Hotel Rural Papasol

After a long, tiring walk, I really needed a good rest, but this was very disappointing. They’d lost our confirmed reservation, and we waited until 5:15 for a room. Ours was on the top floor, with a low ceiling and even lower beams. The bed was rock hard and left me with hip pointers. There was no heat, even though it was 10 degrees C outside, and it wasn’t much warmer in the room. My feet were cold all night. The “private” bathroom was outside the room, with low beams too, and getting in and out of the awful shower felt scary.

I was glad I stayed here, despite having read reviews that made me brace for the worst. My room was very clean, with no dust or moldy smell, and the bathroom was immaculate. I own a cleaning business back in Canada, so I’m particular about that. The bed was comfortable and I slept well. Breakfast was included and fantastic, with croissant, cheese, and more. Eric was extremely polite and naturally jolly, and told me to come down for breakfast anytime, so I didn’t feel rushed by a 10 am cutoff like at other bookings. The hotel is in a lovely village, in a cottage-style building with dark wood, a bar by the entrance, and an open-plan dining area next to it. The stairs wind and the floors creak, and the walls are a little thin, but that suits the ambience. I stayed in room 1 as a pilgrim on September 14th, 2025, and had booked before walking the Camino. I’m not dismissing other people’s experiences, but for me this was a case of seeing for yourself. To each their own.

The owner was kind, hardworking, affable, and lovely, and the food he prepared was delicious. Don’t order the beef steak, though. He could use a hired hand around the house. I was given the attic and its living room, which clearly wasn’t cleaned often. The floors were dusty, though the sheets were clean, and some wool blankets seemed as if they hadn’t been washed in ages. The ceilings were low, with the toilet and bedroom tucked out of the house’s apex, and I hit my head plenty of times. The smell of burning coals was throughout the house, so I left the window open overnight in case I couldn’t wake up from CO poisoning. It got icy cold with the window cracked, but that felt like a small sacrifice to stay alive. I was extremely glad the older guests on the second floor woke up the next day. I’d thought all hope was lost and I was the only one who made it.

The room was charming, but it smelled strongly of cigarette smoke and sewage. On arrival, the front desk said there was no heat or hot water and assured us it would be fixed, but it never was. We came back to a freezing room after a three-course dinner that cost $15, took far too long, and wasn’t worth the price. We sat down at 7:30 and didn’t finish until 10:00 p.m. We slept fully dressed in two shirts, pants, and socks to stay warm, and skipped breakfast. This place has plenty of potential, but the heating needs attention, smoking should be banned, and meal times need better organization so guests aren’t eating so late.