A Posada

A cheap motel around an hour from Madrid, with plenty of parking. I stayed there to make the morning drive to the airport more affordable. The rooms were quiet and basic, but decent. The restaurant was closed for the holiday, though there were good places to eat nearby.

The room was large and immaculate, and I’d definitely stay again. Check-in was easy when we arrived at 19:30. Dinner, served from 21:00, was really tasty, and the bar drinks were good value. Nothing to fault.

We picked this as a convenient stop while driving north through Spain. From outside it looked lovely, but the inside was dark and grimy, with a general feeling of faded grandeur. The motion-activated lights didn’t come on and off at the right times, so we had to use our phones as torches. The rooms were spacious, but had lots of damp patches that had been badly repaired, and the bed was hard as a wooden bunk. After eating in the village, we returned at 23:05 to find the hotel darker and locked up. No one had told us there was a time we had to be back. We had to knock loudly before a grumpy night guard opened the door, probably waking the other few guests. I think we heard someone else arrive a few minutes later too. It might do for a basic overnight stop if you don’t mind a hard bed. But if you have back problems and want to feel rested the next day, skip it.

We spent the whole day at a wedding reception here. The service, food, and staff were so good, and they made sure nothing was a problem. They turned it into a day we’ll never forget.