Hostal Report: Zamora and Leon

Posted by: funes

Hostal Report: Zamora and Leon - 10/06/04 02:00 PM

I recently stayed at the Hostal La Reina in Zamora and The Boccalino in Leon.

La Reina in Zamora is located just off the Plaza Mayor. I was looking for inexpensive accommodation with a good, central location. I chose La Reina mainly based on favorable reviews in Lonely Planet. At 19E for a room with two single beds, I got the location and cost part. The room itself was an unbelievable hovel. Dirty, broken down, and generally depressing. The hostal is owned by an aging couple; the husband is not particularly friendly, and they are never around during the day. A note was left on the counter each day stating "we are at our other business". This made it very difficult to check in and out. I would never again visit this place; in fact, I
checked out early and shelled out the cash for the NH Palacio del Duero...an upgrade of exponential proportions.

Leon was my next stop, and the Hotel Paris was fully booked. They recommended The Hostal Boccalino, which I had never heard of. This place was an absolute gem. I paid 30E for a small room with double bed that was spotless. It had a modern bathroom with a hydrojet shower, modern furniture, and a good bed. My room was on the top floor and had no windows, but it did have a roof window/hatch which was nice. I believe the Hostal was rennovated recently. In any case, the three young ladies who staff the front desk were exceedingly friendly, cheerful, and helpful. Good location as well. Euro for Euro, this was my favorite hostal in Spain.

http://www.hostalboccalino.com

Funes