Parador de Alcala de Henares

The hotel looks FANTASTIC. It’s a designer’s dream. The location is perfect. However, for a 4-star hotel and at that price (high for Alcalá) I was expecting some slippers, more choice of pillows and tea-coffee facilities inside the room. For a tea, I had to go to the bar next door and carry my boiling tea all the way to my room. Also, the mattress is HORRIBLE. I had a horrible night because it was so hard. I would invest in new mattresses. There wasn’t any extra duvet in the room either. I would return to try the Spa and if they change this basic things (tea boiler and mattresses), I would consider staying again since the place is so gorgeous.

What a gem. I had no idea this hotel would be so modern. The room was huge and everything in the room was perfect and elegant. It’s bang in the middle of student town so you’ll see many students walking around enjoying. Food here was above average so not great. The hotel is huge.

This Parador is modern and comfortable. The staff is superior. The rooms are modern, clean and quiet. The spa is amazing. The location is very convenient for the old part of the city. The Hosteria del Estudiante was superb. I would certainly recommend this Parador and we will go back.

The hotel is a very cool combination of modern architecture embedded in a historic building. The rooms are spacious and decorated with good taste and the staff is very friendly and efficient. The location is absolutely perfect, on a quiet, semi-pedestrian street, right next to the main Plaza and the old university (both worth a visit). However, there are a few things that could be improved and one in particular that is a major issue. The first one is a bit of an annoyance. We have been going there since they opened and have probably stayed more than 40 times. I don't expect any special treatment but I would really appreciate if the folks at the reception at least didn't ask us if it's our first time in the hotel. As I said, it's just annoying, if you've stayed 2-3 times per year for almost 15 years in the same place, it can feel nice to get your loyalty recognised. And, I understand that internet bookings don't allow for personalised treatment but one can always check or mark a guest as a frequent client. The second area for improvement is wear and tear. The rooms start to show signs of aging. The hotels has been open for almost 15 years and floor boards and tiles start to show cracks, doors and windows don't close properly, there are stains and scratches on the walls and doors and the TVs are first generation flatscreens (and, for example, we didn't figure out how to change audio from dubbed Spanish to English ). The third area however is much more problematic. This hotel has the hardest and most uncomfortable beds and pillows I have ever, EVER, slept on. The beds feel like they are made of concrete strengthened with tungsten and the pillows, besides being 2 meters high, are as hard as the bed. Both my wife and I developed such horrible pain in our back and neck that we had to take pain killers for days. We love this place and it has been a home away from home for many years but maybe our bodies have gotten too old for the endurance test the beds and pillows pose. Unfortunately, until that changes, we will not be coming back.

Excellent venue for the town and the historical aspect of Alcalá de Henares. Extremely comfortable and welcoming place. Staff very helpful and informative and the rooms quiet and peaceful. Lots of space to relax and enjoy

I have stayed in more than a few Paradores (A Parador is a state-owned luxury hotel, usually located in a converted historic building such as a monastery, castle, convent, etc) including the fabulous Parador in Ronda. I booked this place hoping to be treated to a similar experience and getting to stay in a piece of history. However we were a bit disappointed as this felt a lot more modern and not having retained enough of the heritage vibe. So a bit disappointed, especially since the Rooms were super basic - didnt even have any bottle of water of even the basic luxury elements. LOCATION: Fantastic location in the heart of old town and easy access to all attractions DINE + DRINK: The parador has a sweet Bar and a good bistro, both of which we didnt get a chance to try. ROOM: We stayed in Room 207, so this review is based on that; SIZE: Spacious enough for 2 adults and simple baggage; VIEW: partially hidden view of the heritage building’s tower ; AIR-CON: Perfectly functioning cooler that helped in setting the perfect room temperature; BED: Comfortable bed that played the expected part of putting us to sleep; BATHROOM: Stand-in shower; TOILETRIES: decent spa quality toiletries FACILITIES: Super compact gym with limited machines and no weights. Not the best. The swimming pool is a compact one too. Both seem like something that have been fitted just for the namesake. SERVICE: Friendly staff that took care of all our needs with a smile and made us feel at home and well taken care of. HOW WIRED YOU WILL BE: Free Wi-Fi that works well all over the property, and the speed is good! Small TV dishing out a wide variety of channels spanning sports, news, music, movies, and entertainment in limited languages