Helguera Palacio Boutique & Antique

We spent two nights in one of the light filled attic rooms of this spectacular site. The first afternoon we rested from our travels in the glass enclosed pool and hot tub area taking in the incredible views. Ander, our host, was welcoming and attentive. We felt very much at home in this luxurious setting. Our first night we enjoyed the tasting menu and wine pairing at the restaurant. Our dining and breakfast events were in the capable hands of charming Irma. Both Irma and Ander spoke English and although I don’t mind using my limited Spanish skills, it was not necessary here. The Hotel is an easy 30 minute drive to Santander where we spent a day shopping and people watching at the beach. Our GPS brought us directly to the Hotel. As we climbed the narrow road above the little town Las Presillas, we began to realize what a secluded spot we had found. The rooms have been thoughtfully designed with lots of outlets and space to relax. It is the perfect combination of modern designer luxury in a historic mansion. . We would be happy to return for a longer stay.

I had a terrific experience staying at this antique palace converted into a luxury hotel. Everything was simply perfect from the very first moment we stepped in until the checkout. I will go through several topics to provide a detailed review of each: 1) Premises: The estate is amazing and full of history. It is wonderful to have the chance to sleep in a 400 year-old palace which is in superb condition. The palace is fully renovated but preserving all the historic elements like the facade, flooring, beams, etc. The bedrooms have first-class amenities to ensure a luxury and comfortable stay. They are built with quality materials and each of them has its unique style and decoration, which makes them really charming. It could be said that each rooms trully has its own personality. The whole estate is as well an antique shop (you can literally purchase any furniture or object if you want to), so you are surrounded by unique pieces and paintings. Regarding the garden, it is perfectly maintained and full of beautiful trees, flowers and plants. The pools and the jacuzzi are very well maintained and are perfect for a relaxing time. The gym has best-in-class machines which are brand new. 2) Staff: One of the most professional hotel staff team I have ever encountered. Everyone were extremely polite and diligent, from the manager in charge to the cleaning ladies or the waiters. They were trained to provide a superb service and they made their best efforts to accomodate to our requests and make sure everything was perfect for us at all times. They were very flexible and put attention to absolutely every detail. They trully made us feel like home and were a key element of our experience. 3) Enviroment & Surroundings: The hotel is super quiet and intimate. Due to its small size (only 11 rooms) and the fact that it is an adults-only hotel, there are not many guests around and the premises are most of the time for yourself. Sometimes you feel like if the palace is there just for your enjoyment! The surroundings are very beautiful since the hotel is on top of a hill and you can see from there all the green mountains and stunning sunsets. 4) Food: The estate has its own restaurant (named Tratámara) which is in a separated building within the premises, just a few steps from the main building. All the tables are set with every attention to detail, from the tableware to the decoration. We had dinner there every night we stayed in the hotel and it was the best choice we could made. Food is curated by a professional chef using best local ingredients and modern intrepretation of old recipes. We loved the menu. The waiters are very professional and are clearly trained to work in a luxury restaurant. Moreover, as this is a very small hotel, sometimes there are very few tables occupied, so you have the feeling you have your own private chef and waiters just cooking for you. It is a unique experience to have dinner there. Overall, I would recommend this hotel to any pe

Excellent small hotel. Tucked away in the hills with lovely views all in an interesting and well restored building; comfortable bedroom and lovely restaurant with excellent good value food plus friendly staff. Well located for local attractions.

What a lovely hotel beautifully decorated with antiques by the owner. A first class restaurant and polite and helpful staff. The bedrooms are so comfortable although are dark due to the lack of windows as it is a 17 century building. We were surprised that no tissues are available in the bathroom and that we were not given small bottles of water each night which we have experienced in other 5* hotels. We would love to stay here again.

As beautiful as the hotel is I would like to point out some deficiencies that I hope the management will improve because the property is worth visiting. Everyone who works at the hotel is fantastic, Ander, Gloria and the rest of the team couldn't be nicer. They went out of their way to provide us with services that were not part of their job description because there was not enough staff for a property of this level. 1- When we arrived Ander (the receptionist ) had to bring the luggage to our room because they don't have anyone else to do it. 2- The hotel doesn't have a bar or food service in the pool area, Ander and one of the ladies who is in charge of cleaning the rooms were serving drinks to the guests. 3- No Vanity Kits in the rooms. 4- No 24 hrs service. By 10:00pm everybody is gone until the next morning. 5-No room service 6- No food or drinks between meals. The restaurant is closed. The food and the service at the restaurant is really good.