Hotel Rua Villar

“Great Location, Excellent Service, Very Good Value”

As USA TODAY’s First Road Warrior of the Year, you can imagine, I travel a lot. When I discovered that after our Douro River Cruise on Viking, we would be in Porto, less than 2-1/2 hours away from the Spanish town of Santiago, I had to figure out a way to include this special, spiritual spot in our… more

As USA TODAY’s First Road Warrior of the Year, you can imagine, I travel a lot. When I discovered that after our Douro River Cruise on Viking, we would be in Porto, less than 2-1/2 hours away from the Spanish town of Santiago, I had to figure out a way to include this special, spiritual spot in our itinerary. I looked at taking the train or the bus, but they took at least an hour longer, so I opted to rent a car at the Porto Airport and drive to this hallowed ground that is the end of the Camino de Santiago---a sacred pilgrimage. So far, other than the car park having the narrowest lanes of ANY parking lot in the world, I’m really happy that we rented a car. If you are looking for a five-star hotel experience, you will not find it in the center of Santiago de Compostela. However, if, like me, you are looking for a reasonable hotel with very helpful staff, you cannot do better---or closer to the Cathedral---than Hotel Rua do Villar. If you have luggage, it is best to arrive at the hotel between the hours of 7 and 10 am, because otherwise, the street is closed to non-commercial traffic. We arrived in the afternoon, parked our car in the San Clemente lot---if you are a guest of the hotel, there is a discount. If you are using Google Maps, you will drive right by it. Be sure to tell the front desk if you drive so that they give you a discount ticket. Despite only having 17 rooms, this hotel boasts a 24-hour front desk attendant who speaks multiple languages. Plus, if you book directly and stay for three days, you will receive a 10% discount. We had originally booked for only two days---with a 5% discount, but when we extended our stay to three days, they recalculated the rate with a 10% discount---without being asked! Then, when I informed Christina at the Front Desk that I thought I had booked the wrong tour, she tried to reach the tour operator, and there was no answer. Without being asked, she kept trying, and while we were out looking for their office, the phone rang; it was the tour company. (More about the tour options elsewhere.) We are in one of the best rooms in the house for less than $100/night---including breakfast and taxes. It has a rustic stone wall the length of the room, which is beautiful. Where there used to be a fireplace, there is a desk. There are two single beds, which are quite comfortable. We have a small balcony with double French doors overlooking the narrow street. The street is so narrow, my husband thought we were overlooking an airshaft! There is an 8-foot wardrobe with double doors and drawers and a safe inside. The exposed wooden beams in the ceiling complete the picture. The bathroom has a bathtub and shower, along with a bidet and marble sink. There are enough hooks and racks to hang towels and clothes---again, something I have not experienced everywhere in this trip. For those who still want to be entertained in the room, there is a small screen television, and you can set it to give you programming in English---if you don’t know Spanish well enough. In the room, I was delighted to find a refrigerator---a real bonus to have cold water and orange juice. At the supermarket, a 6-minute walk away (bring your own bag), you can buy water and juice at very low prices. (2.50 Euros for 2 cartons of OJ and 1 large bottle of Mineral Water) For 12 euros a day, you can get an extensive breakfast (recommended) with eggs, cereal, whole fruit, cheese, meat, breads, pastries, yogurts, and much more! You might do better in a local café, but you cannot beat the wide variety this buffet has to offer! I booked this hotel for its proximity to the Cathedral, but as you have read, there were many other aspects of my choice that have delighted me. It is unusual for me to find a three-star hotel that has so many comforts that I look for when I travel,

less

“Fabulous stay in SDC”

We loved our stay at Hotel Rua Villar. We could not have asked for a better location, a minute from the Cathedral. The shutters and doors eliminated all sound while we slept and the A/C worked very well. We were in a Superior Double room that was spacious, had a glassed in balcony with heavy window… more

We loved our stay at Hotel Rua Villar. We could not have asked for a better location, a minute from the Cathedral. The shutters and doors eliminated all sound while we slept and the A/C worked very well. We were in a Superior Double room that was spacious, had a glassed in balcony with heavy windows that opened. The bed and pillows were super comfy and we slept so well for the 3 nights we were here after our Camino. Spotlessly clean. Breakfast was very good and included in our cost of the room. Eggs, fresh fruit, meats, cheeses and selection of real fruit juices. The hotel receptionists were absolutely wonderful! Friendly, kind and helpful in any way. Absolutely stellar staff. The only negative is the WiFi could be weak at times but it never interfered with what we were doing. Mini-fridge in room but no kettle, FYI.

less

“Third stay at Hotel Rua Villar”

We stayed in the Gallery double room which is one of the more expensive rooms and this was our 3rd stay at this hotel. The room is quite dark but pleasant with exposed stonework. There is a balcony to sit on but a restricted view due to the narrow street. There’s air conditioning in the room which… more

We stayed in the Gallery double room which is one of the more expensive rooms and this was our 3rd stay at this hotel. The room is quite dark but pleasant with exposed stonework. There is a balcony to sit on but a restricted view due to the narrow street. There’s air conditioning in the room which is not silent but ok. The passageway between the wall and the bed is narrow and there’s only one bedside table, the other by the cupboard is very small. The compact bathroom has a bath shower which is not suitable for the less mobile. There is a fridge with various drinks but no free water and no tea and coffee making facilities. The Rua Villar is a noisy street during the day and on Festivals but there are internal doors to the balcony which shut out the sound. There is a small and pleasant breakfast room on the ground floor which caters for passers by as well as guests. The buffet is adequate with hot and cold choices and fresh orange juice but we’ve never discovered if you can ask for a freshly cooked breakfast and it would be nice if they offered it to us. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and we spent two nights there enjoying the Camino atmosphere after completing the Primitivo Way.

less

“Ideal location and incredibly friendly and helpful staff”

Loved our visit at Rua Villar. The location was perfect and an integral reason we loved Santiago. The front desk were outstanding - Sandra was particularly amazing in helping us before our trip (excellent information and insider tips) and during our stay (directions and excellent restaurant reserva… more

Loved our visit at Rua Villar. The location was perfect and an integral reason we loved Santiago. The front desk were outstanding - Sandra was particularly amazing in helping us before our trip (excellent information and insider tips) and during our stay (directions and excellent restaurant reservation). The room is rustic and charming. There was a mini fridge but no coffee in the room. Strangely that although there is a common sitting area, no coffee or tea was on offer there either. The cafe downstairs opens at 8am - staff were very friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was not to our taste but a lot of other people seemed to enjoy it. The room was a little noisy with creaking from the floorboards upstairs. But no street noise and we all slept well. We’d definitely stay here again based on the ideal location and incredibly helpful and friendly staff.

less