Here we look at what you can expect from hotels in Blanes and provide details of our top 10.
The view along Blanes beach at night (Pixabay)
Blanes is a town that has expanded dramatically from its origins, having expanded far from the heart of the fishing village it once was. These days Blanes is a sizeable town with a population of forty thousand. Much of the seafront is dominated by high-rise apartment buildings but away from the promenade you’ll step back in time when you walk the streets of the old town.
The town is sometimes known as the “gateway to the Costa Brava” and became popular as a place to buy a second home. City dwellers escape here at weekends and over the summer. As a result much of the accommodation is privately owned with relatively few hotels for its size. The roads into Blanes get pretty busy on Friday evenings during the late spring and summer as the locals swarm out of the cities.
The long sandy beach is divided by a huge rock known as Sa Palomera. This is often considered to be the start of the Costa Brava, although the Tordera river is also used to delineate the Costa Brava from the Costa Maresme. Most of Blanes’ hotels are in the zone between the Tordera and Sa Palomera, either right on the promenade or clustered a block or two back from the sea.
All hotels are 3 or 4-stars and perfectly adequate for a couple of weeks’ beach holiday. There are also a number of hostals, Spanish guest houses, with fewer rooms but where you’re more likely to get a more personal service.
Old town
The old town has lovely narrow streets and a number of squares but few places to stay. It you do lodge here though it’s easy to reach the port on foot or go visit Blanes’ nearby botanical gardens.
Hostal Regina
Carrer de l’Esperança, 47-49
This highly rated guest house is only five minutes from the town centre. It’s also close to the town’s harbour and to the beach.
Hostal Regina is family run with friendly and helpful staff. The rooms here are fairly basic but nicely decorated and all have an en suite bathroom. As long as you’re not looking for luxury accommodation they should suit you fine.
You can order drinks and snacks from the bar and cafeteria, which is small but a little bright to consider it intimate. Guests frequently comment on the quality of breakfast.
The guest house doesn’t accept pets and has no parking facilities.
Hotel Costa Brava
*** Carrer d’Anselm Clavé, 48
This hotel is 500 metres from the centre of town and 400 metres from the beach. It also has a rooftop pool.
It has fairly basic rooms that are airy but rather bland and all have a balcony. The communal areas are functional and feel adequate rather than truly comfortable. Some personal touches would help make the hotel much cosier.
The hotel does have a buffet restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and there is a bar with a terrace for enjoying the summer evenings. The hotel doesn’t accept pets though and the paid onsite parking needs to be pre-booked.
S’Abanell beach
Once you get out of the town centre the construction is much more recent with large blocks dominating the promenade. Here you’ll find a number of purpose built tourist hotels, a number of them clustered in a zone set back a couple of blocks from the seafront.
Although this area doesn’t have quaint streets, the old town is still close enough to walk to if you want to explore. But with the hotels here close to the long beach you may find you have all you need anyway.
Hotel Horitzó
**** Passeig de Abanell, 11
This 4-star hotel is ideally situated for beach lovers with views over the beach out to sea. Just 15 minutes walk to Blanes town centre the communal areas are decorated in a contemporary style with nautical twists, such as driftwood and shell motifs.
Rooms are comfortable and modern and all have a private balcony or terrace. Some of these directly overlook the beach. The lobby is comfortable with worn leather chairs giving it and lending it a kind of clubbable air.
The hotel also has a gym and spa with a heated pool, Turkish bath, sauna and hot tub. There is also a bar and restaurant, which serves seasonal international and local dishes.
Parking is available on site for a fee, as well as nearby public parking, but the hotel doesn’t accept pets.
Hotel Beverly Park
**** Carrer de Mercè Rodoreda, 7
Hotel Beverly Park is a modern tourist hotel just a couple of blocks from the beach and close to the start of the Costa Brava. It’s around 2 kilometres south of the town centre.
The hotel is designed to be functional but guests like it for the friendly staff and helpful, location and food. The rooms are big and comfortable and the upper floors have a great view out over the Mediterranean. The decor is rather uninspired though and the standard rooms look a bit drab.
Guests can use the gym and spa, which also offers treatments and there are outdoor pools in the gardens. The hotel’s restaurant serves local and international dishes and there is a bar from where you can also order snacks.
The hotel doesn’t allow pets and parking is available in a public car park for a daily fee.
Hotel Pi-Mar
*** Passeig de s’Abanell, 8
The Pi-Mar is located right on the seafront less than a kilometre from the town centre. It’s a typical tourist hotel ideally located for a beach holiday.
The 175 rooms are airy and decorated in wood and light tones. They are comfortable if slightly bland in style and rooms at the front have a great view out to sea. Not all rooms have a sea view though and the communal spaces are rather dated.
The restaurant serves European cuisine and the pleasant terrace bar is perfect for looking out over the Mediterranean or watching the world go by. Guests can use the rooftop pool but there is also a spa equipped with a pool, hot tub and steam room. The hotel also has a gym with machines for cardio and weights as well as free weights.
The hotel doesn’t allow pets and public parking is available nearby.
Hotel Petit Palau
**** Carrer de Lluís Companys, 19
This modern adult-only hotel is slightly more than a kilometre from Blanes town centre but just 200 metres from the beach.
Rooms are decorated in a contemporary style and all have a balcony. Many are on the smallish side though and the bathrooms are decidedly cramped. Having said all that past guests have commented on how clean and comfortable the rooms are.
The hotel has an outdoor pool and a spa with hot tub and sauna. The communal areas are quite basic and functional rather than cosy. The hotel has a buffet restaurant, a pizzeria, and a bar where you can often her live music in the summer.
Hotel Petit Palau is perfectly located for the beach but has a no pets policy and parking is available nearby but not on site.
Hotel Blaumar
**** Carrer de Mercè Rodoreda, 5
Hotel Blaumar is part of a complex that includes the Blaucel – the names translate as “blue sea” and “blue sky”. The hotels share facilities and are located around two kilometres from the centre of town.
The high-rise hotel is just 100 metres from the beach and close to the start of the Costa Brava. The airy rooms are slightly dated in decor but all have a private balcony. Guests can use the outdoor pool or the gym, sauna and steam room located in Hotel Blaucel and the restaurant serves a European buffet at lunch and dinner.
Parking is available on site for a fee with no reservation required but pets are not accepted.
Hotel Blaucel
**** Avinguda Vila de Madrid, 27
Sharing its facilities with the Blaumar, Hotel Blaucel is well situated for the sandy beach and a couple of kilometres from Blanes town centre. The rooms are slightly dated but all have a balcony with a direct or partial sea view. On site is a buffet restaurant for lunch and dinner.
Guests at the Blaucel can enjoy the outdoor pool or use the spa facilties. These include an indoor pool, sauna, hot tub, a steam room and massage available. There is also a gym for anyone wanting to burn off those extra holiday calories.
Onsite parking is available for a daily fee but there is no need to reserve. Pets are not accepted.
Hotel Stella Maris
*** Avinguda Vila de Madrid, 18
Another hotel ideally located for the beach is the Stella Maris,, which also has a pool. While the hotel is adequate, the communal areas are a little under decorated though. The lounge needs some pictures or photos on the wall to make it feel even slightly homely.
While many of the rooms are modern and airy some look a bit past their best. They have wood panelling that makes them look dated. However all rooms have a private balcony and the hotel also has two bedroom apartments and family suites.
The hotel has a bar with a terrace and a buffet restaurant serving traditional and international dishes. You need to reserve parking in advance and pets are not accepted.
Hostal Miranda
Carrer de Josep Tarradellas, 50
Hostal Miranda is a nautically themed guest house located 100 metres from the beach with blue flags or life buoys decorating the balconies. A very nautical blue and white colour scheme dominates inside and out.
The town centre can be reached on foot in 15 minutes, while the bus station is only 150 metres away too, making it ideal if you’re replying on public transport to get to Blanes.
One of the rooms is lovely, recently decorated in blue and white in keeping with the nautical ambience and with ceiling fans. Other rooms are more basic, although they are all en suite and some have a balcony. It’s possible the owners are refurbishing these rooms to a higher spec.
The al la carte restaurant is decorated in the blue and white theme used throughout much of this property, giving the impression of dining on a boat. Wall lights have circular shades that give the impression of portholes. Go to down stairs to the bar though and it has more of a submarine ambience.
There is no parking onsite but you can park for free nearby on the street.
For even more choice see Costa Brava hotels, which lists all the hotel pages on this site.
