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.

Hotel Claris, rooftop

During my recent stay at the Hotel Claris in Barcelona, I availed myself of the rooftop amenities. There’s nothing like a pool with a view, and this one qualifies:

Rooftop pool at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Rooftop pool at Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

After a day of meandering about the city, what a pleasure to come back, don the swim trunks and take a dip! But, there’s more, such as a gym with a few pieces of equipment to help burn off those calories:

Gym and sauna on the rooftop at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Gym and sauna on the rooftop at Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Now, let’s say you want to have a little get together with family, friends, or business associates. There’s a great space atop this hotel for just such a gathering:

Rooftop meeting space at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Rooftop meeting space at Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Of course there is a bar with covered and outdoor seating as well:

Seating for the rooftop bar at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Seating for the rooftop bar at Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

These rooftop amenities make the Hotel Claris a wonderful place to stay, offering a variety of options for you to enjoy while visiting Barcelona. Enjoy it all.

Lazy River, Marriott, Aruba

The Marriott Surf Club in Aruba has a feature called the Lazy River built into the swimming pool. A current carries you around a loop. You can float along, enjoying the Aruba sunshine without exerting yourself. Here’s a relaxing video to show you what it looks like.

This being December, it’s nice to see a video like that, if for no other reason, to thaw your bones. Bon dia.

Hyatt, Aruba, pool

The Hyatt in Aruba features a very nice swimming pool complex. That may be an understatement. Check out the view from above:

Hyatt, Aruba, pool

On a day like this one, being in the pool is one of the great pleasures of vacation life. There is a juice bar and a regular bar for refreshments and snacks, both only a few steps away. Hyatt does it well in Aruba.

Published in: on November 28, 2012 at 6:49 pm  Leave a Comment  
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