Hotel El Convento Arcos de la Frontera

We very much enjoyed our one night stay at the El Convento. We had a room with a nice size balcony with an incredible view. The room itself was quite comfortable but nothing exceptional. The bathroom was fine as well. Since we were there on a Sunday the parking was free and in fact, we actually found the one space available right away (it was easier for one of us to get out and look for a place on foot). The drive getting to the place was hair-raising because of some detour from construction work and maybe we took the wrong entrance. We practically kissed the ground (we actually kissed each other) when we were able to park the car! You might want to get better directions than what is given on their website. Thank goodness we had a really small car. We ate at their restaurant and it was good but not great - the Heavenly Dessert was best. We did appreciate that they had a non-smoking area. Very friendly and helpful staff.

The last three nights of our Spanish week, my wife and I stayed in room 8. I could write reams about our experiences here and all positive. The little lady running the show at the hotel and the restaurant itself was memorable. We too were given (in our case) an Arcos souvenir booklet inscribed and signed by her and a gentleman who stood by the kitchen door for all the time we were there, but who really didn't seem to do very much. Maybe Mr. Little Lady. We only ate at the hotel restaurant once as it's much pricier than our daily budget allows, but well worth the one time splurge.

The highlight of our stay here was the view across the valley from the cliff edge. We were looking for rest and relaxation after a long drive earlier in the week and a whirlwind tour of the Alhambra, the day before, and the view from that private terrace was priceless with cold beer available only a 30 second walk from the terrace of our room. We could see the Parador maybe 200 feet along the cliff edge to the west so they had no better view.

The narrow streets were a challenge to navigate, but certainly not a problem with our rented Smart ForFour. At the time we visited Arcos, we needed a new parking pass each morning to stay parked in the square by the Parador and the church. Someone posted that their parking permit was good for the length of their stay. That wasn't our experience.

The photo I'm including is that view along the cliff edge towards the Parador.

March 12,13,14, & 15, 2005.

We enjoyed this hotel.

The first room we were given was reasonably large but the double bed was too soft. It had a lovely balcony with a gorgeous view. My husband and I are in our 60s with bad backs, so we like a firm mattress. We asked for a bedboard. One can get these in hotels in North America. A bedboard is just a piece of plywood to slip between the mattress and box spring to make the bed harder. But I guess no-one in Spain has heard of such things. We then asked if they could just switch the mattress for another one. This caused some consternation. Finally, we were told to wait until the owner came back and they would ask her what to do.

The owner is a very industrious lady, and has a firm hand on all aspects of the business. She runs the restaurant every night, and then appears in the breakfast room first thing each morning at the hotel. She is not young but seems tireless. The staff have to ask her permission for everything, but they couldn't have been more helpful. When we returned from sightseeing, we were told that the owner said we could switch rooms, that was all she would do. The room we were offered was the one next door. The balcony wasn't quite as nice, but it still had a good view. The room was smaller and the bathroom was quite small. But the bed was better, so we switched rooms.

We were not used to having a very small tank of hot water. We had to be careful, or it would run out quickly. We did some washing in the sink and tried hanging it in the bathroom to dry. But it was so damp and cool in the bathroom that nothing would dry. So we eventually after 2 days put our laundry out on the balcony to dry. No-one complained about this.

Breakfast was a bit expensive for what you got, but adequate. And one can eat in the breakfast room, or they will serve you on your own balcony, or on the upstairs "terrace". The terrace has the best view I have ever seen. A magnificent vista. We went up to the terrace for breakfast most days, even though it was windy and napkins tended to blow away, it was worth it for the view.

I would have given this hotel "5 spots" except for a couple of things.

There was unfortunately a bit of noise going on while we were there since they are adding about six more rooms to the hotel, and they started work quite early in the mornings. But that was O.K. Slightly more annoying was banging overhead during the night, which kept me awake. Ear plugs were handy. We eventually figured out that the banging at night was caused by the wind blowing and causing the canopy, which had metal supports, to bang about on the terrace. Since the terrace is above the rooms, the sound resounded right through the ceiling of our room.

Incidentally, we ate at the El Convento Restaurant every night which is in a separate building up the street from the hotel. We were going to try the Parador, and went to look at the menu, but they didn't open until later than El Convento and we were tired. Also the Parador menu didn't excite us. So my husband said, "We know the food is good at El Convento, let's just go back where we know it is good." At the end of our visit, our indominable hostess signed a copy of a cookbook with some of her family recipes for us.

We will never forget this hotel! You should go.

This is a wonderful hotel. Try to get a room with a balcony.

AND be sure to have a meal at their restaurant.

6 of us stayed here in October for 4 nights. We had adjoining rooms (7,8,13) all with terraces & fantastic views across the valley. Room 13 is particularly recommended, quite large & a beautiful bathroom. The staff were really helpful & the hotel has a wonderful ambience. El Convento restaurant is superb although not cheap. There is so much to see & do in the area, we particularly loved the proximity to the Grazalema Natural Park.

Just returned from a tour of Andalucia, where we had a stay at Hotel El Convento. Brilliant. Try to get room 11. Fantastic views as you have your breakfast served on your own balcony by friendly staff, church bells ringing nearby... just magic. Dine at El Convento restaurant for the finishing touch...

What a great hotel. After roughing it a bit on Vieques it was great to be in luxury. The staff was very helpful and great. We have a 5 and 7 year old and they liked it as well. The pool has a great view and the breakfast in the morning was very nice. Old San Juan is like Europe in a complimentary way.(charm)

Although usual users of the Parador, this was fully booked and we tried this hotel. The hotel is a little gem, with very friendly staff and all the standard amenities in the room. Our room had a large terrace overlooking the valley, and we were able to have breakfast servesd on our sunny terrace without any extra charge. Parking is indeed a problem everywhere in Arcos, but the hotel owners also own the Hotel Los Olivos (about 150m before you get to El Convento on the way up) and you can park the car there for a daily fee. Don't forget to eat at the EL Convento restaurant (about 30m from the hotel). The owners are one and the same, the food is excellent, the service attentive and they have a good wine-list.

Forget the Parador next door. This is the place to stay in Arcos. Same amazing view from the cliff edge, half the price.

The rooms were clean, comfortable and air-conditioned, and we had a huge balcony (although it was too hot to use for most of the day). The staff were very pleasant and helpful.

Only draw-back is the parking situation. If we had not read about the drill in a tour book, we would have given up to find alternate accomodation somewhere else.

The only parking in the old part of town (at the top of the cliff) is accessed through EXTREMELY narrow streets (turn in your mirrors!). Once at the parking lot in front of the church, you need to drive in circles until a spot frees up - and you don't necessarily get your turn in order of arrival. There is an old guy to help out, sort of. Anyway, park your car, walk the several blocks to the hotel (get a map before you arrive!), get a parking pass and return to the car. Then forget about your car until it's time to leave. The Arcos natives seem to be able to get their cars down the narrow lanes, but the whole driving thing was rather challenging. (Witness the black scrapes at mirror level throughout town!)

Despite this, this was one of our favorite destinations and hotels in Spain. Also eat at the El Convento restaurant, which is a little more expensive than some of the alternatives, but worth the splurge.

This is a great hotel. It is centrally located with an incredible view.

Rooms are not big but they are big enough and have all the ammenities you would expect. Our balcony was huge. Other rooms don't have balconies but have large windows. Service was excelent and the people there were very helpful. There is a parking lot within walking distance. The only problem was that the streets in Arcos are very narrow and we were driving a large van. But if the public buses can make it, so can anyone else.