Monasterio De San Francisco

“Wonderful Gem”

This was a wonderful gem of a hotel. The staff were lovely and friendly, the room was wonderful - beds comfortable and lovely furniture that totally suited the room. Quiet, peaceful with a wonderful breakfast. Parking both in the hotel and on the street was safe and secure. The evening meal in thei… more

This was a wonderful gem of a hotel. The staff were lovely and friendly, the room was wonderful - beds comfortable and lovely furniture that totally suited the room. Quiet, peaceful with a wonderful breakfast. Parking both in the hotel and on the street was safe and secure. The evening meal in their restaurant was delicious and the wine excellent. Will definitely return. Thank you for your hospitality.

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“Historic building with a lovely pool”

We loved staying in a building that breathes such history. It has beautiful courtyards and corridors, full of plants and earthy colours. The outside pool area is fantastic. The pool is large and it was never too busy. The Monasterio as a whole is a calm and quiet place. Apart from the church bells… more

We loved staying in a building that breathes such history. It has beautiful courtyards and corridors, full of plants and earthy colours. The outside pool area is fantastic. The pool is large and it was never too busy. The Monasterio as a whole is a calm and quiet place. Apart from the church bells, of course, but you get used to that. Our room was classic, that's how I would describe it. There was a fridge and a kettle. Water, tea and crackers were provided and refreshed throughout our stay. The bed was made freshly every day, which was nice. The WiFi unfortunately didn't work very well for me, and I had to switch to my paid mobile data every day. The bathroom was very spacious, with a high ceiling and all the necessary amenities. Toiletries were provided as well, which was nice. We did have a bit of an issue with the shower overflowing too easily and there was a bit of a damp sewage smell at times, which is one of the reason we deducted some points. We also liked the location, close enough for a day trip to Córdoba or a hiking adventure in the national park. There are several great tapas restaurants at only a few minutes of walking distance to the Monasterio. There were a few reasons that have affected the score of this review. The WiFi and bathroom issues have already been mentioned above. Secondly, the restaurant and breakfast prices are too high. Breakfast costs €18 per person per day for a buffet breakfast. For a room this expensive, I would have expected breakfast to be included or at least discounted for hotel guests. The lunch and dinner prices were very high as well and the reviews were not the best, so we ate out every evening at local restaurants, which was a great choice. Thirdly, there was a misunderstanding with staff about food options on our arrival day. On the website of the Monasterio, we found the carta de terraza, which we wanted to order from (it was around 13.30). Only it was not clear to us where we could actually order these dishes, so we went to the reception to ask. The lady was busy and a little stressed, and she directed us to ask another staff member near the breakfast room area. We looked around for a member of staff for a while, when we finally ran into a kitchen staff member, whom we asked, while showing the terrace menu on our phone. He said this menu was not in use and suggested we ordered lunch in the hotel restaurant. But then, later that day, we actually found printed instances of this exact terrace menu on tables outside around the pool area. It all seemed very confusing and strange to us, since asking in Spanish nor English made it clear to us where we could order the small dishes on their own menu. There is an honesty table where you can pour yourself a drink and write your room number down, but the wines in the cooler were actually room temperature and not cooled at all. It's a nice idea, but if you're offering something like this (in a venue like this) it should be executed better. If you want to use the private parking lot, you also pay €10 per day. Otherwise you're parking on the road. All in all, for the room price that is asked, we expected a little more. But the location is still very impressive and the atmosphere is relaxing. Great pool, too.

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“Something a little different”

Stayed here as part of a tour group recently. I’ve never stated in a place like this so was a little apprehensive but was pleasantly surprised. The place had some really good facilities including a pool and air conditioned rooms. Bed was very comfortable and bathroom was spacious with everything yo… more

Stayed here as part of a tour group recently. I’ve never stated in a place like this so was a little apprehensive but was pleasantly surprised. The place had some really good facilities including a pool and air conditioned rooms. Bed was very comfortable and bathroom was spacious with everything you need. A few negatives, the staff didn’t have much English but that’s what you get when you go off the beaten track. The Breakfast left a lot to be desired also, really wasn’t great. I found the place really hard to find my way around, there were no signs and when you can’t communicate with the staff it made life difficult Do beware as well this place is not suitable for those with mobility difficulties , there are steps everywhere. Overall a nice place depending what your after but not for me

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“Wonderful staff, great food, gorgeous scent of orange blossom. But ...”

Wonderful staff, great food, gorgeous scent of orange blossom. But . . . This historic monastery, built around three open-air patios, had a lot going for it. The time of year helped, of course, as the scent of the azahar, the flowers of the orange and lemon trees, hung heavily in the air througho… more

Wonderful staff, great food, gorgeous scent of orange blossom. But . . . This historic monastery, built around three open-air patios, had a lot going for it. The time of year helped, of course, as the scent of the azahar, the flowers of the orange and lemon trees, hung heavily in the air throughout. Without doubt, the staff are the major trump of the hotel. Well trained, yes, but you cannot train amability, which they all had, from reception to restaurant to housekeeping. A delight, all charming. The food also, both dinner and breakfast, was excellent. The building itself was historic but nonetheless attractive, with pleasant sitting areas, one with an honesty bar. A negative of the building was a majestic stairway that was, for its main section, unlit. Tricky to walk up or down, potentially dangerous even. There was an attractive vegetable garden area and a pool which, unusually for Spain, was open in early April, and actually had brave bathers, although most just lazed around. All these were positives. We were, however, somewhat disappointed with the room. We had booked a Superior Room at €160, then an email suggested we paid another €27 to get a Deluxe room. So nearly €190 for what we got, which was nowhere near as good as a mere Superior Room in the 4-star Paradores that we normally go to. Why? Because of what was lacking in a room at this price. * Minibar with just water, no beer or soft drinks. Never ever seen that! * Nowhere to sit in comfort, just a hard chair by a little desk. A superior room needs a small sofa or two armchairs to sit in comfort sipping your beer from the minibar! * Insufficient sockets for the modern traveller with laptop, iPad, Kindle and phone. Two of each for a couple, often. * Bathroom spotlessly clean, but inconvenient. Had nowhere to put your toiletries. Toilet bags and makeup bag had to sit on the floor. * There wasn't in the bedroom a mirror with a socket nearby to do hair or makeup while partner in bathroom * The large shower cubicle only had a rain shower and no hand held telephone shower. Really difficult to shower without wetting your hair * No grab handles in the shower * No extractor fan in the bathroom. You may think that I am being picky, but nearly €190 a night for a less than convenient experience is not good. I expect to pay to be comfortable. But the staff and food were excellent. I just feel that we were overcharged for a Deluxe room, the only Deluxe features being the towelling robes and throw-away slippers. You couldn't even slip on your robe and sit down in comfort for a few minutes! The charming staff and the orange blossom did not compensate.

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