Hotel Iriarte Jauregia

“Basque Beauty”

This was our first trip to Madrid and the northern cities of Spain so we wanted to take in some of the highlights of the region. Our son and daughter-in-law met us in Donastia San Sebastián and had the wise forethought to spend a night in the Basque countryside resort at this picturesque hotel ne... lisää

This was our first trip to Madrid and the northern cities of Spain so we wanted to take in some of the highlights of the region. Our son and daughter-in-law met us in Donastia San Sebastián and had the wise forethought to spend a night in the Basque countryside resort at this picturesque hotel nestled in the rolling, plush green valley approximately 30 minutes outside the bustling city. The moment we drove through the winding roads of the charming town leading to the inn’s entrance I knew we were in for a delightful treat. Despite a rather greeting from the gentleman at the front desk who checked us in, we were enthralled by the decor of the interior public rooms and each of our spacious guest rooms with breathtaking sights and sounds of the outdoors. Dinner was a most impressive Michelin menu, with palatable and delectable presentations. A small but sufficient and equally tasty breakfast was served the next morning to send us off with warm and wonderful memories of our stay.

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“It should be so much more but failed to impress”

Getting to the hotel is to say the least interesting, a narrow and winding road leads you eventually to a delightful building which has obviously been lovingly restored by its owners, let’s start with the initial impression there is no friendly greeting by reception merely the formalities of docu... lisää

Getting to the hotel is to say the least interesting, a narrow and winding road leads you eventually to a delightful building which has obviously been lovingly restored by its owners, let’s start with the initial impression there is no friendly greeting by reception merely the formalities of documentation and exchange of credit card details, our room was consistent of what you would expect of an updated old Spanish residence, clean, tidy and with a modern if compact bathroom. I never like being negative but the place lacks even a modicum of ambiance, there is no feeling of warmth or hospitality, the bar area is cold and uninviting, we ate in the Bistro so can’t comment on the Michelin starred main Restaurant but the Bistro is again uninspired and lacks any sort of ambience mainly due to the appalling lighting, architecturally a delightful room but with lighting more appropriate for an airport lounge and absolutely zero ambiance, the staff strutt around with their earpieces more like bouncers than waiting staff and despite being pretty much full it was a place of silent whispers. It could be so much more but failed to impress.

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“Should and could have been so much better - a disappointing stay”

We had been really looking forward to our stay and dining experience but were sadly disappointed. The hotel building and location are beautiful but sadly a lack of attention to detail which impacted considerably on our stay. The patio tables outside were dirty, unkempt and uncomfortable. There is... lisää

We had been really looking forward to our stay and dining experience but were sadly disappointed. The hotel building and location are beautiful but sadly a lack of attention to detail which impacted considerably on our stay. The patio tables outside were dirty, unkempt and uncomfortable. There is no comfortable lounge seating in the public spaces and the bar area feels more like a doctors waiting room with basic chairs which are uncomfortable and completely incongruous with the building and style of the hotel. It would have been helpful to have known the menu of tasting menu to allow for appropriate wine selection and the lighting in this room is incredibly bright which spoils the atmosphere. The staff seem untrained and service was chaotic and confused. A few changes could make a big difference to the comfort and enjoyment of customer experience.

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