AC Hotel Alicante

The AC Hotel Alicante is a sleek, contemporary, wheelchair-accessible property favored by business travelers for its efficiency and proximity to highways and public transportation, though it also gets tour groups traveling by van and golfers on bachelor weekends. Housed in a boxy building of gray-toned brick, the hotel has an airy lobby with a stone floor, white or gray walls with enhanced photographs of nature, and soft accent lighting. Seating niches have low-back sofas and chairs clustered around coffee tables. There's also a communal, library-style table with magazines and newspapers and outlets for laptops. The restaurant and bar are pleasant if ordinary, with tub chairs in dark hued leather and olive-green suede dining chairs around sleek, metal legged tables. 

The AC Hotel is located in Alicante near the port, a seven-minute walk from the nearest train station. The Port of Alicante, the site of much conflict in the Spanish Civil War, is 13 minutes away on foot. The Barrio de la Santa Cruz, the Old Town, and the Passeo de la Explanada, are a 15-minute walk past restaurants and some touristy shops. It's a four-minute drive or 15 minutes on public transportation to the Gravina Museum of Fine Arts. El Postiguet Beach is a six-minute drive or 23 minutes by train. The Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art is about eight minutes away by car or 20 minutes by train, while the 17th-century Cathedral of San Nicholas is a nine-minute drive or 14 minutes by train. The Alicante Golf Course and the El Plantio Golf Resort are both around 15 minutes by car, while it's just under an hour by car to the city of Murcia. Valencia takes just under two hours to reach by car or train, while the Alicante Airport is a 12-minute drive or half-hour train ride away.

The AC Hotel Alicante, part of the Marriott chain, offers clean, streamlined, but not particularly memorable rooms. Rooms do provide great work areas: Spacious desks and leather chairs on casters are paired with plenty of electrical outlets. Overall, decor is simple with glossy, dark-wood floors, gray and white walls, and large windows with sheers and black-out drapes; some rooms also have port views. Beds have high, dark-wood headboards, and rooms have several accent lights with white drum shades. Some larger rooms have gray-suede sofas and glass coffee tables. All rooms have air-conditioning, safes, radios, and flat-screen TVs. The minibars have soft drinks and water but no alcohol -- much to the disappointment of some guests -- and only some rooms have tea- and coffee-making facilities. Bathrooms are roomy and attractively designed with gray micro tiles and long, thin, stone counter sinks, plus shower/tub combos. Robes, slippers, and basic toiletries are provided.

There are several premium amenities at the AC Hotel Alicante. The most popular is the rooftop pool, and while it only has 10 lounge chairs that can fill up quickly, the pleasant views and bar make it a good spot to unwind. The fitness center also has good views, with features including cardio machines, free weights, a sauna, a whirlpool, and a solarium. Free water and towels are provided. 

There's also a modern, casual restaurant with all-day dining, including breakfast, with a Mediterranean-influenced menu (for a fee). The hotel's lounge bar is popular with the after-work crowd as well. A meeting and event space, a total of 4,844-square-feet with room for 280 people, includes audio-visual equipment. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and the lobby has a communal table with multiple electrical outlets and an array of magazines and newspapers. There is on-site parking for a fee, but guests complain the spaces are tight. Laundry service is available for a fee and guests can rent bicycles or cars at the reception desk. Pets are welcome.