El Casón de los Poemas

The rate was really good, especially with breakfast included. The room was spacious and pleasant, with a whirlpool tub and a little sauna, though the sauna wasn't working. Breakfast was very good and the staff were friendly. The tub was missing both its hose and shower head, which was my only complaint.

We ended up staying at another nearby hotel. After almost an hour waiting in the stifling heat at 4 p.m., they still couldn't find our room key. I was then sent from the hotel to the Jarpar hostel/restaurant and put through to the reservations manager. They offered us an economy room for €75 with breakfast, although its sauna didn't work. Our original room was €80 for one night, with an extra bed and breakfast for the three of us. We thought the offer was worse, not equal or better, and the €5 reduction alone didn't feel like much of a gesture. That's just my opinion.

The mattresses were comfortable, and the sheets and towels were clean. There were plenty of amenities too, though there was no shower gel. Still, I won't be coming back, and fortunately we hadn't booked breakfast. Boceguillas was on our route, where M.Sanz Bakery-Pastry Shop had a fantastic breakfast for the same price. The room was spacious but dark and seemed dirty, with damp throughout. The first room was on the 2nd floor. We couldn't use the air conditioning because its remote was missing, and the heavy curtains made it hard to leave the windows open in the intense heat. The TV remote didn't work because it had no battery, and the hairdryer's broken hose let air escape before it reached the vent. We told the young woman who'd brought us up what we'd found. She checked, called someone, and moved us to the next room. That room was on a corner, so we could open windows on both sides. Air from a dry thunderstorm coming in offered some relief, since the air conditioning still wouldn't start, even with a remote. The room had damp, a broken hairdryer, and a broken shower cable. There was no TV remote at first, so they brought one from another room. The shower bracket was absurdly high, making it hard to hang the head without stretching it, and the loose shower head leaked from the sides. The jacuzzi was dirty. There was shampoo but no shower gel, and beneath the bidet we found a colony of harvestmen, the long-legged creatures that look like spiders. One bed had loose legs and rocked when you got into it, like a boat on rough water. The TV wasn't HD and couldn't receive the channels mentioned. At times, loud creaks from what sounded like the roof beams made it hard to sleep. Getting to the room was awkward from the start. The hotel door was locked, nobody answered the bell, and we wondered if we'd come to the wrong place. A sign sent us elsewhere to collect the keys. The staff there seemed reluctant and unfriendly, though the intense heat inside the bar might have explained their mood. The young woman showed us to the room, then returned to the bar. The elevator would go up, but we weren't allowed to take it down, so we had to carry our luggage down the stairs. The rooms may have all the advertised features, but in our experience things were broken, dirty, or simply didn't work. It's a shame to see a place that must once have been very good so neglected, both in its facilities and its service.

There was room to relax in the spacious room, with a sitting area, TV, and a very comfortable sofa. The large bed was comfortable too, and the bathroom had a whirlpool tub. The hotel is in a small village, so finding parking is easy. The sauna wasn't working when I stayed, but that was part of the arrangement with management to bring the price down. It was good value for a place to stay in the area, and I'll definitely come back if I get the chance.