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Galicia Index
Santiago de Compostela
Page 5
Continued from page 4
ABOVE: Santiago's parador, the Hostal dos Reis
Católicos. INSET BELOW: The Hostal, the NH Obradoiro,
and the Hotel Pico Sacro.
Hotels in Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is a major destination for tourists and
pilgrims, so it's wise to book ahead--especially during high season, or if you
want to stay in the historic center.
 For
those who can afford the rates, the
Hostal dos Reis Católicos--also
known as the Parador of Santiago de Compostela--is hard to beat. The hotel's
attractive rooms are built around the courtyards of a royal pilgrims' hospital
and shelter that opened for business in 1499. It faces the Praza do Obradoiros,
diagonally across from the Cathedral.
 Another
five-star hotel is the
NH Obradoiro,
where I stayed during my visit. The hotel is modern and comfortable, with an
extremely helpful desk staff. (When I asked for a stamp, the receptionist mailed
my postcard free of charge, and it arrived in the U.S. two days later.) Perks
include an excellent buffet breakfast, parking, swimming pools, and Wi-Fi. Rates
are surprisingly reasonable, and the hotel's only downside is the fact that its
parkside location is about a 10-minute walk from Santiago's main square.
Our booking partner, Venere, offers a number of
discounted hotels in Santiago. Most are outside the historic center, but the
three-star
San Carlos is nicely situated opposite the Parlamento de Galicia, between
the railroad station and the old town. The four-star
AC Palacio del Carmen is also worth a look; it occupies a former convent
just to the northwest of the medieval quarter.
 I
haven't been inside the two-star Hotel Pico
Sacro, but the location is excellent for a hotel in its price category: It's
on a pleasant street of cafés, food stores, and
souvenir shops by the Convento de San Francisco in the historic center. The
Praza do Obrodoiro and the Cathedral are just up the street.
For more information on hotels, hostels, B&Bs, camping, and other lodgings, use
the menus and other search tools on Turgalicia's
Where to Stay pages.
Next page:
Restaurants
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