ELE Enara Boutique Hotel

Ultra modern hotel which could be great, but is not. The issue is - they turn off both heat and air in March as it is between seasons, and my room was like an oven - super stagnant. Tried fiddling with the thermostat - nothing. Went down to the front desk, she said to open the window, which I did. The problem is - it's Spain and right outside a busy street. People are out until 5 a.m. doing their thing, so sleep was incredibly difficult. Beds / pillows also not super comfortable. No coffee in room, which is a minus. Bathroom was okay. I think we did not make the best choice for this city.

It was by the end of September 2023 that my wife and I spent five nights at this hotel. Its location could not be better, close to many sites and with easy access to Taxis and Buses. Actually, it is within walking distance of the train and bus stations. However, to find some restaurants it is necessary to walk some distance, perhaps 10-12 minutes. The breakfast food was good if not very varied, I particularly liked the eggs, and the freshly squeezed orange juice. Our rooms were nicely appointed, good size, and modern. Initially, we were assigned to a room on the first floor on the side of the hotel facing a Square (Plaza de Espana). After one night we asked to be changed. The room was very noisy due to the lively cafes and restaurants in the Square. Our second room, on the same floor, but on the opposite side of the building was incredibly quiet. The service and attention we received was good. The cafeteria (not the breakfast room) is very simple, but seems to offer a good selection of tapas. Our stay was pleasant. This hotel is not inexpensive, but it represents a relatively good value.

Located in the city centre this is a lovely hotel. Very big rooms with well appointed bathroom. Modern facilities in the rooms. Friendly and helpful staff. On site underground parking too. Lovely square outside the hotel for early evening drinks.

The hotel was an absolute nightmare to find by car. After driving around the city for 30 minutes looking for some side street entrance which didn’t exist I ended up having to park in a public space 10 minute walk away. The lady on reception completely dismissed my frustration and was totally inconsiderate. The room appeared nice at first glance but looking closely at the wallpaper you can see the hotel is starting to look very tired as per the photo. All in all the Hotel did the job for an overnight stay in a beautiful city. It is most definitely not a boutique hotel.

I've stayed at this hotel twice before, once in 2017 and again in 2018, each time for over a week. When I needed to return to Valladolid recently, I didn't think twice about rebooking at the Enara. But never again. It's definitely gone downhill. Overall, the hotel looks tired, in need of a revamp. It just seemed not quite as clean as previous visits. On arrival, they had no knowledge of my previous visits and therefore my loyalty to their hotel. Then they tried to palm me off with a room in which a previous occupant had clearly been smoking. It stank terribly. In fairness, when I reported that the room was unacceptable, they quickly found me an alternative. But why did they try it on in the first place? Then I discovered that the toilet didn't flush properly, requiring 5 or 6 flushes before clear water returned - and this in spite of a lot of water being discharged each flush but clearly not directed in the right place. I reported the problem and was told it would be fixed, but it never was, so I just had to put up with it and waste a lot of precious water. I had a double room booked for 2 people but the wardrobe contained only 4 coat hangers. My wife would have gone berserk if she'd accompanied me! The hotel I'd stayed at in the centre of Madrid had 18 coat hangers. But why so few at the Enara? Once again, after I reported the shortfall, more hangers were installed very soon afterwards. And such an antiquated internet system! For some strange reason, when you check, you get an automatic allowance of 5 days' free use of their internet but I was staying for longer. I was in the middle of writing a long email coincidently exactly 5 days after checking in when suddenly my internet disappeared. I was not best pleased. So I had to traipse all the way to reception to get another 5 days. Virtually all other hotels I've stayed in around the world in recent years just give you the codes and that's it - no need to get new ones. The rooms don't have safes, let alone ones big enough to take a laptop, which is becoming the norm these days. A minor niggle. The hotel has two adjacent lifts - they're bang next door to one another. And yet they operate independently - so you can't just press one lift button and leave it to the lifts to work out which one could service you the quickest. I'm aware of the struggles the global hotel industry has had as a result of the pandemic but some just seem to have got their acts together much better than the Enara. There are plenty of other good hotels in Valladolid, similarly priced, some much closer to the city centre. So, sadly, when I return to this lovely city, I shan't be staying a fourth time at the Enara.