Parador at Puebla de Sanabria, Spain

Spain has a wonderful system of “Paradors,” that is hotels in every corner of the country. For some strange reason, I never stayed in one until this trip when I stopped in the town of Puebla de Sanabria, mentioned in the previous post. Many paradors are remodeled historic buildings. This one, however, is a modern facility.

Parador at Puebla de Sanabria, Spain.

Parador at Puebla de Sanabria, Spain.

Whether on holiday or a business meeting, you’ll find this place can accommodate you and/or your group.

Lounge at Parador in Puebla de Sanabria, Spain.

Lounge at Parador in Puebla de Sanabria, Spain.

I stayed in a standard room, which was comfortable and had a view of the old part of town.

Standard room at Parador Puebla de Sanabria, Spain.

Standard room at Parador Puebla de Sanabria, Spain.

The bathroom was just as accommodating:

Bathroom of standard room at Parador Puebla de Sanabria, Spain.

Bathroom of standard room at Parador Puebla de Sanabria, Spain.

And there is a closet to hang up your things if you’re staying a while:

Closet in standard room at Parador Puebla de Sanabria, Spain.

Closet in standard room at Parador Puebla de Sanabria, Spain.

The price was a great value to stay here as it included a lavish breakfast buffet and parking, some of which was under cover. Staff are friendly and helpful. I’d be happy to try more of the paradors in the future.

Published in: on July 15, 2014 at 10:36 am  Leave a Comment  
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Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain

In the village of Meaño, near Spain’s Atlantic coast, you’ll find a great little hotel called Quinta de San Amaro. This is the kind of place to get away from it all. Here’s a look at the swimming pool and main building:

Swimming pool and main building at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Swimming pool and main building at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Although in the countryside, Quinta de San Amaro is only a short drive to Santiago de Compostela and many of the interesting towns along the Atlantic Coast. I stayed in a standard room that you see next:

Standard room at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Standard room at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

The bathroom was also spacious and comfortable:

Bathroom in standard room at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Bathroom in standard room at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

You’ll also find a good restaurant here with seating inside as well as outside that you see in the next photo:

Outdoor seating at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Outdoor seating at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

And take a look at this unique “solar sauna” as I call it:

"Solar sauna" at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

“Solar sauna” at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Inside it was warm and refreshing, a comfortable place to relax, read a book, or meditate:

Inside the "solar sauna" at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Inside the “solar sauna” at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

Of course then you’ll want to take another dip in the swimming pool, so here’s another view of that looking out to the vineyards:

View of the swimming pool and vineyards beyond at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

View of the swimming pool and vineyards beyond at Quinta de San Amaro, Meaño, Spain.

You’ll have no trouble sleeping here. It was perfectly quiet, the way you’ll want it after a day of sightseeing or sampling the many delicious wines of the region.

Published in: on July 13, 2014 at 12:56 pm  Leave a Comment  
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San Francisco Hotel Monumento, Santiago, Spain

Located approximately three blocks from the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, San Francisco Monumento is a great base to explore the town and all it has to offer. I spent three nights here, in a room on the top floor that looked like this:

Room on the top floor at San Francisco Hotel Monumento, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Room on the top floor at San Francisco Hotel Monumento, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

There’s wasn’t much of view because the windows were actually more like skylights. But no worries because I spend very little time in the room, which was comfortable in every other way. The bathroom was spacious:

Bathroom at San Francisco Hotel Monumento, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Bathroom at San Francisco Hotel Monumento, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

In fact I had to take a second photo in order to show the entire bathroom:

Bathroom at San Francisco Hotel Monumento, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Bathroom at San Francisco Hotel Monumento, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

There’s plenty of room there to spread out and keep your things organized while you’re getting ready for a day or night out on the town. The hotel also has ample parking, a great breakfast buffet, and cheerful staff that will do whatever they can to make your stay a pleasant one. Don’t forget the swimming pool:

Swimming pool at at San Francisco Hotel Monumento, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Swimming pool at at San Francisco Hotel Monumento, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

There’s also a hot tub just out of the frame in the photo above. That was a blessing after all day walking the streets of Santiago. I can recommend this hotel as a great base of operations. While we were there, we also noticed a number of business functions and weddings happening, so it may be that you need place for either of those purposes. Enjoy.

Published in: on July 9, 2014 at 4:03 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Spain

Located in Santillana del Mar, Spain, Hotel Museo Los Infantes welcomes you to that rare place that is much like a home away from home. Surely it is a hotel, but it is more than a collection of rooms.

Facade of Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

Facade of Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

This is a charming establishment with true character. The many gathering areas show a personal style as you see in the next several photos:

One of the lounges at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar.

One of the lounges at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar.

This is not just a corporate-type of place, but rather like the home of an uncle who wants you to be comfortable.

Upstairs gathering area at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

Upstairs gathering area at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

After a day of seeing the sights you can take a break here and share the many stories with your traveling companions or new people you’ve met along the way.

Library at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

Library at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

As for the rooms, I chose a junior suite, which consisted of this ante-room:

Ante-room in junior suite at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

Ante-room in junior suite at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

The desk on the left gave me a convenient place to set up my electronics and do some work without disturbing the sleep in the adjacent bedroom that you see in the next photo:

Bedroom in junior suite at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

Bedroom in junior suite at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

And the bathroom had all the conveniences you need as well:

Bathroom in junior suite at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

Bathroom in junior suite at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

You might have noticed the door to the balcony in the photo of the bedroom. Well, here’s a look at the balcony itself:

Balcony at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

Balcony at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

You can step out there and get a deep breath of fresh air. Finally, here’s a look at the reception area:

Reception are at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

Reception are at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

And the dining room where you can enjoy a local-style meal.

Dining room at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

Dining room at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

And the bar on the first floor:

Bar on ground floor at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

Bar on ground floor at Hotel Museo Los Infantes, Santillana del Mar, Spain.

There is convenient parking for a small fee immediately across the street from the hotel, or you can park a few hundred yards away in a municipal lot. Breakfast is served buffet style downstairs. The staff here are friendly and helpful. Simply ask them for information or help with your bags and you’re on your way to pleasant stay in this town, which serves as a good base to explore the Altamira Caves and many other attractions in this area of Spain.

 

 

Published in: on June 30, 2014 at 11:05 am  Comments (1)  
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