villas or houses for less money than you would think. In Spain most apartments are let by their owners or managers on a "price per apartment" basis irrespective of the number of occupants. So you can forget about under-occupancy supplements, they simply do not apply to the DIY Holidaymaker!
    Staying in a hotel does not mean you have to eat in the hotel for all, or any, of your meals. If you have booked room-only you can choose where you wish to eat: Sometimes in your hotel, sometimes in a local restaurant, or sometimes buy food in the local supermarket and have a picnic.
    An aparthotel combines the benefits of both hotel and self-catering. These complexes tend to have hotel rooms and self-catering accommodation within the same building and guests have access to all the facilities on offer, for example the restaurant, pool, bar, reception, etc.
    The resorts of Spain are full of hotels, apartments, and other accommodation and there are nearly always some empty rooms available, even in peak season. It is astounding how cheap accommodation can be. Especially if you're travelling off-peak, for example outside school holidays, you can pick up a hotel room for next to nothing. In addition, most chains have regular promotional offers which can halve the cost of a room.
    When booking a hotel or apartment note that a double room means a room with a double bed, a twin room has two beds. Private shower, bath and WC indicates en-suite facilities. In self-catering accommodation, a studio means one room with cooking/kitchen facilities in the room and private bathroom. A one-bedroom apartment usually has a lounge and a separate bedroom with a small kitchen area in the lounge. Room rates are usually quoted per room rather than per person. Check if service charge and tax is included in the price. The Spanish equivalent of VAT (IVA), can adds an extra 7% to the price.

    Booking Directly with the Hotel or Apartment

    All hotel chains and most independent hotels allow you to book directly. Usually they'll ask for a credit card as a guarantee, but no charge will be made until you arrive, a great way to spread out the cost of your holiday. You can book a hotel room in several ways:

  • online
  • by letter
  • by fax
  • by telephone

    To book online simply visit the relevant website and follow the instructions. Make a note of the hotel's address and phone number. You will need the phone number to confirm the booking prior to travelling and you will need the address to show the taxi driver when you arrive in your resort.
    Booking directly by telephone is a great way to book because you can ascertain availability and cost straight away. You can also ask if there are any extras (probably not), supplements (there shouldn't be), or tax (eg VAT or IVA) in addition to the price quoted. You should request confirmation of your booking in writing. Booking by telephone means you can ask for directions on how to get to the hotel or specify a sea view. It is also the quickest method of finding out how far it is to the beach, the proximity of shops/discos/restaurants, or the depth of the swimming pool.
    If you are nervous about phoning, if you want to save money on your phone bill, or if you don't have a credit card you may wish to book by letter. It is just as good as booking by telephone, it just takes longer. Many people like to enquire about availability, cost etc by phone and then make the booking by letter. In this way you have the security of knowing your booking information is down on paper and you can, if needed, send a cheque or bank draft with your letter.
    Fax is a way of sending a letter quickly. This can be advantageous especially if you request a reply or confirmation by return fax. However you can't send a cheque by fax. If you don't have a fax machine try using the facilities provided by local businesses. Some shops, businesses, post-offices, libraries etc offer a "fax-from-here" service for a small charge. Look for the "fax-from-here" notice in the window or look up "Fax Bureaux" in your Yellow Pages.

    Finding a Hotel or Apartment

    For an excellent list of virtually every hotel and apartment in Spain visit the Spanish Tourist Agency at www.tourspain.es and click on the British flag to get the English language version. Follow the links to the accommodation, headed: "Are you looking for lodging?" You will be presented with a map of Spain, click on the area you wish to visit and choose your preferred accommodation type e.g. H = hotel, A = apartment, etc. Complete the online form choosing options as appropriate e.g. number of rooms, near beach, with pool, and so on. If you are not fussy then don't choose any options. A list of various hotels or apartments will be returned to you within a few seconds of submitting the form. The less options you chose; the longer the list. Clicking on the name of the hotel or apartment will provide you with all the information you need regarding telephone, fax, address, prices. For example the Océano Hotel in the Canary Islands charges 39.07 Euros (about£26) per night for a double room and the price is the same throughout the year (01 Jan to 31 Dec). This means that one week's accommodation for two people would cost £182 (or £91 per person). The information listed on the website is as follows:

    Océano Hotel


    Castillo, 6
    38002 Santa Cruz de Tenerife
    Tel: 922270800
    Fax: 922246378

    Rooms with private bathroom

    SEASON SINGLE ROOM DOUBLE ROOM DATES


    HIGH 22,54 EUR# 39,07 EUR# 01/01-31/12
    MEDIUM*
    LOW*

    * In this example, because the HIGH Season lasts from 01/01 - 31/12 (ie all year) there are no prices given for MEDIUM or LOW Season
    # Note that in Spain the comma is used to separate the EUR from the CENTS. So 22,54 means 22 Euros and 54 cents

    Another example for a two bedroom apartment at the Atlantic Apartments in Magaluf (Mallorca) shows that the owner is Juan Guasp Coll, and indicates that the price in the high season is 50 pesetas per night (about £34). This calculates to £238 per week. With three people sharing the apartment this calculates to less than £80 each per week! In low season the price of the apartment drops to approx £132 per week!

    Atlantic Apartments


    BALEAR MANAGEMENT, S.L.
    Type: APARTAMENTOS
    Address: Punta Ballena, s/n
    City: Magaluf
    Owner: GUASP COLL, JUAN
    Number of apartments: 20
    Guest capacity: 44

    SEASON PRICE


    HIGH 50
    L0W 28
    If you can't access the information on the website then simple ask the Spanish Tourist Office for a list of hotels or apartments that meet your requirements. You can ask the Tourist Office in the UK or contact the Tourist Office in Spain nearest to your chosen holiday destination. A full list of these offices is given in the Appendix at the back of this book.
    Private villa and apartment owners and people with guest rooms advertise their holiday properties in newspapers, magazines, or on the web. In some cases an agency handles the marketing and rentals.
    We recommend that initially you book your accommodation provisionally. This means get the hotel or accommodation owner to hold the reservation for you for a day or two while you book your flights. With a hotel, hostel or guest house you can arrive any day of the week, but self catering accommodation if normally let from saturday to saturday, or friday to friday, etc and you may have to arrive on a particular day of the week. This is important because charter flights do not neccessarily run every day of the week and you may be restricted to a particular day. With low cost airlines such as Go, weekends flights are usually more expensive than midweek flights. If you are travelling on a night flight ensure that you will be able to check in at the accommodation you have selected when you arrive.
    Once you have booked your flight you should confirm your accommodation. At this stage you may have to pay a deposit or supply your credit card details.

    Family Guest Houses

    The hostal (basic hotel) and the pension (guest house) provide accommodation of a more modest nature. There is often a more family-like atmosphere, since it is usually the owners themselves who see to the cooking and the cleaning of the rooms. Rates tend to include bed and board. This type of lodging is more frequent in small towns and villages, and in country districts. Hostels are also graded by a star system and you can find hostels rooms with private facilities, balconies and swimming pools. Even some youth hostels have pools!

    Camping

    With close on 1,200 official camp sites and 650,000 individual spaces, Spain is literally dotted with camp sites which provide accommodation at reasonable rates. The cost varies according to the location, category, the services and facilities provided, the season, the size of your tent and the number of occupants. Expect to pay an average of £10 per night for the hire of the pitch for a tent and two people. Campsites are graded and facilities at a first class site will be excellent and especially good for families with children.
    You do not have to camp in a camp site but remember that uncontrolled camping is forbidden in and around many towns and in some parts of the country. It is advisable to check at the local tourist office before you pitch your tent. Details of official camp sites are available from the Spanish Tourist Office or visit www.tourspain.es

    Youth Hostels

    Generally coming within the competence of the respective Regional Authority Youth and Sports Departments (Direcciones Generales de la Juventud y el Deporte), a comprehensive network of Youth Hostels in cities and the main tourist areas provide decent lodging at very reasonable rates. For information on joining the Youth Hostel movement contact:

    Youth Hostels Association
    Trevelyan House
    8 St Stephen's Hill
    St Albans
    Herts
    AL1 2DY
    Tel. 0870 870 8808
    customerservices@yha.org.uk
    www.yha.org.uk

    For information from the Spanish Youth Hostel association you should contact:
    Red Española de Albergues Juveniles
    C/. José Ortega y Gasset 71
    Madrid 28006
    SPAIN
    Tel: (34) (91) 3477700
    Fax: (34) (91) 4018160
    Email: streaj@mtas.es

    The International Youth Hostel Federation has details on Youth Hostel Associations worldwide including an online booking service:
    http://www.hihostels.com

    Other websites you may like to visit:
    Hostels in Spain: Barcelona, Madrid, Malalga, Sevilla, Cordoba etc
    www.hostelseurope.com

    Youth Hostels in Spain
    www.spaindata.com/data/hostelfind.shtml

    See also the complete list of websites in Chapter 13.

    Tourist Paradors

    The Tourist Paradors (Paradores de Turismo) are a special (not cheap) accommodation located in old restored buildings of special historic or artistic interest. These buildings, often located in settings of great natural beauty, will delight the connoisseur of architecture or art. There are over eighty Paradors scattered across Spain.

    Central Reservation Office for Paradors
    C/ Requena 3
    28013 Madrid
    Tel. 915 166666
    Fax. 915 166657
    www.parador.es

    Tip

    Get some glossy brochures from a travel agent. They are free. Browse through them till you find a hotel or apartment you like. Look on the Spanish Tourist Office website www.tourspain.es (as described previously) and find the address and phone number and then book your accommodation directly. Alternatively simply phone the Spanish Tourist Office and ask for the contact details for that hotel or apartment.

    The Spanish Tourist Office

    The Spanish Tourist Office does not make bookings of any kind but provide an excellent service in terms of supplying full details of just about every hotel and apartment in Spain. Details are available at www.tourspain.es or from the Spanish Tourist Offices on request (see details in Chapter 10).

    Booking Through an Agency

    If you are having problems reaching the individual hotel or apartment complex to make a booking, or if you encounter a language difficulty (unusual in Spain as most people in the tourist trade speak excellent English) there are numerous hotel agencies on the internet, such as www.hotelbook.com. They will check availability with the hotel and make your reservation, but they'll also charge you up-front for the privilege.
    Alternatively the Spanish Tourist Office supply a list of agencies in Spain that should be able to find and book any hotel or apartment:

    Booking Agents in Spain
    ANDALUCIA


    SENECA-RESERVATIONS CENTRE
    (hotels,apartments, rural accommodation, camping)
    CN-340 KM. 189.6
    29600 Marbella (Málaga)
    Tel.: 952836625
    Fax: 952833986
    E-mail: seneca@sopde.es
    Web: http://www.seneca-web.com

    BALEARIC ISLANDS


    MALLORCA
    CENTRAL DE RESERVAS DE LA FEDERACIÓN EMPRESARIAL HOTELERA DE MALLORCA SL
    (hotels, apartments, private homes)
    Aragón 215, 3
    07008 Palma de Mallorca Son Castelló
    Palma de Mallorca
    Tel.: 971706006
    Fax: 971470981

    CANTABRIA


    ASOCIACION EMPRESARIAL DE HOSTELERIA DE CANTABRIA
    Tel.: 942367030
    GRUPO DE ACCION LOCAL SAJA -NANSA
    Tel.: 94271 2550

    CANARY ISLANDS


    CANARY'S WORLD
    (hotels and apartments in all the islands)
    Alemania 10, Villa 111
    38660 Playa de las Américas
    Tel.: 922 788536
    Fax: 922 788537
    Web: http://www.canarysworld.com
    info@canarysworld.es

    CATALUÑA


    MARMARA CENTRAL DE RESERVAS
    (hotels and apartment in the Costa Brava and Costa Dorada)
    Vía Roma 16, local 6, edif. Medicis
    43840 Salou (Tarragona).
    Tel.: 977380466.
    Fax: 977380267

    COSTA DORADA


    K.D. RESERVAS
    (hotels, apartaments & private homes)
    Berenguer de Palou, 15
    43840 Salou (Tarragona)
    Tel.: 977385668
    Fax: 977380711

    SITGES


    SITGES CENTRAL BOOKING OFFICE
    (hotels)
    Patronato Municipal de Turismo, carrer Sinía Morera
    08870 Sitges (Barcelona).
    Tel.: 938944251
    Fax: 938944305

    COSTA BRAVA


    Costa Brava Centre (hotels only)
    Carretera Gerona -Palamós
    17253 Vall llobrega, Gerona
    Tel.: 97260 0034
    Fax: 97260 0112

    LERIDA


    INDIVIL (various services)
    Doctora Castells, 1
    25001 Lérida
    Fax: 973210584

    Booking Through an Travel Agent

    Any good high street Travel Agent should be able to book a hotel or apartment for you in Spain. They may try and persuade you to buy a package deal instead (ignore this), or to sell you unwanted insurance/car hire/airport parking etc (politely refuse), and they may charge you a fee for making the booking (well, they have to make a living). Look up your local Yellow Pages to find a list of Travel Agents in your area and telephone or visit. However, you do not need to use a local Travel Agent as the booking can be arranged by telephone or post and payment can be performed by credit card over the telephone or by cheque through the post. So any Travel Agent in the country should be able to help.

    A few selected Travel Agents in the UK that can book accommodation in Spain:

    The Independent Traveller
    2 Pockett's Yard
    High Street
    Cookham
    Berkshire
    SL6 9SL
    Telephone +44 (0)1628 522772
    Fax +44 (0)1628 524088
    www.independentraveller.co.uk
    info@independentraveller.co.uk

    Travel 4 Less
    14 Greville Street
    London
    EC1N 8SB
    www.travel4less.co.uk
    Tel: 020-74007075
    www.travel4less.co.uk
    enquiries@travel4less.co.uk

    AMS-Travel
    Tay Avenue
    Comrie
    Crieff
    Perthshire
    PH6 2PF
    Scotland
    Tel 0870 7 40 66 33
    Fax 0870 7 40 66 34
    e-mail: garnott@ams-link.co.uk
    www.ams-link.co.uk

    Booking on the Web

    There are many websites, some good some bad, where you can book hotels and other accommodation online. This is not necessarily the cheapest or the best way to book accommodation but you may find a bargain. A small selection of available websites is provided (See also Chapter 13):

    www.hotelbook.com

    Discount hotels, villas, apartments and lodgings worldwide

    www.designholidays.co.uk
    Hotels and apartments in Spanish regions including Marbella and Mallorca

    www.oceanviewvillas.co.uk
    Find a villa and book direct with the owner.

    www.ownersdirect.co.uk
    Contact owners directly to reserve rental villas and apartments in mainland Spain, Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca

    www.entrada.com/Malaga
    Hotels and travel in Malaga

    www.accommodation.com/areas/spain_hotels.htm
    Hotels, Guest Houses, Bed and Breakfasts and Short Let Apartments Spain

    Read More of Our FREE Book on DIY Holidays:

  • Chapter1. The DIY Holiday
    		•
  • Chapter 2. Before You Go
    		•
  • Chapter 3. Money
  • Chapter 4. Insurance
    		•
  • Chapter 5. Where to Go
    		•
  • Chapter 6. Book Your Own Flight
  • Chapter 7. Book Your Own Accomodation
    		•
  • Chapter 8. Airport Transfer
    		•
  • Chapter 9. Your Holiday Rep Substitute
  • Chapter 10. Information Sources
    		•
  • Chapter 11. Regions and Weather
    		•
  • Chapter 12. Telephones in Spain
  • Chapter 13. Useful Websites
    		•
  • Appendix
    		•
  • Further Information

    • Further information Overseas Property and Apartment to rent in Gandia, Costa Azahar, Spain