Hotel Vall de Núria — Hotel in Queralbs

A hotel that truly tests your patience (and your earplugs) By a guest who paid €200 and lived to regret it

Let’s begin with the only redeeming feature of this place: the view. Rolling hills, lovely nature, all very postcard-worthy. Unfortunately, everything else - and I mean everything - is a masterclass in how not to run a hotel.

We were placed in a room designed for guests with disabilities. Thoughtful, if you need it. We didn’t. The shower required sitting down. The toilet was built like a throne, high and proud. And the pneumatic drilling at 6.45am each morning gave the whole thing a delightful prison-renovation vibe.

The air conditioning didn’t work, so the room was hot enough to cure meat. Flies were everywhere, like extras in a low-budget horror film. The furniture had given up years ago.

When we asked to change rooms, the receptionist - a woman who radiated the warm charm of a border official on a bad day, refused. Not reluctantly. She seemed to genuinely enjoy saying no.

Later, we overheard her telling another guest who actually needed a disabled-access room that there weren’t any available. So ours was both unwanted and blocking someone who did. If you’re after efficient, compassionate service, this place isn’t for you.

Other highlights include: • Toilets closed for cleaning at the exact time the buffet opens - because logic • Guests with dogs allowed to sit in the nice dining room, but we weren’t. No dogs, no view. Those were the rules. • Staff who looked like they were being held hostage by the concept of customer service • A bar that opens only when it feels like it • And a price tag of €100 per night for the privilege

To top it all off, the hotel renovations are partially funded by the government. Quite where the money’s going is unclear, but it certainly isn’t on hospitality training or basic ventilation.

Fawlty Towers would be an upgrade. At least there...

The hotel runs a scam. First, you have to stay for at least two nights. We were hiking through GR11 and asked them to stay for one night, which they allowed for an additional charge: we paid 176 for two persons icl. breakfast (their standard price is 135 EUR per night when booking for two nights). The surprise came later, they put us in the wing undergoing a reconstruction. We opened the curtains and just saw a scaffold full of construction garbage. The room itself looks like Franco just stayed there yesterday, the design is completely outdated. There was no airconditioner. We opened the windows, but because the scaffold was covered in plastic there was no fresh air or any wind and the room got very hot. I hardly got any air at all and got problems with breathing. We spent a sleepless night. On the other hand it is important to know that they generally offer a discount which they did not offer to us. On the next morning we spent 40 minutes arguing with the lady from the reception, who did nothing. Later she started blaming us that we did not pay one night surcharge or openly lied us into face that there is no discount for the construction wing, even after I showed her an email from her colleague, who told me that such a discount exist. The hotel manager hid himself from us, she called him but he was busy and did not appear (it was Saturday morning). At some point we could not wait any more and left (we had a long hiking day in front of us).

Yes and the breakfast is served from 8am in a hotel for hikers. Please avoid this hotel, take the train and go back. The hotel just monopolizes its location and not to recommed at all.

The problem is probably that the hotel is owned by Aramark company, who does not care for a proper...

We enjoyed a magical 5 days staying at Hotel Vall De Núria with our teenage children. Daily walks exploring the incredible mountain ranges, picture postcard views at every turn. The easier options and variety of pathways meant that we could try something new every day. The cable car (€3 with proof of your train ticket purchase) was a great addition to our day and we used it several times. The food was a healthy, hearty Spanish buffet (we recommend getting full board as it is pricey at €22/head if you purchase it separately - as we found out on our arrival)||The hotel itself is basic but clean and functional. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. It can be noisy (dogs, children and noise in rooms above) but we weren’t bothered by this at all. All the mountain air ensured a good night sleep!||A highlight was rowing on the mountain lake (around €6 for half an hour) and we enjoyed this activity twice. The lake itself provides a lovely after dinner walk too.||Other activities include mini golf (€5) which entertained us all for over an hour. Families and those with younger children could also enjoy an outdoor park, a play area with slides/trampolines (range of fees depending how long you use it) and pony rides (also additional fee).||The bar provided a lovely spot for before or after dinner drinks. ||We absolutely loved our stay in Vall De Núria and we all left with many happy memories and a...