Parador de Gijón

A lovely Parador in a beautiful location next to a wonderful park. The room was clean and comfortable if just a little uninspiring but in fairness it wasn't a premium room. Breakfast on two of the three mornings we stayed was very good but on the third morning the waiter seemed totally overwhelmed and failed to offer us a hot breakfast which was disappointing.

Further to this, we called immediately to be advised by the Parador as to what to do. We followed what was told to us. It clearly states in the note on the OTA booking that "Any changes to this booking can only be made by the hotel". This is ridiculous that you do not read or look at what it states. Both, and inturn have billed us, this payment goes to the Parador. We have made several requests and have been told different things after the fact. It's called bait and switch. Would not recommend - would not stay again. While walking the Camino, we booked through an OTA and immediately realized the date was wrong. We called the hotel right away and were told that if we rebooked the correct night directly with the hotel, we would not be charged twice. Relying on that assurance, we booked directly at a higher rate. The hotel then kept payment for both bookings and later claimed they could not help. We requested only a refund of the lesser amount, even allowing for OTA commissions. The unused room could also have been resold, avoiding any loss. We acted immediately and followed the hotel’s guidance, but the position was reversed after payment was taken. For additional context, our Booking.com receipt states: “Partner Offer. Your booking is with LOH… Requests can be made directly with the property but are not guaranteed.” We did contact the property directly and relied on their assurances, which were not honored.

States right on the reciept for the booking Partner Offer Your booking is with LOH. "Any changes to your personal and booking details are not possible. Requests can be made directly with the property but are not guaranteed. Booking.com's customer service support is available to you for this booking.Booked the wrong date by mistake while walking the Camino and realized it immediately. We called the hotel right away and were told that if we rebooked the correct night directly (at a much higher rate), we would not be charged for both stays. Despite this assurance, the hotel kept payment for both the incorrect OTA booking and the direct booking. After repeated correspondence with both the hotel and corporate office, they now claim they are powerless to help. We asked only for a refund of the lesser amount, less any OTA commission. The hotel also had the ability to cancel and resell the unused night. They chose not to. Be cautious: honest mistakes are not forgiven, and assurances given by staff may not be honored once payment is taken.