The future of paradores

[Sandy]

The following article is about the uncertain future of paradores.  A friend of mine always tries to stay in them, and the whole experience sounds lovely, but it seems they’re losing money.  Hopefully, they can turn the situation around.

 

http://tinyurl.com/ap92s8l

 

The full link:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/travel/spains-paradors-face-an-uncertain-future.html

 

Sandy

[John Zumsteg]

I do hope the Paradores turn things around. We've stayed in a few of them (a quick count comes up with eight) and always found them enjoyable, with excellent restaurants. They're not inexpensive, but we've always enjoyed our stays there. We've stayed at only one of the "modern" ones - Toledo; the rest were in converted castles, convents, etc., and they all have their own feeling. The article comments on unfriendly staff, but we've never encountered an unfriendly employee at a parador. In some towns, they're about the only choice: Sos del Rey Catolico, for example.

John

Sent with Sparrow

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Travel Spain" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to travelspain...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
 
 

[Sandy]

I’ve been looking at the videos of some of the Paradores on the website…absolutely gorgeous! I do hope they don’t go under. 

 

Sandy

[Sue Gee (IP)]

It would be very distressing if the Paradors were to vanish - or even to change much as they are such a unique experience.

Our first stay in one (circa 1990) was unplanned - we had been intending to camp as we were travelling to the Santander ferry in a camper van.

It was raining and as dusk drew in we saw the sign for the Parador de Tordesillas.

As paradors go it wasn't one of the most impressive. I discover from looking at the website today that it is a converted Castillian Manor House, but from the road it looked like a modern hotel.

When I reminded my travelling companion about it she immediately responded with "I remember the sepulchral dining room, where we were the only diners". 

No more camping after that and we started to plan route simply to stop at specific paradors.

In that era the cost of an overnight stay in a family room in a parador compared very well to a stay in any UK hotel and some of the buildings we've slept in have been fascinating.

Dinner generally isn't the high point of a stay at a parador - although the dining rooms can be - but a parador buffet breakfast is to be recommended if you like to start the day with a complete meal. 

Recently we've made fewer road trips so it has been some years since we've been in one.

However, there's a list of paradors I'd still like to visit so I do hope the chain survives intact.

Sue

--