Hi Stephanie

Christmas and New Year in Benidorm is business as usual, everything is open and the sun is usually shining, it can be chilly at night so a jacket is advisable. We go every year and have previously stayed at Torre Domo with Benidorm Flats, but they seem to to be getting a bit expensive so we have booked full board at the hotel venus this year. You might find the following site useful. http://www.costablanca-holidays.com/apartmen.htm pehaps i could pick your brains, where did you book your flight and how much was it as we are still looking.
Regards
John

kblokey wrote:

but they seem to to be getting a bit expensive so we have booked full board at the hotel venus this year

Hi kblokey. You will have a fantastic time at the Hotel Venus at Christmas. We have spent two Christmas's at the venus Hotel and on each occasion we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The staff go out of their way to make your stay there as enjoyable as possible.

When we had our first Christmas there the Entertainments (animation)person was brilliant. I don't think she is there anymore, but they used to hold a 'Best Christmas Decorated Balcony' competition and I won first prize. I won a huge hamper full of christmas goodies. They used to also leave a small present outside the door of each room on Christmas morning. And if you like Line and Sequence Dancing there is a married couple of Thomson Tour Reps who provide some wonderful evening entertainment.

The Gala Christmas and New Years Dinners were superb. You may find that you will ba asked to queue to 'book' your chosen table though, because if you don't you will be seated wherever they can fit you in.

Thanks for the info Gazza,sounds like we are in for a good time, how long ago did you last spend Christmas at the Venus?

how long ago did you last spend Christmas at the Venus?

The last time was in December 2003 - January 2004, staying for three weeks. And before that it was in 2001 I think, might have been 2000. So my last stay at the Venus was a couple of years ago basically. So things may have changed slightly in that time. I'm almost certain the young Spanish lady who organised all the Entertaiment has now left, because she said she wanted to spend more time with her family.

My neighbours spent last Christmas in the Venus and they said there was a young male there then of african origin but now based in Spain and they said he also organised the best Christmas Balcony Competition, but in all fairness I think most Hotels in Benidorm do this. All sorts of activities are organised still from what my neighbours told me. But please do bare in mind that although you may have booked Full Board you will still be required to reserve your Table, or 'A' table if you are not bothered where you sit, as the Hotel does 'open its doors' to non-residents for the Gala Meals to fill emplty seats. They are a business afterall, so that is to be expected.

The Dining Room Staff dress up and sing to you as you enter the Dining Room for your Gala Festive Meals and they present you with a little ceramic ornament in the shape of a vase cut in half which is filled with grapes. Some sort of a Spanish Tradition but I am not sure which. The Dining Room Manager is a wonderful guy and extremely friendly. He has been there for a very long time now from what I understand.

Something else to bare in mind is that whilst all your other meals will be the usual Self Servive Buffet, your Gala Meals will be served by the Waiters and Waitresses whilst you remain seated. They work extremely hard and we found that the meals were served very quickly considering the ratio of Guests and Staff. I do have a Gal Meal Menu somewhere which I kept as a souvenir, if I can find it I will post a reply which will give you some idea of what you might be served during your stay.

Sorry, that was a rather long winded answer to your question.....here is the condensced version, about two years ago

stephanie123 we have been going to beni for 16 years for xmas and new year and love it we have tried other places but nothing compares who have you booked your flights with we have just booked ours with bmi baby and cost us £352 for 2 of us for 2 weks last year for the same dates we only paid £179 for 2 of us guess i missed the launch date of bmi winter flights so all the really cheap seats had gone

Hi

We got bargain flights with BMIBABY £20 each going out new years day

Just for a week we are staying in the Crystal Park A/I

Was just wondering do they have the gala dinner on new years eve or new years day?

Also we have stayed at this hotel before but it has now gone 24hr A/I

Well done, celine
You may pick up more response regarding the Cristal Park in the following thread, as some past guests may be subscribed to it as a Watched Topic:

http://holidayforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=15693

David

Hi everybody me and my wife and two sons 20+14 are going to the flamingo oasis for the new year , as this is the first time we have been away at this time of year could anyone tell me the following imformation.

whats the weather like
are there many shops and bars open
what type of clothing do we need for day and night
Are there familys with kids or is it all older people

It's cold take your overcoat because all the older spanish visitors wil be wearing theirs. A terrific show take' s place in the triangle new years eve with fireworks and dancing. You of course may have all the entertainment you require in your hotel, when we were there the year before last it was pleasant during the day but went cold at night. Have a great time you can't fail to enjoy it. I am sure that Sanji will be on to tell you all about it.

Hi Mark.

Most of the shops and bars are open as usual.

The weather can be hit and miss, it does go cold at night, some years it has been mild though, so take a warm coat .
In the day it can reach the 70s and in the 9 years we have been going we have had very little rain.
Hope I haven't spoken too soon

hi mark,just to clarify a lot of the shops and some of the bars tend to close early on newyears eve and are closed on new years day

We are thinking of going to Benidorm on the 26/27th December and staying for 1 week. The only doubt that we have is that we are wanting to take our 15 year old son and his friend of the same age. Will the environment be right for them or will it be full of older people. Please help as we need to make our minds up quite soon.

John.IMO

Don't even think about it, just book it.
The percentage of older people during the winter months does rise in comparison to July/August, but that does not occur exclusively in Benidorm, it happens throughout the Costa's and the Canary Islands.

This does not mean that the place is full of OAP's.
Benidorm is the European capital for entertainment and that is something that some people either wish to dispute or ignore....depending if you are a member of the Benidorm Brigade or not.
It is a 12 month resort that caters for all ages, from 9 months old to 90 years old....it is NOT seasonal like some costa's.

I think this will be my 5th year on the trot...taking in Christmas,New Year and the Three Kings Parade on the 5th Jan....so you could say that I like it.
If your 15 year old cannot find something to do in Benidorm...then he must be comatosed... ..or put it this way, you ALL will have more to do, than stopping at home watching the Wizard of Oz on the TV with the central heating blasting out......and that's for sure.

SanJi x

Hi John. I tend to agree with Sanji, and as you will only be there for the week I think you should be ok. It is different to any other time of the year, as there are not so many young people there.

My Son is nearly 11 and has been going to Beni at this time of year since just before his 2nd Birthday, and I must admit its getting harder to keep him occupied, its not so bad in the day has he likes to play football on the beach (there's loads of space) and there are a few volley ball nets, my Hubby is usually kna****ed. I leave them to it and go exploring! There are also Pool and Snooker tables in bars. and a Bowling Alley.

Perhaps its because we go DIY for 3 weeks, and stay in Apts that have no entertaintment and no pool, has he really enjoys our 'Summer' Hols, but then obviously the weather is a lot hotter so he's in the pool most of the day.
You may be able to find Cabaret acts that are suitable for 15 year olds, we occasionally take him in the ones with singers on, and then make an hasty retreat when the comedians come on.
There are also lots of bars showing football which Hubby takes him to.

It all depends on how 'grown up' they are, and what you allow them to do, because there at that funny age aren't they? not kids and not yet adults.

I'm sure if you decide to give it a try you will enjoy it, and as Sanji says 'its got to be better than here'

Lizzie.

I personally disagree with the last few comments, having been in the summer 3x and only once boxing day-new years day i wouldn`t go again at this time of year. My son was 16 as was his friend and my daughter and her friend where 14 and there was not much to do of a daytime. I personally couldn`t wait to get home and I could tell that they where bored.It wasn`t warm enough to go in the sea or the pool either. It would be ok if you booked daytrips each day but we wanted to just chill out and if you take into account the water park being closed and the terra mitica being rubbish for that age group I wouldn`t bother. My brother was in Tenerife at the same time as me and his daughter (15) loved it there. This is my opinion and remember I love Benidorm just not at this time of year with teenagers.

Hiya Liz

Sorry, but I'll have to agree to disagree with you here.
We have spent many Christmas's in Tenerife with the kids, but mainly the youngest one and I really think that it depends on whether you stay in an hotel or apartments in either resort.

My lad was bored in Tenerife and because we stayed in an apartment, he only had a little Swedish girl about 10 years old to be friends with we ended up playing cards with him to keep him amused, but he found a friend in the hotel the following year more his age and we hardly saw him.
The Altantic Ocean is cold at the best of times and the swimming pools are freezing at that time of the year"¦I can personally vouch that the swimming pool in the Hotel Oro Negro in PDLA was like jumping into an ice box and even after doing some serious lengths of the pool, it was blinkin colder than the North Sea the beach in some parts of Tenerife are naff.

For the last 4 years in Benidorm the weather has been brilliant during the daytime and a good game of football on the beach, a go on the go-carts in Finestrat, ten-pin bowling or pay a few Euros to use an indoor heated pool in one of the hotels, plus all the bars showing footy and having pool tables would keep my 15 year happy, then the countless clubs in the evening with entertainment just not sticky Vicky or Chubby Brown.
If I booked into the Hotel Flamingo Oasis, then I doubt I would see much of him looking at the board of activities that take place.

Just my view, I ain't even got a 15 year old, but I can still remember what he wanted to do and if I had the choice today, then Benidorm would win hands down between that and Tenerife.

20 years ago, during the summer, my lad was sat on the beach in Santa Ponsa, Majorca, twiddling a lollypop stick in the sand and whingeing that he was bored, so we said "well what do you want to do"?...I dunno was the reply....so we said "well next year stop at home if you can't tell us what you want"....and he did, he never came away with us after that.

Now, at 35 years old he's blinkin wanting to come with us again.

Just my opinion

SanJi x

I appreciate what your saying Sanji and thats your oppinion as is mine, but I can only speak for todays generation and can honestly say they would rather stay at home than go to Benidorm for xmas or New year again, and thats not just my 2 children their friends where equally bored. We gave it a try but never again. Benidorm is a place they love but just not at that time of year. Remember when we where young we where happy with discos and buckets and spades till a good way into our teens but this generation are happy with all the mod electrical equiptment they have now!
I asked them yesturday just out of interest would they go back for new year and they said if I wanted to go with their Dad could they stay at Nan & Grandads that says it all !

Fair enough Liz, but I have also got a lad just 25 years old....so I`m not talking more than 10 years with regards to him....and we couldn't get rid of that one until he was 17 yrs old

Besos x
Sanji

We are lucky, we have our own home both in UK & outside Guardamar, on the coast, about an hours max drive south of Benidorm.

We fly out to Murcia on December 19th & then on 23rd we are booked on a coach up to Benidorm for four nights till 27th then we stay in our villa till we fly home to Bristol on Easyjet on January 4th.

The trip is full board at a 3 star hotel complex, namely the Poseidon Palace / Poseidon. It's behind the Old Town.

No one has mentioned this complex though friends tell us it's very good. It'll do me, I don't have to shop then cook.

By the way today I bought my christmas cake from Aldi. Can't do without a christmas cake. I'll take it out in November when we pop over.