Parador De Alcala

Set in Alcalá de Henares's old town, this elegant four-star hotel occupies restored 17th-century convent-school buildings, including the former Dominican Collegiate-Convent of Santo Tomás de Aquino. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote “Don Quijote de La Mancha”. Paradores has been in Alcalá since a student hostel opened in 1930, and the present hotel was expanded in 2009. The spa sits beneath the vaulted ceilings of the old convent church, giving it a distinctive, relaxing atmosphere. Facilities typically include thermal circuits, hydrotherapy pools, massage treatments, a sauna, and more, a nice way to unwind after sightseeing.

We've eaten at the Parador restaurant a few times, and the food is delicious. The service is at the level you'd expect from a hotel with this many stars. If you want to try good Spanish food, I highly recommend eating there over other restaurants, especially in Alcala.

We were here for four days for a wedding. The hotel and rooms were really nice, and the people were extremely polite and attentive. Everything was clean, and the atmosphere was top notch. The city centre is only a three-minute walk away. We liked it a lot and will definitely return. Five stars!

After staying here three times in one year, we started noticing things that need attention. The location is still fantastic, but we won't stay again. Friends found another hotel more reasonable and said its breakfast was good. The condition of the rooms and the availability of items you'd expect at a four-star hotel also led us to lower our rating. On our earlier stay, check-in through departure went well. Our room was clean and spacious, with a good-sized walk-in closet, a heated shower floor, and a contemporary interior. Staff from reception to the bar were friendly. One friend got a cold reception from a different employee, though. Maybe they'd had a bad day, but in hospitality every customer should be treated the same.