Los Angeles

The price was the other shock: I asked at the nearby Hotel Santillana, a three-star place, about a room for three on Sunday night, and it was literally half what Los Angeles quoted us for that same night. Given that, and how uncomfortable we were, I felt we were being badly overcharged. I have stayed in plenty of dreadful rooms as a professional travel writer, including an un-air-conditioned shipping container in Threeways in the middle of the Northern Territory desert, and this one was easily among the worst by quite a margin. The so-called family room for three was tiny and hot, like a prison cell despite us having committed no crime. Getting around it meant a constant, painful game of Tetris. Don't stay there under any circumstances.

The room was clean, though the windows were small, and I paid 45€, which felt worth it. The people working there were very kind. Breakfast was average, but fine.

It's beside a park and children's playground in a quieter part of Santillana. The rooms were clean, the beds comfortable, and the staff friendly. Breakfast was the weak point, with low-quality processed food.

Free parking in their own lot was a big plus in this small, heavily visited town. The hotel is cute, as is the town, and check-in came with a very warm welcome. It's right by a park and playground. There was no AC, which is standard around here. We needed the windows open to cool the room, so we could hear music from a live band, though that wasn't surprising in high season. Breakfast was just okay, mostly bread and very few protein choices.