NH Ciudad de Santander

The location was great, and I want to thank the staff, who were excellent. We did have a significant problem with the air conditioning in our first room. It wasn’t working, and staff said there was no other room available, suggesting we leave the window open. That didn’t cool the room enough during the heat wave. They managed to move us to a small room overlooking the parking lot for the night. The AC was fixed the next day, and we moved back to the larger room. The internet was out during our stay, and the rooms also need remodeling, with a fair amount of wear and tear.

The hotel is elegant and perfectly central. The reception staff were excellent and welcoming. The parking garage is quite tight.

We stayed on a Sunday night in August, and the first thing we noticed was the climb. The hotel sits uphill from the waterfront, so hauling our cases the 1.4 km from Estación Autobuses de Santander was hard work. There’s parking on site, and transport to Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport is easy to sort: a taxi is roughly €15-30 depending on demand, Uber is available, or the public bus from Estación Autobuses de Santander costs €3.20 per person. Inside, the lobby is roomy, with seating, and the staff at reception spoke English. Everyone we dealt with was helpful and polite, and the premises were clean. The room had twin beds, a free safe, a kettle with tea and coffee supplies, one complimentary bottle of water, a fridge with chargeable contents, a desk, chair, lamps, telephone, suitcase stand, long mirror, and plenty of sockets including USB ports. There was effective air conditioning, a double-glazed window overlooking trees, apartment blocks and the street, and a bathroom with a bath-shower, bidet, hairdryer, heated towel rail and NH toiletries. Two lifts serve all floors. WiFi is free, with login details given at check-in. Once connected, the hotel website has a handy Santander guide, minibar prices and a way to request room amenities. Breakfast starts at €16.90 per person, which felt expensive. We bought food and drinks, and brought bowls and spoons, from the Unide supermercado across the road, which also sells alcohol. The minibar prices are steep too, for example Coca Cola was €4, and remember there’s just one free water bottle. We also heard a dog barking now and then in a nearby room.

Being able to walk around Santander’s center from here was a real plus. We stayed two nights with our dog, and the staff had even put a dog bed and a toy in the room. The room was large and had its own WC. Everyone was lovely. Sound did carry in from the street and neighboring rooms, though, so it might bother you if you’re a light sleeper.