Barcelo La Nucía Hills: My Honest Review After Staying (5-Star Hotel in Alicante)

We’re at the Barceló La Nucía Hills , a five-star adults-only hotel located in La Nucía, Alicante. It’s very close to Benidorm and El Albir, but it’s not on the beachfront. In other words, it’s not a hotel where you can walk straight down to the sand — it’s more of a place to come by car, switch off, and drive out when you feel like exploring the area.

We came because it’s a five-star, adults-only hotel with good reviews, a quiet vibe and a fairly accessible price for its category. So we’re going to tell you the good and the bad, so you arrive with all the information you need .

My quick verdict

We give it an 8.0 out of 10 . My overall feeling is that it’s a good hotel, but I don’t really see it as a clear five-star — more like a solid four-star . It has clear positives: it’s quiet, pretty, clean, adults-only, with a large pool, real sunbeds (not the plastic kind), and very big rooms that even come with their own kitchenette.

But it also has room for improvement: dinner isn’t at the level you expect from a five-star, the gym is small, the spa doesn’t stand out, and the staff treatment is hit and miss.

Pros and Cons

Location and getting around

The hotel is in La Nucía , a town in Alicante very close to Benidorm and El Albir. The area is peaceful, but this is not a beach hotel .

You can’t walk down to the sand. If you want to go to Levante, El Albir or Cala del Faro, you have to take the car. In about 10-15 minutes you’re at any of these beaches.

Look and feel & first impressions

As soon as you arrive, the feeling is of a small, elegant and well-kept hotel .

It’s not a huge resort, nor a spectacular boutique hotel — it’s more of a compact five-star , with around 90 rooms, nice common areas, plants, a pool, a café and plenty of spaces to unwind.

The decor is nice. I wouldn’t say it’ll leave you speechless, but it does feel clean, elegant and pleasant .

There’s lots of greenery, Balinese beds with natural shade , well-tended gardens and a fairly large pool for the size of the hotel. It’s also a plus that nothing feels crowded: there’s plenty of space between areas, and that gives a sense of calm that fits well with an adults-only hotel.

The room and bathroom

Room

The room is also one of the positives. It’s very large, comfortable and quite clean .

It has a huge balcony with two well-padded sunbeds, a table and chairs so you can sit outside in peace. That said, depending on which room you get, the views may not be that special: some face other houses or less attractive areas, instead of looking out over the pool, the garden or the landscape.

The bed is spacious but nothing to write home about, and the pillows felt pretty good.

As an extra, the room has a small kitchenette with fridge, oven, hobs, dishwasher and the option to request kitchenware . I’m not sure how much you’ll actually cook if you’re booking a five-star, but we’re mentioning it so you know.

Bathroom

The bathroom is very nice. It’s spacious, has a big shower and overall gives the feeling of a proper upscale room . It does the job without any issues.

Food: breakfast and dinner

Breakfast

Breakfast is quite good.

There’s variety, fruit, cold cuts, breads, live cooking with omelettes , and a sweet section that, for me, was one of the highlights. The pastries felt freshly made : the puff pastry was really good, not dry at all, and the sweets generally had a nice level of quality.

I also liked that they had strawberries — not something you always see at hotel breakfasts — and more than five types of bread to make toast with.

The coffee is fine, the typical good hotel coffee without standing out much. The cold cuts section is OK, although it didn’t feel five-star to me. And the Serrano ham was a bit salty, so that’s something I’d improve.

Even so, breakfast generally delivers quite well. I’d give it an 8.5.

Dinner

We didn’t try lunch at this hotel because it only operates on half board, so we can only talk about dinner. And here I have mixed feelings .

Dinner has a section of starters in buffet format and then several main courses brought to your table . Usually you can choose between four mains: a fish, two meats and a pasta or similar.

The problem is that other dishes weren’t at the same level . The secreto was dry and didn’t feel like a particularly interesting meat for a five-star. And the beef cheek was also pretty dry — we actually struggled to cut it, when a properly cooked cheek should almost fall apart on its own. And that shouldn’t happen at a five-star hotel.

The starters were OK: cheeses, cold cuts and some cold preparations, but nothing that stood out at a five-star level. Desserts weren’t especially memorable either, although the crème caramel (flan de huevo) was up to scratch .

In short: dinner has good things, like the salmon or some of the soups, but overall it feels more like a four-star hotel dinner than a five-star one . I’d give it a 7.5.

Pool and common areas

For me, one of the strongest points of the hotel is the common areas.

The pool is really nice. It’s spacious, attractive and has several zones where you can swim or just relax in the water. It also has two hydrotherapy areas where several people can fit without feeling cramped.

Something I really liked is that around the pool there are very comfortable Balinese beds and sunbeds with thick padding . And you don’t always see this at hotels in this price range, even though you do at five-stars. In many places they give you the typical plastic sunbed, sometimes with a thin cushion, and that’s it. Here, by contrast, the pool area is genuinely designed for you to be comfortable .

There’s also background music , but it isn’t loud or annoying. It’s calm, in the background, and it accompanies without turning the pool into a nightclub.

Overall, the pool and gardens are some of the best parts of the hotel .

Gym and spa

The gym is small . It’s fine for some basic exercises, but don’t expect a complete gym where you can comfortably train every muscle group.

As for the spa , we couldn’t film or photograph it because the manager wasn’t there to authorise it. And since we paid for the hotel and came without prior notice, there was nothing we could do. Even so, it felt like a normal spa , nothing particularly worth highlighting.

Staff

The staff treatment was inconsistent .

At dinner, the staff were friendly, respectful and correct . At the café they were also pleasant. But at reception we got a colder vibe . The red-haired girl was pretty blunt when we arrived, and overall it didn’t feel like five-star treatment.

It’s not something that ruins your stay, but at a hotel in this category, reception should be impeccable , and here it wasn’t.

Do we recommend it?

Yes, but with caveats.

I’d recommend it if you find a good deal and you’re after a quiet escape of a couple of nights . To come, rest, have a good breakfast and enjoy the pool.

But I don’t see it as a hotel for a full five or six-day holiday . For a two-night escape, yes, it’s worth it. For a longer holiday expecting a clear five-star experience, take a look at our blog because we’ve visited hotels with better value for money .

Scores and verdict

Category	Score
Room and cleanliness	9
Pool	8
Breakfast	8.5
Dinner	7.5
Staff	7
Facilities for adults	8

Average score: 8.0 out of 10.

My Honest Opinion

The Final Verdict

For whom do I recommend it?

Perfect For

• You're looking for a quiet couples escape of 2-3 nights with a pool, good breakfast and no kids.
• You want a well-kept adults-only hotel with very spacious rooms and real Balinese beds (not plastic sunbeds).
• You're travelling by car and don't mind not being on the beachfront.
• You find a good deal and don't mind the experience feeling more four-star than five.

Skip It If

• You're looking for a beachfront hotel or somewhere you can walk down to the sand.
• You want a long holiday with resort-style facilities, entertainment or lots of services.
• Your priority is the spa or the gym . Here they're basic.
• You're expecting a luxury five-star with top-tier dining, impeccable staff and attention to detail in every area. This is more like a good four-star.