Hotel Victoria

The hotel’s old-fashioned decor really won me over. Its atmosphere took me back to a different time, when people lived differently and leisure meant something else. I went for New Year’s Eve, and the dinner was good, with a very good breakfast the next morning. The rooms were quite good too, though they could use some updating. There’s a spa with three pools and a sauna, which I’m not usually very interested in, but the powerful jets should delight people who enjoy that kind of relaxation. I was captivated and will return.

For the price, this historic hotel was a major disappointment. The hallways are beautiful, but the rooms badly need renovation. Breakfast is only a little better than hostel fare, and using the well-known saunas and hot tubs costs extra. None of the staff speak a foreign language.

The pool is the best part, though later at night people started eating, drinking, and playing music in the water, and nobody followed the rule requiring swim caps. The food was awful. I still can’t believe how bad the crushed tomatoes served in the morning tasted. The bathroom taps barely worked.

I’ve been coming every year for many years, and it’s a really good spa resort. The spa is fantastic, and the outdoor hot tubs help with all kinds of aches and pains. My only downside is the distance: it’s in Murcia, while I live in Barcelona.