El Pico De Santillana

The only satisfying part was leaving. Our beds were so uncomfortable that a good night’s sleep seemed impossible, and noise from the kitchen started at 7 in the morning. The room felt neglected and as if it hadn’t been cleaned in years, with stains on the walls. My partner lit a cigarette without knowing the rules. I knew smoking wasn’t allowed but forgot to mention it, and that doesn’t make the way they scolded us any nicer. They spoke to us like a drill sergeant instead of explaining politely. Filth, noise, bad service, and terrible beds.

We liked our stay, especially the peaceful setting, gardens, and mountain views. There’s parking, a dining area, and a basic but useful kitchen. The rooms have their own bathrooms and TVs. It’s easy to reach the highway, with the old town and beaches fairly close too. Public transport is limited, so you really need a car, but we had one and it wasn’t a problem. For a hostel, it’s very good value. Thanks!

We rented the whole hostel for a September weekend with friends and family, using all 10 rooms and planning to make breakfast there. The common kitchen and dining area have cameras, which feel intrusive, yet they don’t help with the dirt, wear, and neglect. At meals we had to take turns because the plastic tables and benches couldn’t seat everyone at once. The kitchen was dated and cluttered with things we couldn’t use. Glasses and plates were locked in cupboards, so we had to ask the manager to open them. The refrigerators held abandoned food, there were ancient utensils and Nutella jars from who knows when, the knives were useless, and there was no bottle opener. There was a manual juicer but nowhere to put it, and several drawers jammed open and wouldn’t shut. Dampness stank in all the ground-floor rooms, sometimes enough to make the sheets damp too. Worst of all, mold was growing unchecked in one bathroom downstairs. The price is the only thing on par with other hostels and rural guesthouses in Spain. For a place in this condition, it was very expensive.

The staff were lovely and very friendly, and the location works well for exploring Cantabria. But the rooms had dirt, damp, and bugs, and the mattresses were the worst I’ve ever slept on. It might do for a single night in the area, but staying longer would be awful. We wouldn’t come back.