NH Collection Andorra Palome

The setting beside a mountain stream is beautiful, with stunning views, and the hotel has a classic ski-lodge atmosphere. Emo Restaurant serves a delicious buffet breakfast. Staff were friendly, although English was limited, and weekend bar and restaurant hours were much more useful than the restricted weekday schedule. Transport is very limited, so a car is essential, along with snow tires. We hadn't realised that and SIXT hadn't told us, which meant the police stopped us and we had to return to Andorra la Vella. NH Hotel La Vella staff kindly stored our car and arranged a taxi, though long waits are normal, to reach NH Andorra Palome. Book a suite if possible. Standard rooms are very small, with double beds unsuitable for two large adults. It was a solid 4-star stay for couples or serious skiers wanting somewhere quiet and scenic.

The balcony and its view were the highlight of our slightly small room, especially after a day on the nearby trails. We chose the hotel because we wanted to hike, and the receptionist was helpful enough to suggest additional trail options. Breakfast was a good spread and filled us before our walks. A bus stops right outside, making Andorra la Vella easy to reach, although it only comes once every half hour. If we return to Arinsal, we'd stay here again.

This is a quiet, comfortable hotel with very clean surroundings. The rooms are compact rather than spacious, but the beds are excellent, with three pillow sizes for each guest, and daily room service was very good. The main problem was the breakfast price, €20 per person. In Arinsal, that same amount could easily buy breakfast for two or three people at a café or shop. I was also surprised that a little milk for in-room coffee cost €2.50. The receptionist gave us wrong bus information too, saying buses were free and ran every 15 minutes all day. The free service actually ends at 3 PM, and buses are nowhere near that frequent. It remains a good hotel, but these details are worth knowing before booking.

The room we were first given smelled damp and mouldy so strongly that it caused me a headache within minutes. The receptionist was very nice and moved us, but the replacement room was dirty, had mould in the bathroom and an extremely dirty ventilation system. I also noticed another guest had apparently complained about that ventilation problem a year earlier. The photographs make the hotel look far better than it is. Our room was claustrophobically small, and even the balcony was tiny. In my opinion, this isn't a four-star hotel, and I don't recommend it.