Hotel Villa Rosario

Situated on the promenade by the main beaches, Villa Rosario is an outrageously grand looking building in the Mexican style and has me thinking of the Adams Family every time I look at it. I was enchanted by it when we were here last year and it is as lovely as I had hoped. Check in was charming and parking at the sister hotel across the road is very good. I have an Audi Q5 and the entry to the underground parking is spacious as are the car bays. Our room on the first floor is roomy and comfortable and has the added benefit of a large balcony overlooking the garden and with views of the mountains. The en-suite is also roomy and very smart, and has good quality toiletries, big fluffy towels and a splendid shower. Breakfast is served in the adjoining restaurant which has a Michelin star. As previous reviews suggested that the service was over complicated, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but in reality the service was friendly and efficient and the system of ordering etc is perfectly simple. On arrival we had a basket of fresh breads, cakes etc already on the table along with fresh fruit. There is also a jar of fresh tomato paste for your “Tostada con Tomate”, and toast was brought to us along with our choice of hot beverage. From the simple menu we selected some nicely seasoned cherry tomatoes, bacon and perfectly cooked scrambled eggs. In short, the service and organisation were perfect and our food was delicious. We both enjoy visiting the north of Spain, and Ribadasella is one of our favourite towns. We hope to return on a regular basis and, having discovered this fabulous hotel, Villa Rosario will certainly be our hotel of choice.

Room 102 faced south rather than seaward however it was comfortable with a huge balcony with table, two chairs and two deck chairs. Sadly in the rain we could not use these! Built in the garden is a modern restaurant with a Michelin star. Whilst we could not afford to dine there, the waiter-served breakfast was very good. Two minor complaints: The only electric plugs in the bedroom were for the bedside table lamps and no plugs by the desk (luckily we do carry a selection of adaptors); also no shelving in the bathroom for toiletries.

What a beautiful Hotel, my wife and I had a wonderful stay in this Hotel, the resort is gorgeous, and the Hotel being right on the promenade was a bonus, what I would say is the breakfasts are too complicated, the food tasty and plenty to give a good start to the day, but it’s just made too complicated. The pastries and cakes presented in a weird basket, fruit placed in a bowl could have been fresher. The order selection on request was over complicated, having cooked and fresh on the same section of the menu, serving bacon on cold potato chip sticks seemed strange, the scrambled egg was delicious, there was then an option of cold meats and local cheeses, all very tasty, but having them available on a buffet table would have been easier, a Greek yogurt, was offered but no option of honey or granola, though when I did order that, the granola and honey arrived after I had eaten the yogurt. The toast presented as you got to your table was not toast as most people would recognise it, granary rolls split in half and toasted, you really needed a tough mouth to break that down. It’s a shame that they have took a simple meal and created a confusing experience. But don’t let that put you off as staff and Hotel is brilliant.

We were Camino walkers and this was pricey in terms of our normal budget for our walk. But it was worth it. The room was lovely and the toiletries were a very good brand. We even had some lovely chocolates on our arrival in the room. Lovely balcony overlooking the sea and the reception staff couldn't have been any nicer. Really delicious breakfast. We hope to return again someday.