Hotel María de Molina

Dogs are welcome here, and the staff were friendly and helpful. This beautiful hotel is full of history and sits right in the heart of old Ubeda. It's great value. My only reason for giving it four stars is the continental breakfast, since I prefer a full English one.

The rooms and bathrooms are spacious. It looks as if the cook left recently.

Good food and drinks.

I had a very bad experience. I have no complaints about the hotel's location or cleanliness, but I came down with severe gastroenteritis. I spent a day confined to my room, feeling very ill and with little ability to stick to a proper diet. The next morning I was still unwell and no better, so I told the hotel I wanted to check out and asked whether they could refund me for the two prepaid nights I had left. The full reservation amount is charged at check-in. They said a refund wasn't possible, though they might look into it if I brought a medical certificate. That meant finding a doctor at some kind of emergency room in Ubeda. I was in no shape to go around town looking for doctors, taxis, or anything else. They also said that if I left the following day, I should see my own doctor and scan a certificate confirming the gastroenteritis. I wasn't up to hunting for public bathrooms or going for walks. A friend who was still in town after the wedding I attended eventually had to drive me to Madrid, because I had very little strength left. I even asked if they had a lemon, saying I'd pay for it, but they didn't. That surprised me, since with a breakfast buffet someone might want lemon tea in the morning. They asked whether that wasn't part of the buffet and was only served at afternoon tea. So my experience was very negative. I can't recommend the hotel in this situation, and would tell people to be careful in case they run into trouble, since payment is taken upfront and refunds aren't given.