Parador de Bielsa

This Parador is quaint and comfortable. I spent three days and never drove anywhere else - everything that I needed was here… fresh air, a running river and beautiful scenery. It is a great place to relax, read and walk. The rooms are comfortable and cozy, even in the rain!

This Parador is located about 14 km from the little town of Bielsa. It's very close to the French border. We stayed there for two nights on a half-board basis. To be honest, half-board is the only realistic option because there are no other places to eat nearby. Our experience was mixed. We had a pleasant room at the front of the hotel from which we had good views of the surrounding scenery. We found the reception staff were friendly, helpful and welcoming. The restaurant and bar staff were not quite as welcoming. The dinner menu in the restaurant was ok but not terribly inspiring. The service was not brilliant. On this trip to Spain we stayed in four different Paradores and this was the only one that did not operate a reservation system at dinner; goodness knows why not. This meant that the majority of guests turned up at or near the time that the dinner service began. We think the kitchen was under too much pressure, resulting in slow service. On the first night we ordered veal steaks, one cooked medium and the other medium rare. When the dishes arrived both steaks were rare. We had to send them back and, frankly, when they reappeared the meat was not much better cooked. How hard can it be to grill two veal steaks as ordered? In fairness, the following night we chose salmon for our main course and that was very nicely cooked and presented. The management need to up their game in the restaurant, The hotel closes each year in January and February but the reception staff told us that in 2025 the hotel will be closed for six months for refurbishment. This is needed; the public spaces and the bedrooms and bathrooms look tired. The USP of this Parador is the stunning scenery. It's just like being in the Canadian Rockies and the setting is tranquil; no problems getting a sound night's sleep. There's ample parking in front of the hotel and there's no charge for the parking. We've stayed in many Paradores over the years; this one fails to hit the mark but refurbishment and improved staff service could make all the difference.

The location and views are astoundung. Beautiful views from the terrace. Quality of rooms is good. General athmosphere of building is very nice and cosy. Service however is pretty bad. Some waiters were close to being unkind and grunting at you for asking something. The restaurant service was also pretty bad, very uncoordinated waiter service with some bringing the starters before oil/bread and amusebouches. A waiter did not even know what amusebouche was being served, what it was. Wine glasses were dirty sometikes too…the quality of the food was good The checkin/out counter people were really kind and helpful! Again, this Parador is amazing for its location and views, less for its bar/restaurant service.

Location is great. Customer service is just absolutely terrible. Accidentally booked our stay for 2025, realized immediately and tried to cancel. I admit we did not book with free cancellation but given the booking is 370 days away you would have thought a hotel could show some goodwill and issue a refund as they have no rooms available for the same price this year. They have refused to do so at every opportunity. I have been to this hotel before and can say that location is great, however I will refuse to come here again.

We booked back in June to stay at this Paradore expecting a front facing view from one of the many rooms and suites. Unfortunately, this did not materialise as we were shoved in a backroom with a bedroom and sitting room overlooking the kitchens, satellite dishes and truck delivery area. The room smelled damp and musty, had not been aired properly and was very dark with mesh over the windows. It was also quite spooky owing to its position in the hotel. No view of the mountains whatsoever. We complained but were told the hotel was full and there were no other rooms available. The bed was comfortable but the sheets were damp and musty and the bedroom was most unwelcoming. The food wasn't bad, but the service was brusque and took a long time, mainly because there weren't enough staff. In the morning, breakfast was good with plenty of choice. Overall, the stunning location can't adequately offset this Paradore's shortcomings - it could do with a spruce up and an injection of charisma. As it is, it feels like a mountain refuge for walkers and climbers.

The area is simply stunningly beautiful. The reception staff pleasant and the suite, a little dark due to small windows, but very pleasant. The visit was spoilt by the catering. The barman was unhelpful, bordering rude and essentially unpleasant. We only drank there once. The evening meal was most disappointing. We were shown to our table, the menus dropped and the waiter promptly walked off. 15 minutes later a different waiter appeared and took our order. The staff were indifferent, totally unmotivated and exceptionally badly organised. There was no one in control. It was a long wait for everything and not remotely enjoyable. We did not take another evening meal. Breakfast was poor. The bread ran out, as did the cold meats, as did the hot water for tea making, the water and pods for the coffee machine. At the end of breakfast we were surrounded by uncleared tables. To get hot food you had to chase the waiter to order food. The bacon and eggs were dreadful and the scrambled eggs dry and unappetising. See photos. There is clearly no catering manager and the manager appears to be doing a poor job. We have stayed in 5 paradors on our holiday and all have been excellent but not Bielsa.