Hotel Altamira

This gorgeous old hotel has a comfortable interior with medieval furnishings, an incredible location, and very friendly staff. I would've loved more time to explore all the floors. They do ask guests to reuse towels and show some environmental awareness, but breakfast had far too much single-use plastic, including individually wrapped olive oil portions and plastic pots of tomato.

The breakfast buffet was varied and plentiful, so we left well fed and ready for the long ride ahead. My husband and I were cycling the Camino del Norte, and Hotel Altamira was our overnight stop. After the jarring ride into Santillana Del Mar over very rough cobblestones, it felt like a peaceful oasis. The hotel is in a 16th century building, with spacious rooms, a comfortable bed, and friendly, accommodating staff. It's a gem, stay here‼️

The communal areas are elegant and beautifully decorated, but our room was bare and cold, like a priest's room, with just a bed, table, and lamp. The receptionist wouldn't help carry my bag upstairs, so I had to take my suitcase up in one hand while holding my baby in the other. It was so noisy, from the street and from guests walking on creaking floorboards, that I couldn't sleep at all. The bathroom was modern and clean, but supplies were stingy: one tiny sachet each of shower gel and shampoo for two guests and a baby, not even enough shower gel for one person. There's no phone to call reception for more. And the single-ply toilet paper felt like sandpaper. If I could choose again, I'd stay somewhere else.

Breakfast could use a lot of improvement. The location is great, though. It's a very old house, and there’s no elevator.