Hotel Las Palmeras by Vivere Stays

The building is beautiful, and you can't beat the location. We enjoyed coffees and beers on the square right in front. We were lucky it wasn't busy, as you really can hear your neighbors as if they're right beside you. There was also an occasional bad smell in our bathroom, but the room was still great overall. The service was very friendly, and they let us store our bikes downstairs without any fuss. We paid 39 euro for a large double room with a private bathroom, excellent value.

It’s in a good spot in Zafra, and the windows do a great job keeping plaza noise out. The room was basic but clean. We had helpful contact over WhatsApp, and there was a good, safe place to store our bikes. It would’ve been nice to have some complimentary water, since not much was open when we arrived.

The breakfast was the one bright spot, and it may be because the two women serving it take pride in their work and have to deal with the guests. Everything else was awful. I’ve traveled for about 6-7 months a year for work, and this was the worst hotel I’ve stayed in anywhere. There are much better hotels in Zafra. Don’t choose this one. We wanted a refund, but there was nobody to speak to. I can see why they leave the front desk unmanned: they don’t want to be linked to the hotel or deal with angry guests. I booked on 26 Dec. They didn’t tell me until 30th that a New Year’s Eve party in Plaza Grande would be loud until 0700 New Year’s Day. It was. If they’d told me when I booked, I’d have chosen another hotel. They intentionally withheld the information. The room was long and narrow, like a mobile home trailer. One wall was the original (?) rock, with spackle falling off. Getting up at night without a light meant stepping on it. Please see photographs. There was no parking nearby, so we had to pull into Plaza Grande to unload our luggage, then park about a kilometre away. I couldn’t get onto any of the hotel’s four wi-fi networks with either of my two devices. They showed up, but rejected the passwords. I messaged someone representing the hotel on Whatsapp and was told the passwords were inside my room door. They were actually in the lobby. The inside of the door only said the room was non-smoking. I sent them the photo and asked for clarification, but got no reply. The shower diverter valve was stuck, so only a trickle came from the shower wand while most of the water came from the faucet. There was no housekeeping on 01 Jan. The maids swept the halls but didn't clean the room. Its floor was so dirty that it turned the bottoms of my night socks black, after only two nights in the hotel. There were no smoke detectors or fire alarms. Of the two ceiling lights in the main room, only one worked. The aircon remote batteries were nearly dead, like the hotel.

The location was perfect, and there was a safe spot inside the building for my bicycle. We had an incredible breakfast and a nice room, plus a very friendly welcome. Absolutely superb, highly recommended.