Parador de Fuente Dé

We enjoyed everything else about our stay, so it's a real shame that one person on reception let the experience down. I don't know her name, but she has long black hair. She looked at us in every interaction as if we weren't worth her time and were just a nuisance, even though we'd spent over €300 in less than 24 hours. She also checked us out without saying a single "Thank you for staying" or "We hope you enjoyed your visit." When we came back for our bags from the luggage room, she handed them over and walked off without a word. It wasn't just disappointing service. It was a lack of basic manners.

The Parador is lovely and in an amazing location, but our experience there was appalling. We stayed at the end of a wonderful road trip across Picos de Europa, booked through a well-known, reputable car tours company we'd used several times before. Dinner was extremely poor. The food arrived cold, and meat was included in the vegetarian dishes. When we pointed that out, nobody did anything. After we complained, they offered us a complimentary bottle of wine, then demanded payment for it a few hours later. We were told breakfast couldn't start before 8.45am, even though the stated breakfast hours were 8.00-10.30am. We had to leave by 9.00 to catch the ferry at Santander, but they wouldn't be flexible. Things were even worse than that, and later on, when the car tours company intervened, management still wouldn't acknowledge any shortcomings. We won't use this Parador again.

The setting is spectacular, and the lodge-style Parador is a reliable choice. Ask for a room facing the mountain, the view is amazing. The cable car is just a two-minute walk away, and you can easily spend an afternoon wandering around the area. I was less impressed with the food. I didn't care for the steak, and the Zamburinas (Galician scallops) weren't nearly as good as what you'd get on the coast.

We had a bright day and sat out on the terrace. The restaurant service and meals were excellent, and the atmosphere was very relaxed. The rooms could use a bit more care, though ours was at the back and had an enclosed balcony looking towards the mountain. I still rated the stay well despite the road works, which should make the route incredible once finished. One night is fine if you just want to take the cable car. We stayed two, and that felt a little too long since the road works meant there wasn't much else to go out and do.