Hotel y Casona El Carmen

We couldn't get the wifi working at all, and reception offered no fix or took any action. We picked this hotel for our first night in Spain because its appealing description mentioned free wifi, an outdoor pool and free breakfast, even though it cost more than the other local options. The room was disgusting. When we opened one of the beds, it had yellow and brown stains, so two of us had to share a single bed. There were filthy splatters on the fire alarm, possibly blood, vomit or fecal matter, but we couldn't identify them. The showerhead's chrome was peeling, and bits stuck into my hand while I showered. One positive was the charming young woman at the bar, and there was a bidet in the bathroom.

They put us in a nearby brick building and didn't help with our luggage. The room was awful, with a tiny elevator, poor internet and no air conditioning in the heat. We asked to leave straight away and moved to another hotel that was cheaper, but they still charged us. I don't recommend this hotel, and I'd warn others to be careful.

The location worked well for us. There’s a rocky but beautiful beach about a 10-minute walk away, though at low tide around 14:00 there’s no water to swim in, just rocks. Several beaches, Oviedo and Gijon are within easy driving distance, and a small station by the beach has trains to Gijon. The kids loved the pool, which has a nice fountain, and the playground. There’s table football, and the café has board games. The restaurant food is good, though it costs more than places in nearby Candas. The fine wine, on the other hand, is very reasonably priced. There’s also a basic gym in a small windowless room, but some machines were broken when we visited.

We only stopped briefly, but found a top-notch hotel with a great dinner and continental breakfast.