Les Clarisses Hotel Boutique

The setting alone made this experience worthwhile. We were passing through, found a room, and booked with points. At peak season I probably couldn't afford it. This fabulous hotel and restaurant is built on an old nunnery, and the renovations treated the original architecture with real respect. It's in a surprising corner of Catalunya with lots of other gems from different periods. The restaurant felt very elegant, with impeccable service and a midday menu for Eur 22.50 that was very reasonably priced. The strawberries clafouti was divine, and the coffee was excellent. The maître d' suggested a local wine made with chardonnay, muscat, and some intriguing green local grapes. Delicious!

I’m leaving this because other guests should know what happened, and because I think the people who own or invested in the hotel may not realize how badly it’s being run. I own a business too, and from what I saw, the team may be letting them down. I’m not saying this out of anger. I want the owners to see the problem, and future guests to avoid it. The breakfast situation was a mess. We and several other guests got to the restaurant before 10, when service was meant to continue until 10, but the waiter had already left. There was no food, coffee, plates, cutlery, or staff, and guests were left looking lost. One middle-aged couple had found a single piece of toast and had to search for utensils. An elderly British couple waited without anyone serving them or even speaking to them. If breakfast is supposed to finish at 9:30, guests need to be told that. Most places in Spain serve breakfast until 11, so excuses about the timing don’t make this any better. The hotel should ask the other guests how it felt. People aren’t usually picky without a reason. I’ve left plenty of sincere praise on Google, but this was hard to understand. Our first room should never have been given to guests. There was no AC vent or bathroom mirror, insects were crawling on the floor, and the fresh chemical smell, like paint and formaldehyde, was choking. Staff knew about it, so this didn’t feel like an innocent mistake. We asked to move and weren’t told no, but the response was slow and grudging, as if they were doing us a favor. The entrance alley was strewn with rubbish and plastic bags blowing around. It looked like the back of a dumpster, hardly the entry to a place calling itself a luxury hotel. The glowing reviews are hard to square with what I saw, and other guests seemed just as shocked and disappointed. I gave one star only because there’s no zero option. Honestly, this place doesn’t deserve a rating. Staying here felt like stepping in dog shit and paying extra for it. Spain has beautiful hotels even in small towns, but this was the worst I’ve seen. The staff seemed to want the hotel to fail, and the owner may be asleep at the wheel. If it were my business, I’d replace the whole team. There are plenty of hardworking young people in Spain who could run it with pride. Don’t trust the glowing reviews, and don’t waste your money here.

The hotel’s in the center, close enough to walk to the bars and restaurants, and there are lifts inside. It used to be a convent, which probably helps explain how peaceful it is. The entrance and lobby were being renovated during our stay, but we didn’t hear the work during the day. Breakfast was good, the shower had strong pressure, and the staff were really friendly. There are reserved spaces for the hotel in a nearby underground car park. We had a great stay last month and would come back. Thanks!

On day three, a receptionist told me I’d get a bigger room, then left. A male receptionist later said it would happen the next day, but two days have passed and I’m still waiting. I tried to reach a manager or supervisor around 4-5 pm, but nobody came. The receptionist also wouldn’t give me a number or any other way to contact the manager. I was left in the small room with no option to cancel.