Hotels near Bárcena Mayor, Los Tojos

First impression after arrival: From the outside a large and somewhat forbidding hotel as if from the old communist eastern block era in need of some love and care. But, receptionist very friendly and helpful indeed. Standard rooms fully booked but given free upgrade to suite. Excellent! Large room but furnishings dated and old fashioned. Bed very good though. Roughly 2x2 meters! Updated bathroom. Corridors very noisy. A group of youngsters was staying and they caused a racket! Room doors with old fashioned locks and doors could only be closed with a loud bang! Restaurant large but not cosy or intimate. Food (all inclusive menu of the day) ok in parts but not good in others. Staff efficient and helpful. Free parking. Handy for shopping with both a Mercadona and Lidl opposite. And, in case you need it. The local hospital is next door!

Even after reading all the 5 star reviews we were still blown away with just how good it was to stay at this fabulous place. The house is in the centre of the lovely old village of Riocorvo. The village is very pretty and has a nice bar close to the river. The house is absolutely stunning, it has been sympathetically restored to an extremely high standard with all modern conveniences. The family owners are delightful attentive hosts. We had a lovely evening meal and the breakfast was excellent. We have stayed at many hotels and guest houses and this ranks as one of our best ever stays. We will definitely return and plan to spend longer in the area as it has much to offer. We did a short walk by the river and are keen to explore the area further. There is a path next to the river for walking & cycling which goes al the way to the sea at Saunces. It's an ideal stopping point for the Santander ferry away from the hustle and bustle of the main towns. There is free parking near the house.

The setting is in a pretty Spa village. The hotel is quite a big hotel and modern with lots of marble flooring. The Reception staff spoke some English and were friendly and helpful. Our room was a Junior Suite on the third floor. It was spacious with a large bed which was a relief after the cramped uncomfortable cabin we had on our trip over on Brittany Ferries. The decor is on the bland side but the view from the windows more than made up for this. We were the only English staying in the hotel but this was fine as we managed with a very helpful Restaurant Manager to work our way through the menu in Spanish. He also advised us to go in the Restaurant as the buffet room was going to be very busy. The food was good and reasonably priced. Breakfast was good too and had a plentiful selection. On our second night we ate across the road at their large cafe which has a nice outdoor terrace. The attraction for us was that we were able to eat earlier than the 8.30pm dinner service time that operates throughout Northern Spain. No English was spoken but we managed with helpful waiters and Google translate! The hotel is well known for its Thermal Spa Complex. We decided to try it despite no English spoken but again we managed with helpful staff and Google translate and managed to understand what we were supposed to do. This included wearing a swim cap provided by the hotel! It was a great experience and thoroughly therapeutic and relaxing. We had a good overall experience at the hotel and slept well. We would definitely stay here again even if it was only for a night passing through on our way south.

Es la segunda vez que vamos después de estrenarnos en febrero y tenemos intención de repetir. El check-in y check-out se realiza en el hotel, a poca distancia de los apartamentos y con personal muy educado y agradable. El apartamento básico dispone de un salón comedor amplio con sofá-cama y terraza grande, cocina independiente con terraza y jardín, un dormitorio, una habitación con dos camas y baño. Está decorado moderno y con gusto, totalmente equipado con menaje de cocina y mesa, placa de inducción, micro, tostador, cafetera italiana, plancha, secador, televisores en salón y dormitorio... La parte que afea el apartamento en las dos ocasiones que hemos estado es el baño, con evidentes señales de desgaste en bañera y puertas, tamaño reducido y sin extractor. Atención con la cocina: hay un interruptor para el uso de microondas/extractor y agua caliente/calefacción por separado. Viene todo perfectamente explicado en una hoja de bienvenida con información importante que te proporcionan en el check-in o dejan a la vista en el salón comedor. He leído algún comentario donde este punto lo ponen a parir y no es ningún defecto de ABBA sino una medida de seguridad regulada por la comunidad autónoma de Cantabria. Por favor, lean esa información para evitar sorpresas y comentarios desagradables sin razón de ser. El sofá con tejido anti-manchas suavísimo y las camas comodísimas a más no poder, las almohadas bajitas pero cómodas, dos por persona. Sólo utilizan sábana bajera, agradable al tacto. El edredón, ligero, parecía el mismo en febrero y en junio y sólo hemos visto una manta ligera por habitación. Las toallas son una pasada. La presión del agua, genial, de diez. Y el suelo es comodísimo también, con baldosa tipo rústico y madera en las habitaciones, muy agradable para quienes nos encanta ir descalzos. Por poner un pero, y en realidad tiene su importancia: se oye todo. Las paredes parecen de papel, puertas, pasos, uso del baño... se oye el más mínimo ruido de los vecinos. Limpieza absoluta en todos los rincones. No tan presente en el menaje, entiendo que depende más de la limpieza de cada huésped. No hay problema de aparcamiento, disponen de uno privado bajo los apartamentos pero en la calle hay plazas gratuitas alrededor y es una zona muy amplia y tranquila, a unos 5 minutillos del centro en coche.