Adult Only hotels in Spain are no longer permitted.
Anti discrimination laws in Spain now make it illegal for hotels to discriminate against families.
Article 5 of Decree 10/2021, of January 22nd, of the Consell, approving the Regulation, regulating tourist accommodation in the Valencian Community, establishes that tourist accommodation cannot discriminate "on grounds of sex, nationality, racial or ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, family group, sexual development, functional diversity or disability, religion or beliefs, political ideas, poverty, language, culture, disease, aesthetics, body or any other personal or social condition or circumstance".
Hotels can however make it clear that there are very few facilities for families, such as NO children's menus, NO animation and NO activities that could be considered suitable for children.
Their incentive to do so is quite clear, couples without children have been proven to spend more than families, and in many cases, con afford to make several getaways a year. this has led to an increase of 5% of hotels in the Alicante Province "skirting" around the discrimination laws, to dissuade families with children by NOT providing anything that would encourage them booking.
Hotels have freedom to promote themselves under the label they prefer to guide their services to a certain sector: families, people with pets ... In this sense, they can be advertised as "adults only" hotels. This type of hotel will attract couples or those looking for a quiet holiday. However, an establishment cannot hide behind this label to prohibit the entry of an entire group, in this case minors. Under no circumstances can access be restricted to people who do not fall within that target audience, just as couples without children are not prohibited from entering family hotels.
So instead of seeing "ADULT ONLY" you will see more and more hotels being advertised as "DESIGNED FOR ADULTS" and "RECOMMENDED FOR ADULTS" etc.
If you show up at a hotel with a minor and they do not let you in, there would be a basis for legal action. This is because it is discriminatory, since it would be the same as prohibiting the entry of a visitor because of their religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, in Spain, it is not legal to prohibit the entry of minors under the excuse of the right of admission.
Use this page to help you find your perfect accommodation in Benidorm.
