Hotel Don Pepe

The city seems to be putting money into the walkways out front, but none of the businesses seem to be updating or cleaning up their storefronts. I’d guess the exterior hasn’t been cleaned in a decade.

The location worked well for our trip, and we’d happily consider staying at Don Pepe again. It’s an easy, level walk into Pontevedra’s old town as long as you don’t go down to river level. The stretch over the river is especially attractive. On a nice day, you can also take the steps down to the river and follow it before turning back towards the city. Buses go to the old town too, but there are several services from different stops and most are irregular. Transporte Público de Galicia has more information, though schedules may only be available a few weeks ahead. It’s also well placed for trips to Cambados and the Rias Baixas, or to Sanxenxo and Portonovo for ferries to the Atlantic Isles. We were there in late September 2024, and the bus times didn’t line up well with the ferry from Sanxenxo, so we took a Taxi out (€30) and came back by bus. The hotel has its own lot off the road, and parking on the quiet streets below seemed unrestricted. There’s a reasonable supermarket and a couple of “low-end” food outlets at the nearby A Barca shopping centre. The hotel is on the Southern edge of Poio, though, with little else close by. For a really good meal, we’d suggest the easy 10 minute walk to Emma’s Cozinha Portuguesa. Our room faced the street, where traffic was usually fine but could occasionally be noisy, and looked onto a fairly ordinary built-up hillside. A room overlooking the Ria would have a wonderful view. Booking directs you to Booking.com, but it didn’t seem to show which way the room faced. The hotel feels as if it may have moved somewhat down-market over the years. The luxury embossed towels and complementary headed stationery seem at odds with the distinctly dated decor. The corridors have dark walls and feel gloomy under the low-energy lighting. Still, the rooms are a good size, with comfortable beds, reasonable but unremarkable en-suites, and everything was spotless. Reception stays open well into the evening, and the staff were welcoming and helpful. Breakfast is an extensive buffet, and the scrambled eggs were nice. A better choice of breads would have made it excellent. I couldn’t decide if Don Pepe deserved 4*. It was a convenient, comfortable, good value place to stay for visiting Pontevedra, and “very good 3*” seems about right. We’d be very happy to stay here again, though we’d also consider other options.

The beds were comfortable, and we had a great night’s sleep. The room was amazing, with robes and slippers as a lovely extra. It’s a beautiful hotel in a good location, and the staff were friendly and helpful.

We stayed one night on the way to Portugal. The rooms were tidy and clean, and the bathroom looked lovely and new, with a great shower. The monogrammed robes, towels, slippers and linen gave the place an old-world feel. Comfortable overall and good value for money.