The Don Pancho hotel launches new website

The Don Pancho presents its new website, conceived and designed to facilitate the user experience with the hotel via the Internet.

The Don Pancho makes available to the user and customers its new website.

The main objective of the new design is to provide a website more convenient and useful for both, clients and users.

This hotel in Benidorm introduces the new version of its website that offers significant improvements including:


A more simple web
Navigation options through the web has been considerably reduced. Just access to those options more interested to users based on the study of previous web usage.

A more visual web
The Don Pancho is aware of the importance of image when choosing a hotel. The new website focuses on the constant presence of images of the hotel that corroborate the description of the facilities in the textual content.

A gallery of images introduces you to all the hotel facilities.

A more social web
Social networks contribute to increase the presence of Benidorm hotels through Internet. From any page you can get quick access to social networks where the Don Pancho hotel has a presence, such as Facebook, Twitter or Google + and others.

Multimedia content related to the hotel is also shared through YouTube or Flickr and also is launching a blog in order to inform users of any developments relating to the hotel. This blog is also designed to offer relevant information about Benidorm and surroundings.

A more targeted web users
Becoming a preliminary analysis of the different screen resolutions more common among users, the site is designed so that the relevant content covering the whole screen space. This greatly facilitates access to relevant information at a glance without having to use the screen scrolling.

A more practical web to book

Booking is accessible from any page. There is a small form present in the visible area of all the web pages. This form does not invade the content and it is present at all times in a subtle way.





The booking process has also been redesigned

• The booking steps are reduced, the process is short, easy and straightforward.
• All data request has no direct interest in the reservation has been removed.
• The booking process is integrated into the hotel's own website.
• The data request is performed via security protocols. The user has the confidence that the data is placed in a safe place.

Ultimately, the Hotel Don Pancho joined their efforts to improve the experience of its customers and users through Internet.


Don Pancho
Hotel in Benidorm
http://www.hoteldonpancho.es

The Don Pancho Hotel obtains the Certificate of Excellence Tripadvisor 2013

The well known opinion portal TripAdvisor has awarded the Don Pancho Hotel with the Certificate of Excellence Tripadvisor 2013 which puts this hotel in between the 10% of the businesses with the better results all around the world in this website.

This award is given to the hotels that are continuously getting very good opinions from the travelers in TripAdvisor. Every hotel with a profile in TripAdvisor is a possible contestant to get this prize, but only a 10% will get it. This year the Don Pancho Hotel is again in between that 10% of the best hotels in Benidorm and has got the 2012 Trip Advisor Excellence Certificate.

TripAdvisor, the touristic sector opinion website par excellence
TripAdvisor is a website where travelers can write their opinions about destinations, hotels or restaurants. The goal is to have a place where travelers can share their experiences with the rest. Apart from the own satisfaction they get by sharing, this opinions help other people to choose a destination comparing real experiences from other travelers.

TripAdvisor is the most well known travel website with the biggest amount of traveler’s opinions. There are about 100 million opinions at the moment. This portal also classifies the different businesses by the negative or positive opinions travelers give them. It is also considered the opinions date, the more recent the opinions are the higher points they will give you. And finally, the third factor for the ranking is the amount of opinions.

The most appreciated businesses in every destination will get the top positions in the TripAdvisor ranking.

The Certificate of Excellence Tripadvisor 2013
This hotel in Benidorm, the Don Pancho hotel is proud of getting this prize. It is a response to the client’s satisfaction as a consequence of the continuous bettering in the hotel services.

The TripAdvisor Excellence Certificate rewards the top hotels, restaurants and attractions in the whole world. This certificate is the recognition of the most important ones, the hotel clients.

'It is an honour for TripAdvisor to award the businesses that stand out for their continuous excellence, as it is prove by the travelers opinions in our website', said Christine Petersen, TripAdvisors Business President. 'The Excellence Certificate gives the well deserved recognition to the high qualification businesses all around the world. From an exceptional accommodation in Pekin to a magnificent restaurant in Boston, we want to applaud this kind of businesses for offering a great client's experience to the TripAdvisor travelers.

Hotel Don Pancho
Hotel in Benidorm
http://www.hoteldonpancho.es

Easter week in Benidorm

Benidorm is celebrating the religious processions for the Easter week where local and touring people can enjoy the traditions related with this festival.

Benidorm is not only a place for sun and beach during the Easter week. Apart from the wide touristic options you can get in this town, during these days you have to add all the processions and events that will traditionally take place as well.


It is interesting to see how feelings come out on people of different cultures and nationalities whilst they watch the processions.

This Spanish festival is one of the most well known religious shows all around the world. The wide touristic offers you can find in this city makes it compatible with every kind of visitor: hotel in Benidorm tourist, apartment tourist, campers, a wide offer that will be the perfect complement for a complete Easter holiday in Benidorm.

The main Easter week processions
All through the Easter week you will be able to enjoy different processions and Via Crucis in different areas of Benidorm, related to the churches we can find in the city.

On Maundy Thursday you will be able to attend the solemn Our Lord Jesus Christ brotherhood procession which plays Jesus Christ anxiety in the Mount of Olives. All the penitents dressed in white capes and maroon pointed hoods create a very exciting colourfulness procession.
On Easter Sunday you should not miss the procession from the San Jaime church of the Lord's and the Virgin's thrones in the Encounter Procession.

Programme

Friday 22nd of March
20’30 h. Church of San Jaime. Announcement of the Holy Week.


Sunday 24th of March, PALM SUNDAY
11’00 h. Church of Nuestra Señora de la Almudena. Benediction of the Palms and Procession by the surrounding streets, followed by a Holy Mass.

Church of San Jaime. Benediction of the Palms and Procession by the streets Santa Faz, Paseo de la Carretera,Alameda, Mayor and Plaza de San Jaime, followed by a Holy Mass.

Ermita de Sanz. Benediction of the Palms and Procession followed by a Holy Mass.

Nuestra Señora del Mar. Benediction of the Palms and Procession, followed by a Holy Mass.

Church of San Juan Bautista (La Cala). Benediction of the Palms and Procession by the streets Llorca Alòs, Alfaz del Pi, Santander, Mont-Benidorm, Pajares and Plaza de las Tiendas.

11’30 h. Church of San Francisco de Asís and Ermita de Sanz. Benediction of the Palms and Procession, followed by a Holy Mass.

12’00 h. Church of El Buen Pastor. Benediction of the Palms and Procession by the surrounding streets, followed by a Holy Mass.

12’30 h. Nuestra Señora del Carmen Church. Benediction of the Palms and Procession by the surrounding streets,followed by a Holy Mass.

19´30 h. El Buen Pastor Church. Solemn Procession of Our Father Jesus of Health and Humbleness and Our Lady of the Hope and Peace escorted by the music band of  “La Union Musical de Benidorm”, the musical society Virgen del Sufragio and the National Police of Benidorm.

Itinerary: Church of El Buen Pastor, Puig Campana, Roldán, Almendros, Mercado, Tomás Ortuño, Limones,Maravall, Apolo XI, Jazmín, Plaza de España and Puig Campana, to finish back in the Church.

Sunday 24th, Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th of March
19’00 h. Mass and triple duet for Our Father Jesus Nazarene, followed by a Holy Mass. Church of “San Jaime”.

Monday 25th , Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th of March
19’30 h. Triple duet for the Christ of the Forgiveness and Good Death and Holy Mass. Church of “Nuestra Señora de la Almudena”.

Wednesday 27th of March, HOLY WEDNESDAY
22’00 h. Solemn Procession by the Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus Nazarene. Church of San Jaime.

Itinerary: Plaza de San Jaime, Mayor, Alameda, Plaza de la Cruz, Ruzafa, La Biga,

Tomás Ortuño, Apolo XI, Almendros, Paseo de la Carretera, Santa Faz and Plaza de San Jaime.

Thursday 28th of March, HOLY THURSDAY
21’00 h. Solemn Procession of the Silence at the Church of “Nuestra Señora de la Almudena” with the Brotherhoods of the Last Supper, the Christ of the Forgiveness and Good Death and theVirgin of Sorrow. Itinerary: Church of la Almudena, Ginés Cartagena, Capitán Cortés, Castellana, Velázquez, Acacias, Goya, Jardines, and Ginés Cartagena, to finish back in the Church.

21’00 h. Solemn Procession of the Brotherhood of Our Lord during his Agony at the Olive Trees Mountain.

San Juan Bautista Church (La Cala). Itinerary: Plaza de las Tiendas, Pajares, Mont-Benidorm, Vicente Llorca Alòs, Murtal, Santander, Mont-Benidorm, Pajares, Plaza de las Tiendas, to finish back in the Church.

23’00 h. Holy Hour at the Churches of San Jaime, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, San Francisco de Asís and El Buen Pastor.

24´00 h. Holy Hour at the Church of San Juan Bautista and the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Almudena.

Friday 29th of March, GOOD FRIDAY
07’00 h. Procession from San Jaime Church going to Monte Calvario (Old Graveyard), where the Way of the Cross and Sermon of the Seven Words will take place.

20’30 h. General Procession of the Holy Burial, with all the Brotherhoods, starting at San Jaime Church.

Itinerary: Plaza de San Jaime, Mayor, Alameda, Los Ángeles, Pintor Lozano, Ricardo,

Martínez Alejos, Paseo de la Carretera, Santa Faz and Plaza de San Jaime.

23’30 h. Way of the Cross. San Juan Bautista Church (La Cala). Brotherhood of Our Lord during his Agony at the Olive Trees Mountain. Departure from the San Juan Bautista Church going to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Sea (Tossal).

Sunday 31st of March, EASTER SUNDAY

08’00 h. Procession of the Encounter of the Lord and the Virgin. Departure from San Jaime Church to accompany the thrones of Our Lord and the Virgin to the Alameda street, for the act of the “Embassy”.


Hotel Don Pancho
Hotel in Benidorm
http://www.hoteldonpancho.es

34th Popular Festa del Calvari Cross in Benidorm

The festivals committee 'El Calvari' has organized the popular 'Festa del Calvari' Cross for the next 10th of March 2013 at 10h.

As every year, El Calvari festivals committee organizes the 34th Festa del Calvari Cross with the institutional collaboration of the Benidorm Council house and the technical collaboration of 'Grupo Brotons Eventos-Alicante' and the Globalon foundation. Apart from that, they get the collaboration of some other important entities in town, like the hotel in Benidorm Don Pancho, the Hospital Clínica Benidorm, the sport shop 'Base' and Terra Mítica or Mundomar in between some others.

This cross is a charity race in which every participant must give a new toy or non-perishable food item to get their number. These toys and food will be donated to a Benidorm NGO which will give them to the families in need.

The race starts at 10 o'clock in the morning. There are 3 different running circuits adapted to the different capability level of every category. The first one is the circuit A for the youngest children, boys and girls. The second one is the circuit B in which beginners will run just for 1 lap and the teenagers for 2 laps (men and women). And the last one is the circuit C with 7750m for the rest of categories; the participants must run 2 laps to finish the cross. All the circuits are located in the Levante beach or near it.

If you want to register for the cross visit the web page www.grupobrotons.com. With your registration for the circuit C you will get a participant bag with the cross t-shirt, a headband, water, soft drinks and chocolates.

There will be a trophy and a present for the 3 first places of all the categories and a trophy and a present as well for the local winner of every category (registered in Benidorm). Apart from that, all the children will get a present for their participation in the race.

To access all the official information click on
http://grupobrotons.com/eventos/2013/34crosscalvari/index.html

Don Pancho
Hotel Benidorm
http://www.hoteldonpancho.es

Enjoy traditional food in Benidorm

Benidorm is known for its multiculturalism. Different nationalities share its streets, but it still keeps its traditional gastronomy.


Benidorm is a modern and cosmopolitan town. Considering that it is the tourism capital in the eastern coast of Spain, it is not strange that you can find a wide variety of cultures and nationalities that you can enjoy in your holidays in Benidorm.

Thanks to this city's open-minded relationship with other cultures, we can find nearly all national or international kind of food in any of Benidorm hotel or restaurant. Considering this you can either enjoy an excellent Asturian stew, a nice Japanese sushi or the typical English breakfast with bacon and eggs.

But, what could you eat in Benidorm before it became a touristic town?

Benidorm traditional gastronomy
Benidorm is placed in a privilege area considering both its geographic and its 'geogastronomic' location. The Mediterranean littoral is the cradle for the well known Mediterranean gastronomy.

As you can find in many of the towns and cities bathed by the Mediterranean waters, the traditional gastronomy is a healthy mixture of vegetables and meat or fish from the area. As many other different localities, Benidorm has its 'typical dishes' that were its gastronomic base when this town was only a small fishermen village; and what did they eat at the time?

Benidorm typical dishes
You can find different places to enjoy this town's typical old dishes. In between the most well known dishes we can point out these ones:

Rice with red mullets and pumpkin
Made with rice, fish and vegetables, this is one Benidorm typical dish.
This tasteful stew is made with the fish called red mullet, pumpkin and green beans. As we can find in many different rice dishes from this area, it is prepared with lightly fried garlic and some spices that will give this dish a special touch.

Rice with beans and turnips
Known as well as 'Arròs amb fesols i naps'. This succulent rice is made with soggy rice, meat broth and vegetables and it is perfect for a cold winter day. In this case the rice is prepared with pork pieces (ossobuco, feet and backbone) and 'blanquets', a typical sausage from the area. We mix everything up with white beans, turnips and cardoons.

Rice with white anchovies and spinaches
It is a typical kind of rice, not only from Benidorm; you can find it in nearly all of La Marina regions. The rice with white anchovies and spinaches is dry rice, as the one in paella. Its main ingredients are spinaches, white anchovies and delicious lightly fried ñora peppers, garlic and parsley.

Filled 'coca' and 'coca a la calda'
They are typical Roman recipes. Salty 'cocas' are one of the delicious traditional dishes you can taste in Benidorm. Their dough is similar to the one you prepare for bread, with round shape if they are for one person or with square shape if it is a family one. You can fill this salty dough with different food and that will create the different types of cocas, for example: tomatoes, roasted pepper, tuna and eggs filling or sausages and black puddings filling are the more typical ones in Benidorm.

Saint Blas bun
They are perfect for the sweet-tooth. This Saint Blas bun is one of the typical sweets form the Benidorm gastronomy. These buns have Arabic origin and they are prepared with almonds and cinnamon. They are traditionally made during the winter months, mainly in Saint Blas festivity.

There are loads of restaurants in Benidorm where you can try these typical dishes. Once you know their names, you just have to look for them and enjoy!

What about you? Have you tried any of these delicious dishes during your holidays in Benidorm?

The oldest carnivals in Spain.

Carnival festivals have a long tradition in Spain as we can confirm by the oldest carnivals in the country.


Carnival festivals have their starting point in the pagan celebrations that took place for the winter ending before the restrictive Lent period. Their main characteristic was that everything was allowed and the fancy dress was the way to remain anonymous through their lack of self-control with food, drink and enjoyment.

There are plenty of places in Spain were you can enjoy the carnival celebrations. Although they were forbidden during the Francoist dictatorship, they came back strong at the beginning of the 80´s.

Some of these carnival festivals have such an old tradition that there are no records of when they started.

The oldest carnivals in Spain

Ciudad Rodrigo carnival (Salamanca)
Known as well as The Bull Carnival, it is considered as the oldest carnival in Spain. This carnival joins two of the main Spanish traditions, the bull-fighting one and the carnivals with masks and fancy dresses.
One of the most awaited events of this carnival is the running of bulls on horse, in which bulls are taken by expert horse riders from the country side into town. Runnings of the bulls and bull-fightings get mixed up with Charanga bands and comparsa's music all around the Ciudad Rodrigo streets.

Villarobledo carnival (Albacete)
It is considered one of the National Tourist Interest Festivals. Although it is not as ancient as the Ciudad Rodrigo one, the Villarobledo carnival dates from the medieval era.
This is a very popular and participative carnival. People say that it is 'the only 10 days long carnival in the world that lasts 11' this is because officially these festivals should last for 10 days, but unofficially they always take one day more.
Some of its more characteristic events are for example the carnival Jumble Sale, the Manchegan Pride Night or the Wedding Competition where groups of minimum 20 contestants parody some famous people or royalty's weddings.

Tarragona carnival (Catalonia)
This carnival keeps many of the elements it had centuries ago. It also dates from the medieval period and it is believed that it began with the Saturn festivals in the Roman era.
The Carnestoltes king and the Concubina queen are the most well-known characters of this carnival and all the events are linked through their invented story.
The gastronomy and the fireworks are traditionally related with this carnival.

Bielsa carnival (Huesca)
This carnival was so deeply-rooted that it even survived through the banning of the Francoist dictatorship era.

All the festivals are related with some typical characters and normally the fancy dresses represent them. The 'Trangas', dressed up with the skin and horns of a billy-goat, go round frightening all the children; the 'Madamas', dressed in white combine with silk, brocades and colourful ribbons represent the marriageable ladies; the 'Amonato', a person dress up as a mourning old woman with a man on her back, etc.

How to enjoy carnivals
As it is a very popular and street festival, it is not necessary to drive to enjoy a 100% of any of the carnivals that are celebrated in Spain. According to your destination it is recommended to get in some kind of public t
The transport network betters its services to the main carnival destinations according to the large amount of public.

Once you have chosen your destination, it is advisable to make a reservation for accommodation in the same place or the closest to where all the main events are taking place, so you will be able to enjoy the festival in all its splendour. Making a previous reservation in a hotel in Benidorm, Madrid, Alicante or Tenerife will let you get the most of the popular essence of these festivals.

Finally, do not forget to enjoy the typical gastronomic delicious dishes for this date, as you will do in any Spanish festival.

Don Pancho
Hotel en Benidorm
http://www.hoteldonpancho.es

Hotel Don Pancho, example of touristic quality.

The Benidorm Hotel Industry Association, Costa Blanca and Comunitat Valenciana  has published an article about the Quality Management at the hotel in Benidorm Don Pancho.

The Don Pancho is an example of quality of service in all its meaning, a hotel that is a reference due to its years of experience, a hotel with a very clear commitment to satisfy its clients as time goes by, and using the key elements in customer service, personalized service, great human resources, comfortable facilities, maintained, and always intended to stay optimized to satisfy the customer’s stay.

All this philosophy has been accompanied, with the fact that in the summer of 1998 the hotel was certified with the Q Tourism Quality Standard (at that time the ICHE,Institute for Quality Hotels in Spain, later integrated in the ICTE), this was established to distinguish hotels who decided to differentiate their service under a quality system management, specific to the sector and to demonstrate the concern for customer service, and for a continuous improvement.


And  the hotel has been adapting to changes during these 15 years, and the Q standard , now UNE 182001:2008, (Requirements for the provision of service in hotels and apartments), with appropriate modifications, that year after year continue supporting the Q Certification.

The effort and determination to show that all the hotel services are coordinated, and have information feedback on the level of presentation, is made in such a way that the customer has the guarantee that he is always satisfied with his expectations of the service, and why not, always trying to improve them .

Occupancy levels, the degree of customer loyalty, and professionalism of all the staff of the hotel, make the Q hallmark has the luck that  iconic and consolidated hotels in Benidorm with this carreer, continue backing on it, and provides that the certification keeps making an impact at their doorstep with all the guarantees of its validity.

The Mediterranean Miniatures’ Fair takes place in March at the Hotel Don Pancho.

This year, as in previous years, the Mediterranean Miniatures’ Fair will take place in the facilities of the hotel in Benidorm Don Pancho on the 9th and 10th of March.


The city of Benidorm hosts, as in previous years, the Mediterranean Miniatures’ Fair. This unique exhibition is a public display of pieces made by artisans of miniatures from various categories and topics. This show takes place in the exhibition facilities of the hotel in Benidorm Don Pancho.

What does this exhibition show?
Master craftsmen from different parts of Spain present their little works of art in this exhibition, with the aim of bringing to the public, the curiosities of this singular art world, which is to make small-scale everyday objects.

This exhibition not only brings together amateurs and curious visitors, but also gather at the Don Pancho hotel during these days  professionals and collectors seeking special objects or inspiration to create new artforms in miniature.

Besides the fair provides an opportunity for artisans to expose not only their works, but also the way they do their work and how to adapt it to various projects.

During the fair, they show miniature furniture, such as Victorian or Colonial, all kinds of decorative items such as paintings, lamps, tableware or people and animals. It's amazing to get to see some miniature objects that come to surprise every visitor.

When can I visit it?
The fair takes place at the Hotel Don Pancho Benidorm. These miniature marvels can be visited on the 9th of March from 10h30 to 20h30 and on the 10th of March from 11h to 18h30. The entrance has a cost of 3.5 € for adults, and children under 12 have free admission. The entrance for two days costs 6 euros.

Who are the exhibitors?
The main exhibitors already defined in this 2013 edition are:
Revista miniaturas. (The Miniature magazine)
Mikukades. Costume juwelery, rustic furniture and miniatures
Mini alta costura. Mini haute couture,exclusive dresses for collectors and accessories for doll houses.
Candi Martin artisans miniaturess, meals and kitchen accessories.
Mati's Corner, miniature scenes and miniature accessories.
Viti’s flea market, all sorts of merchandise.
Mariví Sacristan, all sorts of merchandise.
Gallinila, textile, household goods.
La Rosita, lighting, ceramics, all sorts of merchandise.
Boreal miniatures, textiles, sewing merchandise.
Vistiendo sueños (wearing deams), sewing merchandise, all sorts of goods

Don Pancho
Hotel in Benidorm
http://www.hoteldonpancho.es

The hotel Don Pancho in Benidorm increases its presence in social media.

The hotel Don Pancho opens some new social network profiles to secure the communication with its clients.

The hotel Don Pancho has started a new strategy to increase and consolidate its presence in social media.
This strategy is not only based in appearing in these networks, this hotel in Benidorm is determined to have an active presence in them.

The main target is to increase the communication channels with its present and potential customers.

Customers' evolution
With the creation of social networks, customers have change from somebody that could only absorb and select the information that was given to someone that is totally active in that information and has a lot of power.

Nowadays, customers have the ability of taking all the decisions and can influence importantly in a business, product or service reputation. Social networks are the main tools that clients use to obtain and share information.

The 2.0 customers are a very important part of how a business, make or product can build a good reputation online.

Businesses evolution
With the appearance of social networks, businesses had to change the way they focus things. Nowadays, it does not enter anybody's mind that a business has not got a presence on the Internet if it wants to survive. Businesses' presence in social networks is more than necessary.

Although, just being present in this kind of channels is not enough. The behaviour of the 2.0 customers makes necessary that businesses take a more active role in social networks.

Businesses must update their information; share it with their followers and with other businesses from their same sector. They should realize that social networks are a new way of communication that goes direct to their clients. Consequently, they must know what is being written in real time and participate of these comments to create a feeling of mutual collaboration, converting them in a 2.0 business.

The 2.0 business is the other important part to build a reputation online for a business, make or product.

Social Media is the way
Using the words 'social networks' we are referring to all the Internet sites focus on the creation of communities with a specific finality as, for example, getting old friends together, work colleagues, customers of a certain product, people that enjoy travelling or doing exercise, etc.

These networks have become the main tool to increase business reputation. There are loads of examples of tools that are updating their content with this finality, for example, the business profiles is Facebook, Google + or Twitter, as well as some other sites directly focus on the online reputation of some specific sectors, like TripAdvisor, Ciao, etc.

Hotel Don Pancho in the main social networks
The hotel Don Pancho increases its presence in the main social networks with the target of bettering the communication with its present and potential customers.
With this finality they have created new business profiles in Facebook, Twitter and Google + as well as a blog: hotel-benidorm.blogspot.com. Considering that it is one of the well-known hotels in Benidorm it has been included in some multimedia websites such as Youtube or some picture sharing sites as Pinterest or Flickr.

Don Pancho
Hotel in Benidorm
http://www.hoteldonpancho.es