Hosteria Duran — Hotel in Baños

REVIEW IS ONLY FOR THE THERMAL SPA: Reception: ⭐️ Thermal Bath Facilities: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Food quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Food Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Eatery/Restaurant ambience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

RECEPTION: the staff are friendly BUT THEY DO NOT DISCLOSE ALL FEES EXPECTED 🫤🫤🫤🫤🫤.

👎👎👎👎👎 They DO NOT PROVIDE TOWELS (or even rent them out). THEY SELL THEM FOR $14.50, an excessive price for a poor quality towel.

👎👎👎👎👎 They also DO NOT PROVIDE SPA CAPS that they require. THEY SELL IT FOR $2.00.

• It might be worth pointing out that towels and caps are standard of any spa. This place “prides” itself as a spa. Since they obviously DO NOT provide them, THESE SHOULD DISCLOSED AT RECEPTION AND IN THE WEBSITE🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬.

SPA FACILITIES: OVERALL VERY AVERAGE despite the seemingly large area the entire establishment is built on.

😑😑😑 The main thermal pool feels more like a heated swimming pool rather than a hotspring pool.

• the hotspring water supply is very weak, the “spa-heat” is felt only about 2-3 feet from the supply at one corner of the shallow end of the pool

it’s Family friendly spa 👍 BUT there is NOT A SEPARATE AREA FOR CHILDREN ESPECIALLY TODDLERS 🫤🫤🫤.

for safety, children especially toddlers should be localized to the shallow circular pool adjoining the main pool.

👍 The HOT-COLD soaking pools are quite good. THE HOT one is a true hotspring pool at 42-degC.

👍 Nice Turkish (steam) bath.

🫤 There is NO dry sauna.

🤬🤬🤬 There’s an advertised “hot mud bath” on the premises BUT nowhere to be found.

👍 Lockers provided as well men’s and women’s changing rooms.

FOOD: 👍 There’s a nice eatery/restaurant on site, which appears to have a reasonable dining menu.

👍 There’s a Menu del Dia as part of one of the Day-use service. The food is better the usual Almuerzo or Comida Tipica.

👍 There’s a separate snack bar by...

Usually when I travel I try not to repeat but I broke my golden rule here. A beautiful hosteria with volcanic hot pools, it has a restaurant with incredible views, service, and lets not forget....food! I first started out with the shrimp, avocado quinoa appetizer in which I wanted to lick the plate! There were 5 people and we had everything from steak, trout, chicken and seafood in which no one left a bite. At first I just couldn't decide on what to have as I never go back to the same place 2x so I felt pressure to make it count. No one was disappointed and everyone left extremely happy. After lunch we lounged around the fireplace and had a great time in this beautiful hosteria. Within a few days we continued to talk about the food so we came back for more! I again had the shrimp, avocado quinoa appetizer and it was just as good as before and now everyone wanted a piece of the action! Beautiful place, incredible food and service...

I just want to point out that they have a normal hotel pool that I've actually never used. But, they also have 2 bigger rectangle thermal pools in an area that is located just inside their big private driveway, right before the hotel parking lot. It's called Balneario. It's cheaper than the actual hotel pool and more space. They also have sauna, contrast pools (super hot and super cold small pools), mud slathering up area, and café. The keep it pretty well clean and maintained. Usually there is one pool a little cooler than the other and in the morning people swim laps. There's some water aerobic class some mornings. You are required to wear a swim cap. They are closed Mondays, but they have another location close by called Riñón that if you ask will accept your monthly membership as well. $50 for adult monthly membership! If this helped you, please click...