Parador Salamanca
Parador de Salamanca is on a small hill on the left bank of the Tormes, facing the historic centre of the city. 
Its large windows make it an exceptional lookout point over the city, a living museum dominated by the cathedral towers.
Elegance, comfort and spaciousness characterize the hotel’s public areas, meeting rooms and bedrooms. Tastefully decorated with marble and other luxurious materials, the interior offers unbeatable views from all the lounges, the pool and most of the rooms.
We had a wondeful time. The view is great. The breakfast, one of the best. everybody was very friendly and helpfull. I would love to go back in another trip. We went afterwards to Baiona, Santiago and Leon. Also expectacular.
After our third visit to Salamanca, we have decided not to stay at the Parador again.
The welcome at the reception desk was neither warm nor helpful. I admit that our Spanish is by no means fluent but that should not be a hindrance. The staff were not particularly busy at the time.
The rooms were comfortable and spotless and also the public rooms.
Breakfast is good and generous as it is in most paradors but why oh why is dinner so inferior? The menu sounds fine and there is plenty of choice but the actual food is terribly disappointing, badly seasoned and many of the dishes taste very similar. I wonder if the chef samples anything before it leaves the kitchen.
It seems a great shame that the showcases of Spain in their interesting situations and often magnificent buildings should not make the best of the wonderful ingredients on offer throughout the country. One can buy such a variety of fish, meat, fruit and vegetables. One can eat well in so many restaurants, often very inexpensively but that seems to make little difference.
We stayed at the Salamanca Parador at the beginning of September. We have stayed in many Paradors and generally prefer the more ‘historic’ buildings, but the (modern) one in Salamanca must have one of the best views in Spain - just wonderful. We stayed two nights and were able to get a feel for the city, which I would definitely recommend. It is very interesting historically but is also lively and has a definite ‘buzz’, probably due to the large number of university students! The Parador itself was excellent - helpful staff, comfortable rooms and a lovely pool with THE VIEW! Only slight niggle was that the WiFi (wireless Internet connection) only works within about one metre of the reception desk, which made things rather cosy! We had breakfasts in the hotel but preferred to eat in the town in the evening. It is an easy walk across the Roman bridge into the main town where there is much to see and enjoy. ( Don’t forget to try a marzipan ‘good luck frog’ !) There is not a great deal to see within the immediate vicinity of Salamanca but as someone has already said, La Alberca is worth a visit and the view from the Pena de Francia is breathtaking (not just due to the moutainous roads!). Ciudad Rodrigo is worth a detour, especially if you are a fan of Cornwell’s ‘Sharp’ books, dealing with the Peninsular Wars at the beginning of the 19th century. Of course, Salamanca itself saw a great deal of fighting in those wars and was seen as a vital strategic stronghold. We shall definitely be back …….
We stayed at the Parador on our first two days in Spain on our first trip to Europe. The hotel is first class, the staff was very helpful, the rooms clean and spacious. The Public rooms are quiet and have views of the old city. The area around the Parador is residential and quiet. The Parador is built on top of a hill across the river from the old city and has a beautiful view of the city during the day and especially at night. The Plaza Mayor (City Center) is within walking distance (although, everywhere I went I seemed to be walking uphill).
We visited the University, where our daughter was just finishing her semester abroad and took a tour of the Cathedral as well as the colleges. There are many good places to eat and a lot of bars.
We had dinner at the Parador and the food and service were very good. I recommend the baby squid which was delicious and memorable.
We stayed at four other Paradors in Galicia (Monforte de Lemos, Vilalba, Ferrol, and Cambados) and visited two more (Ribadeo and Santiago de Compostela) and I was impressed by the staff and how helpful they were.
The Parador Salamanca had the best parking of all the Paradors we stayed at or visited.
The views of the city from the hill across the river were spectacular, especially at night. The parador was beautiful and well appointed. The rooms were very luxurious and comfortable. The beds are comfortable. The pool and lounging areas are nice and offer views of the city. The staff were very courteous and helpful. Breakfast was ample. The city is very accessable from the parador. We stayed two days and enjoyed everything about the Parador and the city.
This was our first ever Parador stay and we were thoroughly impressed. Friendly, helpful and efficient reception; upgrade to a spacious room with splendid view of the old city; two excellent dinners — both food and service. I liked the modernist design of the hotel: striking without trying to mimic the medieval city across the river. Very easy to find by car and easy walking distance to the old centre.
The only disappointment was that the pool was not open (even though full of inviting water on a hot day). I guess it was a H&S issue about having a lifeguard on duty all day. What a boring job that must be.
Do visit La Alberca if you get the chance.
Salamanca was thoroughly enjoyable. The Parador was comfortable, the views were lovely and staff very helpful. We only had breakfast in the hotel which was good. Our only regret was only staying one night, we left wanting more.
Thank you.
Thank you for your email. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Salamanca
and had no complaints whatsoever about our stay at the Parador,
especially as we stayed at ‘over sixties’ rates and therefore could not
expect a room with the best view.
We did not eat at the Salamanca Parador, mainly because we were
disappointed with the quality of the meals we had at the beautiful
Parador at Cervera de Pisuerga.
We hope to revisit the Paradors of Spain later on in the year.