Scare at Benalmadena hotel as fire forces partial evacuation of nearly 300 guests

Nearly 300 holidaymakers staying at Spirit Hotel Benalmadena faced a sudden scare on Sunday night when flames broke out inside the beachfront property. No one suffered any injuries, and crews brought the situation under control without major drama.

Fire starts in basement massage room

Flames appeared around 9pm in a room on floor -2, specifically the massage salon that had already closed for the evening. Empty at the time, the space still filled with smoke quickly enough to trigger safety protocols across the hotel. Guests already inside received instructions to stay put or move to safer areas as a partial evacuation got under way. New arrivals were held outside until the all-clear came through.

Two crews from Benalmadena firefighters raced to the scene and extinguished the blaze in short order. Hotel staff worked hand-in-hand with the firefighters throughout, while Local Police and National Police officers helped manage the perimeter and keep everyone calm. Officials later praised the smooth teamwork that stopped the incident escalating.

Guests return after all-clear

By roughly 10.15pm the area was declared safe. Holidaymakers filtered back to their rooms, and the hotel returned to normal operations. Manager Hugo Uria described the evening as “a right scare” yet stressed that sensors and sprinklers had kicked in fast, limiting the damage. Investigators are still looking into exactly how the fire started.

This latest alert comes after other recent incidents on the Costa del Sol, including a tragic house fire in Arroyo de la Miel earlier this summer that claimed young lives (see our earlier coverage here). Local crews have also been honing skills through night-time drills at the Benalmadena cable car, involving provincial firefighters and drones.

Spirit Hotel Benalmadena sits right on the seafront along Avenida Antonio Machado. Anyone planning a stay can check current facilities and offers on the official site here. For wider Costa del Sol emergency updates, keep an eye on local fire service channels and Euro Weekly News reports.

Guests can rest easy knowing the rapid response and solid coordination prevented any harm this time.