Plaza de la Luz Cádiz

Breakfast was great, though it doesn't start until 8:00, which felt a bit late. The hotel itself was good. The lack of private parking was a little frustrating, so it's best to leave the car in a lot at the edge of town and avoid driving into the city centre.

The central Cadiz location, especially near the beach, is great, but we ran into hidden costs that weren't shown before booking. It left us unsure whether we could trust them. We booked another hotel instead, and it was fantastic :). I can't recommend this place based on our communication with both the booking company and owner. Whether the issue is with the company or the owner, I'd stay away and watch out for possible fraud.

The location made it easy to explore on foot, with La Caleta beach, the historic quarter, cathedral, castle of San Sebastián and Mercado de Abastos, the central main market, all close by. There are lots of bars, and Taberna Casa Manteca, famous for its tortillitas camerones, is right outside. We stayed three nights in a huge superior double room. There was loads of space for the two of us and all our luggage on a road trip. It was busy around the hotel but quiet in our room. The room and spacious bathroom were spotless, modern and well serviced, and well stocked. I also loved all the USB sockets, which are rare in hotels and usually something we have to fight over. The large shower was good, and there was abundant hot water even though it's solar heated. I'd expected it might run out after one shower because of the sign asking guests to use water sparingly. My one real complaint was the smaller shower head: it's not fixed, so if you don't want your hair getting wet under the rainfall head, you have to hold it, which is a nuisance. Parking in the underground garage is limited and can't be reserved. If a space is available when you arrive, it costs 18€ a night, which is steep, though public parking is 15€ for 24 hours. Breakfast was okay. We got a cheaper rate when booking, but I wouldn't have wanted to pay the full 18€. The lactose-free milk was in a jug, which made me nervous that someone might mix it up and make me ill. There were no gluten-free options on the buffet. Since I can't eat eggs either, jamon and bacon were really my only choices. The dining room staff seemed unfriendly on the first morning, so I didn't feel comfortable asking about gluten-free bread. The next day, a different lady was on and things improved slightly, but I stuck with bacon and cold jamon again. The only fruit was apples and bananas, with no oranges or soft fruit, which I thought was very poor.

We had a sea view, and the front desk staff were really helpful. They even cleaned our car's windscreen as a complimentary gesture. Lovely hotel.