Parador de Hondarribia

Amazing castle high up in Hondaribbia.. Position is right in the centre of the old town so perfect for exploring. Beds were not the best. A bit hard but acceptable for a couple of nights. The rooms weren’t luxurious, a bit tired but the views from our bedroom were spectacular, overlooking the Atlantic harbour. Decent sized bathroom. Breakfast was just okay - freshly squeezed juices would have been nice. Lots of good restaurants nearby as although there’s a cafeteria on site, no facilities for dinner. Overall would recommend as the opportunity to stay in an actual castle is worth it.

Two casually dressed multi-millionaire retirees enter this magnificent, Spanish government sponsored example of excellence with their wives to enjoy a light lunch. Within the vaulted, ancient stone entrance, stands a grand plate glass doorway upon which is written, "Only registered guests beyond this point." The men request entry to the restaurant within, but the hotel's government employee descending gestures to the left, toward a perfectly appointed cafe, and then with great pomp, throws the glass door shut! The gesture reminds the ladies of an American motor vehicle office; an environment dominated by ill-trained, unmotivated beneficiaries of political graft. One wife remarks, "I won't eat in that dark cave! Let's go elsewhere." What could have been an exquisite invitational experience was, for lack of training and simple human courtesy, a lasting disincentive. The men had planned, after their lunch, to book a three week tour of Spanish paradors. Instead, they chose to adjust their plans west of the Spanish border.

Loved it for setting and our room 307 was excellent. Paying for parking was a bit annoying when the room was over €400. Great old building. Friendly staff.

There are many relics and historical artifacts to enjoy in this Parador - don't miss the tapestries upstairs as well as sitting out on the terrace with a drink and a Gilda pintxo.

The staff seriously let this place down. At Reception they are rude, inhospitable and dismissive. It’s a a if they’re doing you a favour letting you stay in what is actually a beautifully appointed building. The buffet breakfast leaves a lot to be desired, as do the surly (and possibly deaf) staff. I really would not recommend this place at all.

I love staying at paradores, but this one could be my favorite of all times. Wonderful view (towards France) , great historic halls, lovely terrace, perfect breakfast in the patio etc. The small city of Hondarribia is worth a visit by itself. This is a five star experience!

We arrived at Parador de Hondarribia from Biarritz airport, a fairly short and easy journey, and we were given parking right next to the parador, a 19th century fortress of the King of Navarre. It is set on a high point in the city, away from but close to the busiest part of town, and had a large plaza outside. We were given good advice on dinner and ate a very short walk away, within the city walls. Our room was excellent with a good view and the function rooms were spectacular. Breakfast was the only weak point as the staff seemed stressed or maybe overstretched. Overall, the setting was perfect, the decor immaculate and the views from the terrace wonderful.

The Parador Hondarribia is situated in the central square of the old town. As we had arrived during a festival every parking option in the town centre was full and I ended up a kilometre away from the hotel. Having walked to the Parador they confirmed that they had space in their car park and the receptionist very kindly drew directions on a map and told us how to navigate the old city - if necessary, and I add that necessity part because if you do it right, and ignore a no entry sign, there is only one road you have to worry about, and the only really tight bit is just as you turn towards the car park gate. In normal circumstances you might have to drive around the old town to get to the car park, but the roads are one way and perfectly wide enough, so should never be a problem. As I say, the only tight bit is just before you reach the car park gate, but I had no problem in my SUV (Audi Q5). The parking area isn’t huge but the spaces are a decent size and there is plenty of room to manoeuvre. Our Superior twin room (304) was spacious and nicely furnished etc and had an excellent view of the harbour. There was also a kettle with tea bags and coffee which is always a bit of a bonus in Europe. The en-suite was also a good size with all the expected toiletries and big towels. Breakfast at the Parador was excellent with a nice selection of fresh fruits, cheeses, charcuterie etc, as well as little pots of smoked salmon, avocado, grated tomato (for tostada con tomate) and various other tasty looking things. They also do hot food to order and our fried eggs with bacon were a tasty treat after three weeks touring without. Because it’s a relatively small dining room you have to book your slot and although the staff worked hard to clear and reset tables, there isn’t much they can do when a group of middle aged people (English I’m afraid) continue to take up a table simply chatting after clearly having finished their breakfast. Just a tad selfish. Fortunately the second morning wasn’t as busy. The only part about the breakfast service I didn’t like was the terrible choice of background music on our first morning. It was truly awful and I couldn’t help thinking that here in the Basque Country, they could perhaps play some nice, traditional Basque music by the likes of Benito Lertxundi, Pier Paul Berzaitz etc. It was in the old town of Hondarribia that I first discovered this music and play it often at home. I like Paradors and this one in Hondarribia is a fine example of the chain, with the added benefit of being in the delightful old town. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will certainly use this hotel again when we return to Hondarribia - as we surely will.