Asia Gardens Hotel and Thai Spa, Alicante Spain

A little piece of the Far East in Southern Spain

Lounging under a bamboo gazebo, looking out over the shimmering infinity pool as eastern floral aromas tickle your senses and water cascades nearby, you will be forgiven for thinking you were on a Thai paradise island, rather than just outside Benidorm. But with the Barcelo Asia Gardens in Alicante, Spain, that’s completely the point.

“We aimed to try and create a little piece of the Far East in Southern Spain,” says the hotel’s charming and hospitable manager Maria Gudiel. While before arriving, I wasn’t entirely sure how well Koh Samui would transfer to the Costa Blanca, but the place is done with such convincing class, after just four days I started to wonder if maybe I had actually caught a long-haul flight for an eastern adventure.

From the huge reception area, with its beautiful, high wooden ceiling beams and intricately carved leaf-shaped fans undulating overhead to the twin stone wash basins and black lacquered wooden panelling in the sumptuous rooms or the 300, deliciously fragrant species of plant in the extensive gardens, the attention to details is amazing. There are also several fantastic restaurants including gourmet Spanish and Mediterranean fare and, of course, an amazing Thai and Indonesian kitchen.

Celebrity guests have included Bruce Willis and Bruce Springsteen (sadly not on holiday together) plus the members of cast of BBC 1’s The Tudors, who were filming nearby. Add to that the Barcelona football team plus a number of Spanish TV and music personalities and you got quite the star spot.

But maybe the biggest star of the set up is the Thai Spa. Treatment rooms have sumptuous double beds where you and your partner can be simultaneously pampered and many include beautiful, petal-strewn Japanese-style baths.

All of the therapists have even trained at the Wat Po Temple in Bangkok – the birthplace of traditional Thai massage. I went for one and it was the best massage I have had for years. There is also an in-house Chinese medicine expert who examined me quickly, but precisely, and asked one of the therapists to perform a very specific Shiastsu massage on me. I felt incredible afterwards and even detoxed – the man was a genius! Viva Espania! As the old Thai proverb goes…

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Lisa Oxenham is a trailblazing beauty editor, journalist, stylist, and creative director with over 20 years of transformative impact in the beauty industry. As the Beauty and Style Director at Marie Claire UK, she orchestrates high-profile shoots with celebrities and influencers, creating visually stunning and globally resonant content.

A passionate advocate for sustainability, Lisa serves on the Advisory Board for the British Beauty Council's Sustainable Beauty Coalition and the Media Advisory Board. She is also an ambassador for the Soil Association certification and the Amazon Research Institute. Through her "In The Loop" column, she keeps readers informed about the latest advancements in sustainable beauty and supports brands that champion environmental causes, emphasising the need for the beauty industry to reset its priorities.

Lisa's influence extends beyond words; she directs inspiring short films on sustainability and challenges in the beauty industry and is a sought-after public speaker. Recently recognised in the Who’s Who in Natural Beauty 2023, she also champions mental health and eco-conscious practices, demonstrating that glamour and environmental responsibility can coexist beautifully.