Hotel Santiago de Compostella

We reserved through booking with a genius upgrade to a deluxe suite, described as a 55m2 room with a saloon. At around 11 p.m. the receptionist gave us a classic room, about 20m2, room 107, with dampness, mould on the walls, no AC, an empty mini bar, and no water, which you'd expect for a suite. He arrogantly insisted it was the suite for the price we paid. When we said we hadn't booked that room and didn't want it, he told us to hand over the key and leave. In the pictures, rooms 106 and 107 are ordinary double rooms, but the description on the entrance to 107 had been changed to call it a suite. Don't book an upgraded suite here. You'll get a normal room that's really not nice and smells bad.

The women in the lunch area were kind, attentive, and right on top of the service. They deserve a raise. Breakfast was okay, an American breakfast plus some local market food. The hotel is across from a major supermarket chain, with everything close by. The room style was on the modern side, but that was about the best of it. The mattress was really hard, and the hallway was loud all night, so napping was annoying. The metal stairs were so noisy when people walked, more like jumped, on them. Our room was by Reception, and the strangest part was a window through the shower wall into the Reception office. First time I've seen that in a hotel! Even with it locked, we could hear people talking all night with the bathroom door shut. That door was loud too, and the hinges needed oil. The Reception phone rang about three times into the evening, but nobody picked up. A complete nightmare. The next day we politely asked the front desk to change our room for when we got back later that afternoon. Instead, we came back to find our things moved into another room while we were away. Everything was there, but it was completely uncalled for. They said the old room had to be empty by noon. The Reception staff were unprofessional. Parking was another nightmare, with spaces too small for the number of rooms and no security guard, so it felt risky. The two stars are for the ladies in the lunch area.

The food had no taste, and the room was filthy and damp, with dirty blankets and bathroom, no air conditioning, and no heat. There's no elevator either. I had to book another hotel room, but the manager refused to refund me for the unused day in that dirty hotel.

Check-in was quick and efficient, and my room was clean with all the necessary amenities. It's well located, with good transport options. The city tram line should be running right by the hotel soon.