Hotel La Palma Romantica

This hotel is exactly as it appears in Booking, and I loved it for what it was. It’s a dated building, yes. It smells a bit like a German country house guesthouse would smell: of old furniture, fresh linen. Add in some rain dripping on glass patio roof sounds and you get the picture. But it has charm and all the basic essentials one would need. There are cats (always a bonus). The bathtub in the room I had was an extra pleasant feature: nothing like a hot bath after a long day of hiking! Free on site parking with ample space. There is a pool that opens at 11 (a bit on the late side in my opinion) and a no frills gym that doesn’t have a treadmill. You don’t need one just jog outdoors in the morning. Breakfast was a simple affair, but adequate they have milk substitutes for the lactose intolerant and vegan. Keep in mind two important points: one that this hotel is quite secluded so be prepared for a windy road night drive every day. second that this is possibly the wettest and mistiest part of the island. During the time of my stay it rained every day

Romantica is a strange place. It was probably nice back whenever it was built but now it is really very worn and out of date. Some hotels that are old and worn can be charming and quaint, but Romantica really just needs an update. We had booked a junior suite (room 43) and while it was very big and spacious it was also quite dark. There are two small windows sitting low in very thick walls in the lounge area and not much light comes in from there. You do have the balcony doors where light comes in but it's not quite enough for such a large room. It was also very cold when we arrived. They switched on the heater but it took about a day to heat up the room (no doubt because of its size). And even then it was only barely warm enough. In some ways, the room was charming and had character, but we just felt it was too dark.||The shower is in the bathtub. There was hot water all the time but not much came out – not much pressure. But at least the water was hot and the towels nice and thick.||There are no lifts and a lot of stairs and you must be able to carry your luggage yourself. WiFi only works in the common areas, not in the rooms.||We had read all the terrible reviews concerning the restaurant. We don't agree with them and don't understand them. We had dinner all three nights we stayed there, and the food was fine and the staff very attentive, professional and friendly. The first night there was a bit of a wait after ordering, but no more than we would consider normal in any good restaurant. Like our room, the restaurant is also a bit dark and not really all that nice-looking. But we could find no faults with the staff or the food.||To summarise, we can't really recommend The Romantica how ever much we'd like to. It's just too worn and out of date – and if you're stuck there, there is nothing to do nearby. Barlovento is not very interesting. We were on a planned hiking trip so we had a hiking program each day. Otherwise, you definitely need to have a car so that you can go somewhere during the day. Our non-recommendation has nothing to do with the staff – it's not their fault that the place is the way it is. All the hotel staff were friendly and helpful.

Probably the most beautiful hotel I have stayed in, situated as it is in a lovely garden overlooking the sea and the mountains. The common areas inside have numerous small and large rooms with tasteful decor where you can sit undisturbed, and there are fine details everywhere like the windows, door panels and ceilings that appear to be made of a dark exotic wood, actually some of the most exquisite woodwork I have seen in a hotel. We had the very spacious Junior Suite with two balconies and thus a perfect view of the sea on two sides as well as the mountains. The nights in February are chilly, but the heating in the room was more than adequate. From the day of our arrival and throughout our stay, we were greeted and serviced by very friendly and helpful staff members. There is such a nice and friendly atmosphere in this family-driven hotel. We had half board, and there was a new three-course menu every day with the option of an alternative three-course vegetarian menu. One day, our host even offered and made a paella for us, free of charge! Last but not least, there are nearby official and marked hiking trails like the PR LP 7.1 and the GR 130.

We came for a long weekend as a family of 3 ( our son is 6)|The family rooms are massive, great to have a proper bed for our son instead of a sofa bed. |Lovely big bath. |The hotel itself is like stepping back in time and if you like character and original fittings you'll love it as much as we do. |Nothing is too much for the staff who are really friendly and attentive. |The bed are comfy and even at 12° outside the rooms were super cosy. |I really love this hotel and the character, it makes me smile 😃 |If you like modern and sterile don't come, if you like character , good old fashioned hospitality and value for money, this is your place. |Thank you Douglas!|We'll be back soon! |Ps. It's a 10 min drive from the natural seawater swimming pools and the laguna where there is a lovely pond and lots of ducks.

This place is a bit of a hidden gem and we absolutely loved it. The best thing is the staff, lovely people, we often ended up having a drink at the bar after dinner chatting to them (and other guests) most nights, there's a very friendly, almost community atmosphere here. The rooms are very spacious and have everything you need. It was great being woken up by the sunrise over the sea hitting the balcony every morning (as it happened quite late at the time of year when we were there we'd leave the curtains opened each night). Food is simple but nice, lots of great local wines at good prices. Breakfast was basic but good, option for buying a packed lunch if you are hiking. Perfect location for exploring in the north, either a short drive or walking out the front door and getting a bus back. The carpets and furniture are a bit worn in places but everything was very clean so this didn't bother us. Beautiful garden, three friendly cats. The website could do with an update but other than that no criticism, we can't wait to return!

Delicious food, freshly prepared. We had half-board. The breakfast was abundant, healthy and had lots of variety. Every evening meal was a feast. The staff are extremely helpful, professional and welcoming.|We enjoyed the spacious room with a balcony looking down through a forest to the Atlantic. We loved the dawn chorus each morning and looking at the stars at night. A great holiday.

My partner and I stayed two nights at the Romantica and throughly enjoyed our stay. The hotel is family-run and everyone is very friendly. The hotel's furnishings and decor hark back to the 1970s but everything is in perfect order and spotlessly clean. Our room was really quite large with a separate seating area and a wrap-round balcony. Our room fridge was probably the most efficient hotel room fridge we have ever encountered! The hotel has a sunny outdoor pool as well as an indoor pool, a jacuzzi, small gym and spa area. The hotel's bar is well stocked and reasonably priced and its kitchen caters for breakfast, lunch and evening meal. The owner-chef's fillet steaks are particularly good but we enjoyed everything we chose from the a la carte dinner menu. The hotel grounds are extensive with some lovely specimen shrubs, including three protea species, strelizias and hydrangeas. Wifi signal is a bit hiss and miss! Would definitely recommend.

This hotel is hilarious - think Fawlty Towers with added charm. It’s old fashioned and woefully understaffed, but the few staff that do work there are delightful and apologetic. Dinner is chaotic - get there at 6.30pm if you actually want to eat and make your life easier by booking to have the set menu - everything else takes hours. When we were there it was solely occupied by walkers like us, so people were eating and having an early night. The room itself was vast and clean and the beds were comfy. Perhaps three stars is a bit mean - maybe an extra one for quirkiness.