Palacete Belmonte

Carlos was so kind and ready to help with anything. We were a group of friends with lots of children, 23 people altogether, and the huge property worked wonderfully for us. The facilities were great, everything was spotless, and we got to enjoy both the pool and barbecue area. We've already booked again for next year. Everything was fantastic.

The living room really made an impression, with its high ceiling, fireplace and wonderful view of the castle. The children were especially taken with the bedroom on the top floor, and the whole house gave our group of 16 plenty of room, including a dining room where everyone could sit comfortably. The bedrooms matched the photos, all very spacious and with their own bathrooms. There's a huge entrance hall with natural light coming through the skylight, a nice spot to read or relax. Outside, the large grounds were great for walks and gave the children lots of room to play. The house itself is stunning, and the photos don't quite capture it. We found the kitchen very practical, with two fridges, a microwave, a big electric oven, a gas stove, a ceramic hob and a large paella pan with rings. There was room for several of us to cook at once. Carlos, our host, supplied enough firewood for all our barbecues and was always available when we had questions. The village has plenty of supermarkets, butchers and bakeries, so there's little need to bring food. The sky was almost cloudless while we were there, and despite being in the countryside we didn't encounter any bugs all weekend. We stayed on the 27th, 28th and 29th, and couldn't have asked for a better experience. It's an impressive house with a huge plot, and we'd definitely come back.

I've booked this place several times for get-togethers with family and friends, and I plan to keep coming back. Carlos is a fantastic host and always ready to help.

Even from indoors, you get magnificent views of Belmonte Castle right next door. The grounds are very large, and there is a separate building that seems intended for summer use, with a pool, a big built-in barbecue and a glassed-in area that looks suited to summer dinners or meals when it's not too hot. Rain and cold kept us from spending much time outside, but I imagine it's lovely in good weather. The house itself is enormous. We were 13 and could see that many more could fit, especially families bringing extra beds. It has seven main bedrooms and six en-suite bathrooms, one shared by two rooms, plus a separate downstairs bathroom. One bedroom is up on a third level in a sort of turret. The shared bathroom is near a library-style sitting area. A spacious enclosed quadrangular courtyard with a glass roof, partly climate-controlled, gives access to all the rooms. The five first-floor rooms are reached by a broad railed corridor overlooking the ground floor. The kitchen is well laid out downstairs, and the dining room seats more than 14 comfortably. Through an interior door from the dining room is a vast, high-ceilinged hall with an interior balcony looking over the library of the Eugenia de Montijo room, one of the largest bedrooms. With our group, it felt as though we had a whole Parador hotel to ourselves.