Hostal Real de Santiago de Compostela

We traveled across northern Spain and toured many little villages as well as touristy places. Santiago de Compostela ( old city) was by far the favorite place and the gorgeous parador was wonderful. We had a lovely room that looked out on to a courtyard. The location was perfect and the restaurants were excellent as well.

Not worth the expense! We are here now, customer service has been non existent from the dismissive front desk staff to the bellboys. Walked the Camino and were ready for such a nice stay based on reviews. Front desk unwelcoming, cold. Bellboys and front desk assured us they would notify when rooms were ready and bring luggage(on Camino transfer) to the rooms, neither happened. Checked back rooms ready, no luggage. Back 3 hours later, they said no luggage, fortunately we could see our actual luggage in the storage room which we identified. They shrugged, let us grab it but no offer to help/transport. We were puzzled as we have been friendly, patient and are booked in their suites. Surprised at the complete absence of customer service in such a highly rated hotel. Maybe it's just this one, but we will avoid Paradores in our travels and suggest you do the same

We booked this hotel as a spurge just a few weeks before our trip. It was absolutely worth it! The incredible charm of the hotel and the attention of the staff made for a top ten travel experience ever! Walking through the courtyards you can't not think about all the travelers who have come before you over the centuries.

Stayed here just after finishing the Camino. It was such a treat and a very welcome rest in luxury.|Our room was beautiful and spacious.|Breakfast was incredible and booking a time slot is a great idea so that it doesn’t get overly crowded. There was such a huge selection.|Definitely worth a stay and will be back

What a majestic place (palace). One of the finest establishments we have ever stayed. From the 15th century, the modernization is beyond description. Excellent rooms, service, meals and location. Worthwhile to book and enjoy the ultimate experience.

We’ve stayed at a few Paradores over the past couple of years - Santiago is our high point. The location, building, history… there’s nothing like stepping outside of the hotel - directly onto the square and watching Pilgrims from all over the world enter ecstatically. Santiago is a very special place and the Parador is a great place to sit and watch it all unfold.

We arrived in Santiago de Compostela and decided to look around before finding accommodation. As soon as we saw the Parador, we knew we wanted to stay there. The location. The architecture. The charm. It is a dream venue. We spoke to Adrian on reception about booking, and he was amazing. So helpful. He gave us the perfect start to our time in Santiago, from arranging a family room, to organising our luggage, and the valet parking of our car. All the staff were great throughout our stay, but we would like to give a special thanks to Adrian for making us feel so welcome

a stunning building - like no other hotel I've ever stayed in. The service was exceptionally attentive and the breakfast was delicious. Nothing was too much trouble. The only quibble was the hot water innthe shower - or lack of! But still a solid five stars.

5 Stars - Buen Camino, Gran Hotel! From the moment I stepped into the grand, voluminous lobby after my long journey on El Camino, the Parador de Santiago de Compostela felt like a sanctuary. The welcome was warm, the atmosphere majestic, and every detail of this historic hotel radiated elegance. My room was spacious and serene--just what I needed for rest and reflection. The staff were exceptional, offering impeccable service with kindness and grace. Bravo to everyone at the Parador de los Reis Católicos--what a truly heavenly experience!

12 Years and over 3300 Reviews later, Gayle and I returned to the Parador de Santiago de Compostela (aka Hostal dos Reis Católicos). We were here for our Honeymoon in 2010 and this time, we walked here at the end of the Camino Ingles. One big change since our last visit was that our Superior room was upgraded to a Junior Suite, and with a view of the Cathedral Plaza! As this is one of the best Paradors in the system, everything her remained first class. Our breakfasts were fantastic, the historical walk arounds within the Parador were informative, the architecture was fascinating, the common areas were comfortable and relaxing, and the outdoor patio restaurant was a fun place to hang out. I had one little incident when a waiter accidently spilled sangria on me. I took it all with good humor, especially since the waiter was highly apologetic. Parador staff also offered to have the affected clothes washed, which were back in our room (with another apology and a few treats) within a couple hours. Being treated like royalty (especially when we're not) made our day. Gayle and I are already talking about another Camino, maybe the Portuguese Coastal Way. If we do, we have no doubt where we'll be staying again at the end of our Pilgrimage.

Everything about the Parador hotel in Santiago de Compostela, Hostal dos Reis Catolicos, is simply outstanding! You are staying in a building that is part of the UNESCO historic district and right across the square from the Cathedral. It's in the center of everything. The hotel is a sightseeing attraction by itself. Rooms are large and bathroom amenities and products are excellent. Rooms are furnished with heavy wooden beds and dressers. You do have to walk a ways through the maze of hallways of the former royal hospital built in 1501 to accommodate pilgrims. We stayed here as part of our Viking Douro river cruise extension to Santiago. The hotel staff are very accommodating and knowledgeable. A generous buffet breakfast is served on the second floor. We had lunch at the dining area of the lobby bar. Sandwiches (bocadillas and flautas) and other light fare are available here. Stay here if you are able!

I am full of BLESSED or just pure luck, that our tour group had as staying in one of the Parador hotels, on which I learned from this trip, what that's all about! I didn't do my homework, and when I found out, Santiago de Compostela is right across from us, I am just in HEAVEN, so proud, so happy, so VERY LUCKY INDEED! They gave our group a tour. I felt like, I want to stay here and don't want to leave! I want to attend mass everyday. I want to take a shower, or a bath, or open those windows, and sit in the bright bathroom everyday! I just love it here! The food, the service, this is what 5 stars is ALL ABOUT! Bonus: The church bells, ringing every 15 mins. The full moon photo of me with the cathedral steeple and tower in the background. WHAT MORE DO I NEED! For 2 days, I am in HEAVEN! Only negative: The toilet always smells like a sewer. In the 2nd Parador hotel we stayed, I just flush it down 2x, and it's fine!

This Hotel is touted to be one of the most luxurious and beautiful hotels in the Paradores chain which is located in Santiago de Compostela. This is a city that welcomes millions of pilgrims after their very long travels through the Paradores of Northern Spain. The Hotel is located on Obradoiro Square near the cathedral which is the most visited provincial capitals in the world. This surely was the most unique Hotel I have ever lodged. Personally I had a hard time sleeping in this Hotel but that could be because I was restless from our long travels or just jittery. The hotel was built as a royal hospital in 1499 to accommodate pilgrims traveling to Santiago. That makes you realize how long this structure has been illuminating the sky. The inside of the hotel one would discover four picturesque cloisters, along with very interesting guest rooms and a lavish dining room that offers fish and meat prepared in the Galician style. We did dined one evening in their magnificent dining room. We enjoyed the fish and meats in the traditional Galician style. It was a wonderful and very cozy evening of enjoyment. Our stay was quite an experience that I will always remember.

Since I was one of the first of 10 in line at the Pilgrim Office, they gave me a voucher for a free lunch at the Parador! Since we couldn't all come along, we opted for drinks at the bar on the patio. Just splendid, in every way. The service was impeccable and the views were divine. Don't worry about how you're dressed because most people are fresh off the Camino. Just eat, drink, be merry, and grateful!

5* Paradores Across from the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela Set in an arched cellar of the Paradores Hotel Beautiful atmosphere Friendly and polite food service Tasty artesan house bread; there is a cover charge Delicious amuse bouché The sardine appetizer was good Excellent sopa Galego; lots of ham pieces My tuna was the best ever! Good almond tort (de Compostela) with Muscatel chaser But the bomb was the rice pudding that had a licorice taste Nice wines Great place for a splurge

This is a very beautiful and interesting hotel, but our room in the lower floor was as damp as moat and so mouldy, that I got an allergy attack. Our clothes smelled mouldy for days, even after we left the hotel. Certainly not what you'd expect from a 5 star hotel.

Great location and beautiful building. Need I say more? Impeccable service. Highly recommend!!

I stayed at the Parador Los Reyes Catolicos in Santiago de Compostela, Spain on 5/19/2018. It was my 1st time there. I was traveling with Tauck and they chose it. Commissioned by Ferdinand and Isablla, it is one of the oldest hotels in the world. It was originally built in the 15th century to hour the thousands of pilgrims who made the trek along El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James). This Parador is for the well heeled today. Wonderful ambiance in a great location. Plus, I took photos.

This amazing piece of history feels like a childhood dream of camping out in a museum. With the addition of fine linens, excellent service and a comfortable bathroom. Our room is large and well appointed. The bed...huge! I feel like I'm sleeping on a cotton island. Breakfast buffet is included and it's really delicious too. After walking the #caminodesantiago for the past month, this is a well deserved luxury. It would be hundreds more in the USA.

In all the places that I have stayed at around the world , this is pretty close to #1. It is the oldest hotel in the world (built in 1499 in Galicia). I am fascinated as to why it has no reviews. It is an historical hospital once used for the pilgrims walking months and months from lands far away to the cathedral in Santiago to honor the apostle St. James, who is laying in rest there. The pilgrimage is an age old practice which continues still to this day. The movie THE WAY with Martin Sheen and his son depicts this beautifully (with a wonderful soundtrack). It is one of my top ten movies. This hotel even has a cathedral built inside. The most wonderful location due to it faces the Santiago De Compostela Cathedral.

Our expectations were high since we'd read our guidebooks beforehand: "the palatial parador is Santiago's top hotel" (Lonely Planet), "one of the most renowned paradors in Spain" (1000 Places to See), "one of the world's most luxurious" (Hunter Travel), "one of the world's grandest hotels" (Eyewitness Guide), "irresistibly luxurious rooms [...] worth every penny" (Rough Guide). Even though our first glimpse wasn't after a long pilgrimage but just after a short uphill taxi ride from the train station, we were still overwhelmed. And on each day of our stay we would marvel anew at one of the world's grandest squares framed by the Cathedral, a palace, a college, and our five-star home-away-from-home. But we first had the challenge of finding the perfect room. Santiago (what a fitting name!), Susana, and Rosa at reception provided five-star service from the very start; knowledgeable staff members like José and Dolores provided us with glimpses of the range of rooms and invaluable historical tidbits about the extraordinary building. Our favorite was the junior suite 232 (one of four junior suites available) just below the Cardinal's suite with the same panoramic view, but we also had a chance to see the other junior suites: view of the Cathedral (203), high ceilings and beautiful white marbled bath (320), views of the interior patios (233). Our first two nights were in a standard double room (314) with one large bed and a view onto a side street. We moved to our favorite junior suite for the rest of our stay: a foyer with two desks - perfect for our laptop and tablets - lit by day through a window with scenic view, a floor lamp providing a warmly lit cozy welcome each evening. The bedroom area had two four-poster canopied beds that pushed together let us sleep in historic surroundings perfectly, a sofa for lounging and reading, four chairs, a floor lamp for the evening - the windows with the panoramic view of the countryside provided lots of light during the day - two large clothes closets and a flat screen TV. The wonderfully spacious bathroom with floor to ceiling marble walls and beautiful flooring had two basins and a partially separate toilet area. We got to know all four floors of the entire parador and also the four beautiful courtyards during our stay and noticed the successful integration of modern conveniences like elevators and internet into a unique historic setting. The areas opened to the public and those only accessible to hotel guests were all spotless. It's amazing to stroll through the courtyards every day to your room, passing the royal chapel and eavesdropping on the concerts, weddings, and events, admiring the art on the walls, hearing the floors creak just a bit in passing. And you just have to walk out the front door to meet the constant stream of pilgrims arriving after their long hikes to applause and hugs and tears of joy - a truly magical place unlike any other we've ever experienced. The prices vary a lot from week to week, but by booking early and making use of the specials on the official parador website, our half board arrangement turned out to be very reasonably priced indeed. But it wasn't only the thrill of living in a historic building that made our stay so splendid. The real treasure in this parador is the service. Tania, Estanfanía, Lucía, Daniel as part of the breakfast staff always had time for a chat while serving other guests in the comfortable breakfast room with views of the Cathedral and of the surrounding countryside. We enjoyed the fresh fruit, eggs, of course the delicious jamón, freshly squeezed orange juice, along with Galician and north Spanish specialties like sobaos pasiegos, and either a pot of café-con-leche at our favorite table by the window or Daniel showing off his barista talents by designing a cappuccino especially for me. We mentioned in passing at Sunday breakfast that we had been awakened by wedding party music the evening before. Evidently the very attentive staff had passed on the news of our red eyes: We found upon our return that evening a delicious Santiago Tarta cake in our room. And upon returning after our final dinner with many farewells to the friends we'd made, we found a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, compliments of the house (thanks especially to Marcelino from Dos Reyes Restaurant)! Of course one could claim that such royal treatment is reserved for guests who stay longer than a few nights or was due to my Spanish husband, who can be very charming when he wants to be. But we were also able to observe during our people-watching time in the lobbies and restaurants the superb service to other guests too. And we smiled when eavesdropping on staff conversations about successfully meeting the challenges of "challenging" guests. After two weeks we can confirm whole heartedly the praise in our guidebooks, and we will never forget the wonderful people who turned a world famous grand hotel into a very special home-away-from-home for us.

Nope. No. Nein. No gracias. The employees at the front desk were the most unfriendly people in Spain that we came across. Would rather spend my $$ where people like people.