Hotel SH Villa Gadea

Attracting tourists seeking a dose of sun, the upscale Hotel SH Villa Gadea offers tasteful digs on lovely coastal grounds. Contemporary white buildings are set on well maintained grounds peppered with tall palms, green lawns, and water features, including a massive freeform pool bisected by charming bridges. Guests are greeted in a bright and airy lobby, a bi-level space with a wall of windows filling it with natural light and greenery dangling from the mezzanine balcony. Chic cream and wood seating offers a place to wait or relax. Other public spaces, like the restaurants, have the same sort of elegant, if forgettable, look. Guests spend most of their time outdoors anyway, and there are plenty of lovely alfresco spaces in which to relax. The majority of the clientele tends to be European (mainly from Spain and the United Kingdom), and the hotel does a good job at catering to both couples and families with kids. 

Located outside of the town of Altea in Spain's Alicante region, the hotel is a five-minute walk from the beach. There are a couple of restaurants and bars in the area, and many more options in the town center, which is about a five-minute drive away. The old town can be reached in about 10 minutes, and is full of charming cobbled streets, small shops, and lots of dining options. Nearby natural attractions include the Serra Gelada Natural Park (20-minute drive) and the Parc Natural Penyal d'Ifac (16-minute drive). Altea's train station is a seven-minute drive, and there's a station closer to the hotel (Olla de Altea) that's a three-minute drive or 11-minute walk away. Benidorm, a popular seaside resort town, is a 15-minute drive, while Alicante and its airport can be reached in 45 minutes.

Rooms are spacious and tastefully decorated in a pleasing color palette of creamy coffee hues paired with wooden furniture. Prints in wooden frames adorn the beige walls. Cream tile floors are dotted with area rugs. Beds, flanked by nightstands, are topped with brown or beige bedspreads. All rooms have couches and tables, as well as glass sliding doors that fill the spaces with natural light and open onto private furnished balconies. Deluxe Rooms add outdoor whirlpool tubs on their balconies, while Junior Suites have separate living rooms. The two-bedroom Presidential Suite is the largest option, with a spacious living room, two massive terraces, and perks like premium minibars and free daily fruit baskets. There's also a gorgeous private terrace with an outdoor whirlpool and panoramic views of the ocean and pool. Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs, minibars, electronic safes, and free Wi-Fi, but there are no tea- and coffee-making facilities.

Bathrooms are large and covered in cream tiling, with large mirrors, magnifying mirrors, and lots of vanity space. The spaces have separate toilet rooms with bidets, as well as walk-in rainfall showers and separate whirlpool tubs. Toiletries, robes and slippers, and hairdryers are provided.

One of the highlights here is the hotel's large outdoor pool, which has a swim-up bar and is surrounded by a lounger-lined sundeck flanked by tall palms. Another top feature is the hotel's extensive spa facilities, which include thermal and hydromassage pools, a Turkish bath, thermal bath, sauna, ice grotto, aroma showers, and a relaxation lounge. A number of treatments are available, including beauty and hair services. The fitness center, though a bit aged in appearance, offers a good amount of Technogym machines.

Guests have the choice of four dining options, including a buffet eatery with show cooking that's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a Japanese restaurant and a restaurant that serves regional fare. The lobby bar hosts live music on the weekends. Breakfast is included in rates, plus half-board and full-board plans are also available -- but food gets mixed reviews.

Families are catered to with a kids' club for those aged four to 10. Other amenities include five meeting or event rooms and a business center. Wi-Fi is free throughout, but on-site parking incurs a charge.