Parador De La Palma

A nice, but not great, classic hotel with lovely rooms and common areas. We had a “standard room”, which was quite spacious and had a sweet, private balcony from which we could see the sea. The botanical garden was a delightful surprise and nicely maintained. We were only here one night, but we had considered staying here for the duration of our week on the island. I originally reserved a room more than 5 months in advance, and requested we be given a room with a "matrimonial bed”. We were told this could not be guaranteed, that our bedroom would be assigned at check-in, so I cancelled that first reservation. As it was, our room was a “double” (two twin beds side-by-side) which is fine for one night, but we actually enjoy being close to each other, and we glad we reserved elsewhere for the majority of our stay on La Palma. The biggest downfall was the bathroom. It was spacious, with dual sinks and good water pressure, but there was mold on the shower tile grout (a little bleach could’ve killed it); the hair conditioner had liquified (I had to get out mid-shower, dripping wet, to find my own conditioner) and the sparse overhead lighting was like applying makeup in dark tunnel. We opted for the buffet breakfast, which was nice enough. Along with the usual cold meats, cheeses and breads, the fresh fruit was gorgeous, and there were a few hot dishes you could order (cheese omelette, bacon, scrambled eggs), Some self-serve hot items would’ve been nice, as would have self-serve coffee and tea, making refills easier.

This four-star hotel is located in a very practical way nearby the port and the airport at an altitude, which means the air is fairly fresh apart from there, aviation fuel exhaust fumes from the aeroplanes taking off. The gardens are stunning but didn’t feel so well looked after at the end of January. The staff were very friendly and helpful but overall it felt like the fabric of the hotel needed. A bit of tender, loving care, maintenance and improvement. Food was great. The reason I have given only two stars for the room is that it felt for a four star hotel that finish is not great. No information about the local area for connecting to the Internet for information about the hotel in the room. And a smell of damp along the corridor The swimming pool is fantastic. The gym is small but functional apart from a broken concept, two rower. Sauna was also perfect.

This Parador has a nice ocean view at the common area. The AC in the room we had didn’t work in Jan, so we had to keep the patio door partially open at night to get some cool air. Floor was squeaky. Food quality was mixed: Pork ribs and melon with octopus were great, but the fish loin was bland and overcooked and the soupy seafood rice had few seafood in it.