Gran Hotel Pelayo

The trip to Lagos de Covadonga was amazing, even though it was extremely crowded. All the buses were booked, so we waited around 1.5 hours in the taxi line. Book your transportation ahead of time. We spent two nights at the hotel, which sits beautifully among the mountains. It’s quite isolated, and beyond the religious attractions nearby, there isn’t much to do apart from enjoy the scenery. Our room was very spacious, with high ceilings and a nice mountain view. The bathroom had a slight sewage smell that never really went away. The restaurant was very good, and the staff there were friendly and knowledgeable.

The restaurant food was great, but I’d skip the cafeteria. The room needs updating. The chairs feel ready to come apart, and the bed is tiny at 1.35 my. In 2025 that’s no longer acceptable, and the mattress feels like it hasn’t been replaced since the hotel first opened over 100 years ago.

The rooms were clean, spacious and comfortable. The hotel is really nice, though it’s near the end of the road, so getting anywhere means driving a little farther. That didn’t bother us much.

A warning about the season: on my third day in a row, I had to park more than 1 Km from the hotel. It gets incredibly crowded, and there are very few spaces in the hotel lots or outside, so I’d avoid staying here in summer. The setting itself is breathtaking, with the mountains and basilica dominating the view. It’s a beautiful four star hotel from around 1900, and the rooms have period-style interiors. The regular restaurant was decent but nothing special. Cova Sacra, the other restaurant in the building, was outstanding, Michelin-star worthy in my view, and reasonably priced. Some of the best food I’ve had in a long time!