Parador de La Palma

Lovely relaxing holiday in a quiet location close to both Santa Cruz and the airport. Scrupulously clean, and phenomenal service. Just perfect.

The restaurant dinner was excellent and the restaurant staff efficient and charming. However, an unpleasant smell of drains in our room (110) got worse through the night, very strong by the morning. Also the kettle socket did not work and the room did not have a good view, despite having requested a view. We had just arrived in La Palma and were staying for one night only so did not request a change of room. When I mentioned this problem to the receptionist at checkout, she made no apology and immediately became defensive, repeatedly saying that we should have contacted reception. Certainly no offer of a reduction in the bill was made. My husband told me that the couple in the next room had complained of a similar problem. I also recalled that the (different) receptionist on arrival had behaved a little oddly, as though uncomfortable. I therefore believe that the hotel management were aware of the problem and yet allocated these rooms anyway. Unacceptable, particularly for a ‘superior’ room at 200€ a night.

It’s been a while since I stayed in a Parador. It’s nice to know that the experience hasn’t changed much and the traditional standards and ambience have been maintained. Although not an old building, the Parador de La Palma has the essential elements of the Parador style. It offers a relaxed stay in pleasant surroundings. Set on a hillside, the Parador has lovely views across the sea with Santa Cruz in the distance. My sea view room was comfortable although the sea itself wasn’t always visible due to mists in the early morning. The Parador’s gardens are extensive and very nice for a walk. The staff were welcoming and friendly. I stayed on a half board basis. The food was relatively expensive compared to offerings elsewhere but the standard was good. Both meat and fish courses were of a high quality. One of the quirks of Paradors in my experience is that, in whatever location, they’re geared initially to the requirements Spanish travellers. Things have moved on a bit though since my last experience - the Parador de La Palma has menus in English and most of the staff speak a little of the language. Halting attempts at Spanish from the British guests are nevertheless appreciated! However, this only goes so far - although the Parador has invested in TVs in the rooms with 40+ channels, not one of them carries an English language news channel, which is a little surprising. The facilities are also somewhat behind what you would expect in an ordinary hotel of equivalent standard - for instance, the gym is in a small room in the basement and has only a few pieces of equipment. The rowing machine was broken. These small points rate the experience as four rather than five stars, but I really enjoyed it and plan to return.

We love this parador for its location and beauty, but were hesitant to go back as their mattresses really were old and terribly uncomfortable (we must have tried a dozen of them!) The good news is that they have bought new firm mattresses and refurbished their rooms. And the result is quite impressive: Lovely rooms with wonderful sea views and terrasses. Beautiful inside courtyard. Pleasant bar area which serves salads and tapas all day. Large pool, unheated, with saunas. Great botanical garden on the property. Friendly service, especially by young lady and gentleman. The only thing missing, may be, is a book on La Palma. (They used to have cards on every place to visit on the island, but they have dissapeared). Be aware that the parador is located on the eastern side of the island, close to Santa Cruz which has a bit less sunshine than the western side. However, you can reach the sunnier side in 30 min by car.

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. 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 sp**** 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.

Excellent service with friendly staff. Breakfast is quite good and dinner, though expensive for the island was ok. We ordered and dined once in the restaurant and once in the bar. It is the same menu; one is formal the other not. There is a wonderful walking garden in front of the hotel and most rooms have a good view of the ocean and sunrise.

A very relaxing Christmas at the Parador, La Palma. Typical Parador, very comfortable rooms, first rate service and all the staff were excellent, nothing was too much trouble for them. Brilliant food in the restaurant for Breakfast , Lunch and Dinner and the prices were very good for food and wine. The Festive Dinner on Christmas Eve was first class and a local menu. Make sure you stay in the Parador, La Palma and be sure to use the local bus to travel to Santa Cruz as the stop is right outside the hotel - a 20 minute journey at a cost of €1.50. Everything at the Parador was perfect 😃👍😃👍

Classic quality hotel with excellent attentive service

El Parador is ideal when you take the car vacation in La Palma: Their own generous parking right in front of the reception is a real asset to enjoy on an island where parking slots can be hard to find. And the capital city is just a ten minute drive away. Due to the hotel being placed surprisingly high up on the slopes, it seems to be battling its share of humidity issues. However, the rooms are not excessively affected and the balconies are very well executed. While we honestly may give only three points to the accomodation, the large and really cute panoramic garden and the high level of service plus the food in the restaurant actually manage to pull this up to Very Good overall rating. The staff did an excellent job indeed. A tip for getting there from the coast: When driving uphill through San Antonio, look out for the village center roadside bar's Coca Cola lightsign "Pio-Pio", and turn uphill at the corner of that house for the final strech to the hotel.