Santana Hotel & Spa

After walking about 25km a day on the Camino, we’d looked forward to an evening at the spa and dinner at the hotel. We got there around 3.30pm and were told the bar wasn’t open, so we couldn’t even get water or a cup of tea. Apparently it isn’t run by the hotel. After making a huge fuss, they eventually opened the restaurant so we could buy a drink, but we’d waited almost 1.5hrs. At check-in, we were also told spa access required buying breakfast for €12ph, which we did. Then they wanted a €40 towel deposit and a non-refundable €10 for a swimming hat. We cancelled breakfast, skipped the spa and treatments, and went out for dinner instead. Reception staff were rude and unhelpful. What a disappointment.

The food was okay, but the stay was terrible. The place was dirty and very hot, with worn walls, dated rooms, and long hallways. They advertised air conditioning, but when we asked, staff said they didn’t have it and gave us a small fan that did nothing. We asked for another room and were told they were all full, then about 10 minutes later another customer came up yelling and screaming and was given a different room. The front desk was dishonest about several things, and customer service seemed taught to lie. We had several families across three separate rooms, and every one of them had issues. Highly recommend finding somewhere else. Do not stay here.

After walking 20 km on the Portuguese Camino, I booked two nights at Santana Hotel & SPA hoping for five-star comfort. Instead, it was one of the worst stays in my 68 years of travel. My ground-floor room opened straight onto the street, and the balcony door wouldn’t lock, so it felt unsafe. The room had no internet despite repeated attempts to fix it, and I had to go to the lobby to get online. The safe was broken, and even the receptionist couldn’t get it working. After three hours of waiting for help, I was told to find another hotel myself. My whole evening was lost to these problems, and I couldn’t enjoy the spa. As a solo traveler, I was charged the double-room rate. The hotel felt old and poorly maintained, with problems everywhere and little care for guests. I left frustrated and exhausted, with extra expenses. Don’t go near that place.

The hotel itself has lovely old-world charm, with a nice view over the lake and the sea not far away. But the instant coffee at breakfast was awful, much too concentrated, and left a bitter, unpleasant greasy taste in my mouth. My stomach felt off for a few hours afterward. The staff should look after the coffee machines and the coffee quality. There was black mold in the bathroom, and it hadn’t been cleaned very well either. Management should pay attention to the quality.