Hotel San Miguel Gijón

The room was roomy and comfortable, and the staff were friendly and professional. The beach is right across the street, which made the location just about perfect. My only small gripe was that there weren't any outlets near the bed.

We really liked the hotel's location and the room layout. We hadn't thought through the fact that it's pet-friendly, though, and we were traveling without pets. Our room still smelled of animals from previous guests, and the thin walls let us hear dogs barking and neighbors' TVs. Water also sprays out of the shower pan. A curtain would help keep it in and could prevent mold and damage to the bathroom wall and door frame. It's a good option for a short visit if you're traveling with pets.

We liked Hotel San Miguel enough to book it again for the return trip. We were only stopping for one night on the way to Valdovino, and with our dog we thought finding somewhere might be tricky. The room and bathroom were a good size, even with our pooch, and the promenade and a lovely beach where dogs were playing in the surf were an easy walk away. Everyone on staff was so friendly and helpful. They even let us store our bicycles in the hotel storeroom, which meant we didn't have to leave them on the car overnight.

I liked seeing the African theme in the hotel. I'm from South Africa myself, so that felt familiar. The water was warm and had good pressure, though the plumbing made a lot of noise throughout the building. Breakfast was very average, and the woman serving it was rude both mornings. She wouldn't toast our bread and really shouldn't be working with customers. Reception staff were friendlier and more welcoming, but communication there wasn't great either. On check-in day, the receptionist didn't know where my bag was, even though it was already in my room. One afternoon a woman opened my door. Reception apologized when I asked why someone could enter my room and said she was the cleaner, but couldn't the cleaner knock first?