Hotel L'Iglesia

We were disappointed that our room was in the Consulate building, since we'd hoped to stay in the church. The church was empty while we were there because occupancy was low, and it could use a thorough dusting and cleaning. The hotel has two buildings, the Consulate, which has reception and the restaurant, and the church with the striking interior seen in the published photos. Staff were friendly, and we only had breakfast there. Compared with other beautiful riads we'd stayed in, our room didn't impress us for the price.

The staff we met were all courteous and friendly, but we left without staying. In December, after crossing a dirt lot scattered with trash to reach the old church where our room was, we were shown a large, dark, freezing room with peeling paint and threadbare furnishings. The decor seemed meant to be restoration hardware mixed with mid-century industrial style, but everything needed dusting. Other rooms we were offered looked the same. In one, there was a squashed cockroach on the bathroom floor, and across the rooms there weren't enough lamps, some bulbs were missing, and a chair was broken. There was no heating or air conditioning either. Common-area furniture, coffee tables, wall trim, and display cabinets were coated in black dust and poorly kept. We had reservations and had been told the place was booked for the holidays, yet none of the lights were on. In an old church, that felt spooky and made us uneasy. It seemed the owner hadn't been around for a while or had lost interest. The photos of Hotel L’ Inglesia must have been taken when it first opened; they don't show its current condition. I've written over 150 Google reviews as a level 7 local guide and don't like leaving negative ones, but I couldn't say otherwise. We found a room at an amazing five-star riad just outside the walls.

Street and courtyard noise kept us awake, with a scooter at 2 a.m., a cat howling for much of the night, and people talking loudly at the hotel. There was no air conditioning, so we had to sleep with the windows open. With no screens, mosquitoes attacked both my wife and me. The rooms felt run-down, with very old, cheap furniture and peeling paint on the windows. It was very, very overpriced.

The church building is fantastic, so ask for a room there. The rooms are nicely designed, and the living room is huge and impressive. The restaurant is in the other building, and its food was delicious. It's a beautiful hotel with few tourists around, a real hidden gem. Thanks to the helpful, friendly staff!