Domus Oncinae Fabia

The lack of air conditioning was the one drawback for me. Otherwise, it’s an easy hotel to recommend for a peaceful, memorable stay. It’s tucked into a quiet corner away from the big city, and the place is beautiful, clean, and well laid out. Our spacious room was clean, newly renovated, and easy to get to. The front desk staff were polite, friendly, and helpful, and the restaurant’s traditional Spanish meals were delicious.

The service was good and the hotel is nice, which made this a shame. We were a couple travelling around Asturias and stayed one night. I’d been here before and had a very good experience, but this time our ground-floor room was disappointing and clearly needed renovation. The walls were damp, the skirting boards were mouldy, and the shower curtain was damaged.

I barely slept, waking every 30 minutes. You can hear kids running around, people talking in nearby rooms, and other guests’ phone alarms. There’s no privacy or peace, almost like sharing with ten people with only curtains between the beds. One alarm nearby rang for an hour, so sleep was out of the question. The room also got unbearably hot because the heating was set so high. It looks nice at first, but the renovation seems cheaply done and the build quality is poor. We booked through Booking and sent several messages without getting a reply. When we arrived, nobody was at reception. We rang the bell, looked around, and waited what felt like ages. Don’t stay here unless you’re prepared for constant interruptions to your sleep and can handle a very hot room.

The food was a highlight: the lunch was the best we’ve had on the Camino so far, and the burrata salad was the most amazing dish I’ve eaten in years. The entrees and dessert were excellent too, and breakfast was plentiful with nothing missing. Juan (the owner), Jose, and all the women on staff were very nice and went out of their way to help. Our room was sparkling clean, the beds felt like clouds, the towels were soft, and the outdoor space was pleasant to sit in during daylight. We stayed at Domus Oncinae on our Camino de Santiago, and I hope others take time to stay at this gem of a hotel.