Parador de Pontevedra

The parador is well-located in the historic area of Pontevedra. I loved the decorations in the lobby and hallways, especially the historic maps and drawings of the city, as well as the antique chairs and tables. The breakfast was also excellent. I particularly liked the inclusion of local foods and made-to-order eggs. My only complaints are that the bed was harder than expected, and the front desk service was not exceptionally friendly.

Having completed our Camino to Santiago we decided to spend time in Pontevedra on our way back to Porto to allow us the opportunity to experience Pontevedra in a more relaxed manner. Having enjoyed stays previously in Paradors elsewhere in Spain the Parador de Pontevedra was our first choice. The hotel was again up to the exceptional standards set by all others we have stayed in and was ideally located to allow us to explore the historic centre of Pontevedra on foot. The accommodation, staff and service were on a par with all other Paradors we have visited.

This was a great place stay. The building itself is very impressive - basically and old castle/mansion. Our room was big and airy and looked out onto the courtyard/garden. It is on one edge of the old town and you are easily able to walk to all of the sites. The staff were fairly matter of fact but were happy to help when asked. We didn't try the food at all, but it was nice to have a coffee on the veranda overlooking the garden. We got the train to Pontevdera so didn't have to worry about parking, although we did have a bit of a wait for a taxi at the station (which seems to be a common experience). It was a pretty cheap taxi fare.

A wonderful treat while walking the Camino, could not recommend it enough. Fabulous location and so comfortable.

Staying in a medieval castle definitely has charm. The spacious rooms and old-town setting keep the Middle Ages atmosphere alive. The bar was pleasant, and the staff deserves praise—they went above and beyond to help. But there were major problems. First, taxi drivers refused to stop at the train station despite the long line of travelers, forcing us to walk all the way to the hotel, which was difficult to find even with GPS. Second, the restaurant was overpriced, opened only at 8:30 p.m., and breakfast was extremely stingy. There was also no coffee in the rooms or even in the lobby. Add to that: no gym at all. The property itself is unique, but the frustrations added up. For the setting and staff, it deserves some credit, but overall the experience fell short. Suggestions: 1) invest in a gym and have some dumbbells, elliptical and treadmill. 2) as a coffee machine in every room. I would send my bill in the mail.

Our group of four walking the Camino was looking forward to staying at this historic parador, as it was our most expensive accommodation on our trip. While it was nice and the rooms were spacious and inviting, it did not completely live up to our expectations. Check-in took a very long time compared to other hotels. While the receptionist got the job done, he was not overly gracious or welcoming. Our room was very quiet but unfortunately our friends just next door were kept awake all night by an unidentified mechanical noise. Breakfast was delicious although we were eating at the same time as a tour group and had to wait longer than usual for our orders. We wished they had told us when we scheduled breakfast that another time would be better, as we had some flexibility. The restaurant staff was harried and rushed with the volume of people. The location was good and the area was quiet.