Palacete Colonial Hotel

The receptionist on duty offered to stay late so we could get in after our train and its replacement bus both failed. We arrived 90 minutes late, but he didn’t make a fuss about the inconvenience. The rooms are beautiful and substantial, with complimentary drinks and a minibar, and breakfast was very good. We came back several days later and found the third-floor rooms just as good, very private and quiet with no street noise at all.

It’s a beautiful hotel in a magnificent building, with a well-decorated lobby and a spacious, pleasant room under a lovely high ceiling. The bedding was perfect, and the bathroom both attractive and functional. There was also a kind handwritten welcome note in our native language, which I really appreciated. The power outlet by the bed was broken, as was the USB socket, there was no towel rack, we found a few hairs in the shower that weren’t ours, and the radio didn’t work. A few details kept it from being perfect, which is a shame because it could be such good value for money. Reception was the biggest issue. They photocopied my passport and wrote down all my credit card details. When I asked why, they said it was so they could charge me if I’d taken something from the minibar or elsewhere. It felt completely insecure, as if they could bill me for anything at their discretion, and also suggested I might leave without paying what I owed. When I came back downstairs after taking my luggage up to ask for the Wi-Fi code, I was told to check the booklet in my room. I had to insist before the receptionist gave me the codes without making me go back upstairs. Then there was a whole performance over getting a physical key card instead of using the certified one on my iPhone. The attitude felt aggressive and again seemed to suggest they suspected me of dishonesty.

The staff were professional and friendly, and the location was great for visiting Leon. We travel a lot, and this is one of the best hotels we’ve stayed at. The rooms were huge and extremely clean. We’d definitely recommend it.

The junior suite really impressed us, and the website photos matched what we found in person. Eva at the front desk was super helpful and kind. We came from Barcelona for a getaway over Constitution Day, arriving Thursday and leaving Sunday. For an amazing hotel with such a great staff, it was incredible value.