Posada la Plaza

Dinner at the hotel restaurant was actually pretty good, and the server was competent and responsive. They also looked miserable and disgruntled whenever they served me, which made an already uncomfortable stay feel worse. The room itself was extremely small and musty, with ants crawling around the bathroom sink when I first arrived. The comforter over the sheets had odd faded marks. They supposedly cleaned every day, but that meant making the bed and replacing nothing. Towels and shower gel weren't replenished. At the start we got only ridiculously tiny bottles of shower gel and a hand soap, with no other toiletries. The Wi-Fi worked for a total of maybe two hours across my three nights and was down most of the time. After two nights I asked for fresh towels. I was staying three nights, and the tiny bathroom stayed wet, so we had to use towels on the floor to stop it being slippery. When I came back, someone had taken the dirty towels from the floor and hung them up again. It was disgusting. I told the owner, who made me follow him to a supply closet and then threw a towel at me rudely. It felt disrespectful and unsettling. Breakfast was also unpleasant, with the owner watching people hawkishly to stop them taking food to eat later. Service seemed to vary with the client group. Several people, if not most of the group I was with, experienced or noticed the owner's rude and mercurial behavior. The owner often swung from overly friendly and jovial to openly rude. Between that and the poor accommodations, I wouldn't recommend the place. People I spoke with in town and nearby villages said other local hotels were a better bet and didn't have this owner's wild mood swings and inconsistent service. I'd suggest choosing somewhere else in the charming village of Canillas or a nearby town or village. Before posting, I'd seen several dismissive replies to negative reviews claiming those people hadn't really stayed there. I did stay three nights and am posting photos as proof. Dismissing people's experiences like that is a clear red flag for poor ownership and service. I would've avoided the place if it hadn't been booked through a group travel company. Travel groups seem to be the place's bread and butter now, but the owner still makes guests uncomfortable with his behavior and stingy accommodations.

Our room had very little daylight, and getting clean towels only once during our week was the biggest drawback. Breakfast was simple but fine. The hotel looks lovely from outside, while inside it keeps an authentic feel, with lots of stairs and narrow corridors. Its location is a real plus, on a charming square in a quiet white village in the hills, with several hiking options nearby.

Gustavo is a fabulous owner, and his chef and staff are amazing. The food they serve is wonderful. With its traditional, comfortable rooms, the hotel makes a great base for walkers and anyone exploring the area. Well worth a visit.

The villa had great views and was nice and clean. There was no Wi-Fi, or I just couldn't get it working, and the beds felt a bit too soft. The TV only had Spanish channels. I'd stay here again.