Rural Hotel Las Gacelas

We had a really enjoyable stay. The hotel has plenty of grounds to wander and great walks nearby, the food was brilliant, and the room was dog friendly. There’s no coffee-making setup in the room, but there is a bar on site for drinks. The staff couldn’t have been more accommodating.

The beds were comfortable and the rooms clean. Just be clear on the checkout time, because the cleaning lady pushed us out two hours early. I tried to book by phone again two months after my first visit, and the woman I spoke to was very rude and hung up on me, even though I was being cordial. I eventually booked online, but I’d wanted to ask about dinner times. I called four more times over the next half hour and kept getting cut off. Maybe there were phone issues, or maybe she didn’t want to take my call.

The dining room has great views, and it’s a good base for visiting the Escorial. Breakfast was great, parking is close by, and the rooms are large and basic. It’s not particularly wheelchair friendly, though some effort has been made. The welcome wasn’t very friendly, and the pool was closed despite temperatures in the mid-30s.

The food was disappointing in both portion size and taste. They charged 22€ for less than a quarter of an octopus leg, which felt completely unreasonable, and the other dishes were small and bland too. On top of that, we were charged 13€ just for “sitting here.” Service was slow from the start: we waited about 30 minutes before anyone asked what drinks we wanted, then another 10 minutes for the food order. After ordering, we waited hungrily for 20 minutes before the food arrived. I left dinner very dissatisfied, and the prices didn’t make sense for the quality or amount of food. I can’t recommend eating here, and I still can’t believe this is a three-star hotel and restaurant.