Fincas Arena, Dedication, Consistency, and hundred thousands of happy holidays made possible.

Founded in Benidorm in 1974, Fincas Arena has been proudly serving guests for over 50 years. Throughout this time, the company has welcomed more than 400,000 clients from around the world, offering each of them the same dedication, trust, and personalized care that define its commitment to excellence.

The story of a family business proudly led by two generations.

Fincas Arena was founded in 1974 by Miguel Ángel Sotillos Roldán, a native of Soria and a surveyor by profession.

That same year, Miguel Ángel arrived in Benidorm with his wife, María del Pilar Rodríguez, to work on the city’s land registry. They fell in love with Benidorm, its light, its sea, and its people, and decided to make it their permanent home, start a business, and build a life there.

The company began as a property sales intermediary, one of the most dynamic and promising sectors in Benidorm’s early years of development. Over time, the founders saw the opportunity to offer more value and services to their growing base of loyal clients.

In its beginnings, the real estate agency mainly served national customers, especially from the Valencian Community and Madrid.

But when Fincas Arena expanded into tourist rentals, the business opened its doors to visitors from across Spain and, soon after, from all over Europe welcoming travelers eager to discover Benidorm and enjoy a truly Mediterranean experience.

The business quickly began to diversify and, from a simple real estate agency, it soon became a tourist apartment management agency and a travel agency, which, in addition to offering vacation apartments, exchanged currency, sold excursions, tickets, and admission to shows and many other attractions in the city.

In currency alone, they exchanged €12,000 per day at that time. They exchanged French francs, Swiss francs, Italian lire, British pounds, Portuguese escudos, and Spanish pesetas.

The Change and Evolution of Tourism after 50 Years

Benidorm is one of the great milestones in the history of tourism in Spain.
In the mid-20th century, it transformed from a small fishing village into an international symbol of the Mediterranean holiday model.

Its vertical urban planning, innovative for its time, allowed sustainable land use and an exceptional concentration of services.
Benidorm became a reference for mass tourism in Europe, setting standards for infrastructure, hospitality, and entertainment.

Throughout the decades, it has adapted to changing social and economic contexts without losing its identity.
Its beaches, skyline, and festive spirit continue to attract millions of visitors every year.

Benidorm’s influence has shaped the development of tourism in the Valencian Community and across Spain.
It remains a living example of resilience, innovation, and the Mediterranean ability to reinvent itself while preserving its essence.

Fincas Arena has always welcomed the same kind of guests, both in summer and winter.
From the very beginning, our main clients have been families, couples with young children, and groups of responsible young people. Many of them returned year after year, booking long stays, usually a month or at least fifteen days.

Check-ins used to take place on Saturdays and Tuesdays, and reservations were made in weekly blocks. Prices were set per week, fortnight, or month, and everything followed a simple, predictable rhythm that reflected the relaxed pace of holidays in Benidorm.

So, what has changed?
Quite a lot, and in many ways, for the better. The sector has evolved, and we’ve had to evolve with it, adapting while maintaining the same dedication to offering our guests the best possible experience.

When we started, there were only five or six agencies in Benidorm. Today, there are more than 120 in the area. This increased competition has made tourism in the city richer and more diverse, but it has also brought new challenges, expectations are higher, and guests are more demanding.

Nowadays, we work harder and more precisely than ever before.

Travelers pay attention to every detail, and sometimes a minor issue can lead to a bad review something that never used to happen.

Years ago, guests would simply drop off their luggage and rush to the beach, ready to enjoy the sun, the atmosphere, and the local cuisine. Now, things are different, but our passion for hospitality remains exactly the same.

How has vacation rental evolved?

Almost everything has changed over the past ten years with the digital transformation of the industry and the rise of OTAs (Online Travel Agencies).

In the past, we used to advertise through printed brochures and collaborate with tour operators. Reservations arrived by teletype, fax, and sometimes even by letter. Some guests would send us a bank check months in advance, often a whole year to guarantee their holiday booking.

Back then, time moved more slowly. We had the space to plan, prepare, and develop each season with care and calm, something that feels like a luxury today.

This digital shift has also transformed our relationship with customers. We used to — and in many cases still do — feel like family to many of them. These were people who trusted us with their holidays, and we never let them down. We’ve watched families grow and generations return to Benidorm, summer after summer.

Those were different times. Today, relationships have become more impersonal, but it’s also true that we now reach far more guests than ever before, aproximately 10.000 a year welcoming travelers from every corner of the world. The way we connect has changed, but the passion, trust, and care that define Fincas Arena remain exactly the same but with +37 employees and their passion and devotion to tourism.

What is the future of tourism in the short term?

That’s a great question — and I think the answer is both complex and fascinating.

Tourism will never disappear. It’s part of who we are as human beings, our way of escaping routine, enjoying life, learning, and spending time with family and friends.

We used to take long vacations, with time to spare, but now our breaks are getting shorter and more intense. People live at a faster pace than ever before.

Still, we’ve adapted, and continue to do so both internally and through our policies, services, and commercial channels. What hasn’t changed is our philosophy. We remain committed to the same kind of guests who have trusted us for decades: families, couples, and groups of young people who come to Benidorm to enjoy the sun, the sea, great food, and a city that continues to be a model for tourism around the world.