Un auténtico reducto de paz e historia. Recien renovado, sus servicios y personal son de diez. El parador en sí mismo tiene personalidad mediaval y muy confortable
We were particularly impressed by Jonathan the Barman. His attitude and approach to customers are excellent. During our stay he always made sure we were happy and comfortable, with a smile on his face. He is a big asset for your company.
We have to comment on the décor and appearance of the place.
Parador de Cardona is a 4* hotel settled in a stunning grand location and we appreciated the entrance, cloister and frescos etc... but we have to say that interiors, from reception to corridors to rooms, are a bit shabby and not up the standard and barely meet a 3* city hotel, never mind a Castle. The Cafeteria also leaves a lot to be desired unfortunately.
We love historical Paradores and we have been in Sigüenza, Trujillo, Alcañiz, León (before the refurbishement) therefore we had great expectations about Cardona but we were disappointed infact by the internal décor and appearance.
When we checked-in our room (627) we immediately noticed a bad smell which we found out was due to the two bedside carpets that were never washed for a good amount of time. Obviously we reported this to the Reception and the carpets were replaced. The bad odor then vanished.
Window fixtures are quite plain, sofa and armchairs outdated and dull, the cushion of one of the armchair was badly stained, the other lightly marked.
The bathroom is equipped with an accessible shower but shampoo and shower gel are not near enough and to get some, one needs to lean over the bathtub several times and for a person with mobility issue this is not only uncomfortable but poses hazards, risk of slipping and falling. The floor can become quite slippery when wet and soapy. In some small corners there was accumulation of mold and dirt.
We had dinner at the Restaurant, once, we had Foie and Paletilla de Cabrito. Foie with mango compote was very good, the texture is quite different to that one might expect but it was a nice surprise. Paletilla was also very good, tender, tasty and lean however in our opinion the gravy was too strong and salty and should really be served in a side ramekin for a better presentation. The big disappointment of this plate was the dauphinois. Its taste was horrible, almost like if it was stale. The following day we cancelled the reservation at the Restaurant and we had some very nice Santoña's Anchovies in the Cafeteria. At breakfast we were served Longaniza with canned beans, we don't think canned beans are either a good standard for a 4* hotel.
