Valencia, Spain
Las Arenas Balneario Resort
Wow on the Water
What it is
A ginormous oceanfront resort with all the trimmings, including an iconic spa (open since 1898), four airy restaurants (one in the garden) and a de facto waterpark.
What it isn't
Just for grown-ups. There’s an eye-popping kids pool and Octopus Miniclub (ages 4 to 12) with bilingual staff and bottomless activities they’ll delight in.
What we think
There are 253 guest rooms here, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Each and every option feels like a luxury suite, beginning with the 301 square foot Classic Room (City View), with its expansive windows, floor to ceiling columns, parquet floors, and sumptuous amenities, including robes and slippers, pillow menus, a bidet, capsule coffee machines, soundproof windows, and toiletries from Bvlgari. If you’re not in Valencia often, go for the Deluxe Room (Terrace with Sea View); it’s equipped with a latticelike headboard and expansive terrace stocked with daybeds, and where you’ll have prime panoramic views of the sea and pool scene.
You're here because
The spa is legendary but reborn for today, with bubble beds, an ice fountain, a waterfall-fed jacuzzi, and treatments like gold facials and lomi lomi massages.
The Moment
It’s a pinch-me perfect summer day. And outdoors in the shade of an umbrella at Brasserie Sorolla, the only thing more delectable than the ocean views are these scallops: served with nougat babaganoush and citrus caviar. Bliss.
Restaurants & Bars
Sorolla Brasserie - Traditional cuisine.
Breakfast Buffet - An irresistible temptation of flavors conjugated in harmony.
Blue Pool & Bar Restaurant - Cool off with creative cocktails, smoothies and natural juices.
Lobby Bar and Porchada - Offers a wide range of cocktails made by Ivan Martinez.
Location
Fronting the Balearic Sea on a beachfront stretch of Valencia. The Valencia Airport is a zippy 23 minute drive away.