Parador de Cordoba la Arruzafa

This is a modern hotel with large comfortable rooms and pleasantly old fashioned service. It is located in an upmarket residential area and as there were no restaurants in walking distance, we took our evening meals in the hotel - first in the restaurant and then on the bar terrace. Breakfast was standard Parador fare - i.e. substantial. We liked the terrace very much for drinks, and perhaps had a little too much sangria. Ming ordered a G&T. When it was poured at the table the waitress just kept pouring. He did not realise he was supposed to say stop. He received an exceedingly generous measure.

I have stayed in about 10 paradors over 3 visits to Spain. The Cordoba Parador was by far the worst. The food is okay. The service varies from average to just awful. My first breakfast, the wait staff gave a teapot with tea and cold water. On the last day, I could not even get anyone to respond. My wife arrived about 25 minutes after me and was shocked when I explained what was going on. She refused to tolerate the stupidity. We never complain to a supervisor without first letting the staff know. When she told the waiter how ridiculous she had behaved, the racist doubled down. She stated her colleague had helped us because she only took me to the table and never responded. We elected to complain and asked to speak to General Manager. He was tied up and not available. The reception people were appropriately troubled and embarrassed and could not stop apologizing, However, the damage was done.The General Manager never responded but I received a request for a review. I provided it. The GM replied with a 2 line form letter stating he was sure that the issue was fixable and hoped to welcome me back to the parador. Clearly, the GM like his wait staff is not the brightest bulb. The parador itself is ‘meh’. It is located far from the mosque and the old city. It costs on average 9-11 euros by taxi to get there. The rooms are okay but rundown. The door frame on the bathroom had spit in ours and there was mold. So, no I will not be revisiting the Cordoba/Arruzafa parador. Will I revisit Spain and/ or stay in a parador? …I love history and antiquities. Spain is of interest. We were very impressed with the Parador in Granada. It is easily the most professional staff we have seen in any Parador. So yes I will give other paradores and Spain another go. Spain is a notoriously racist country. I would argue that Italy is no different and France continues its dissent. If you are a mixed race person travelling to Europe, you take this into account. I simply will not allow racism to stop me from exploring things of interest. If anything, I tend to feel sorry for the ignorance of racists. They just seem so pathetic insisting on demeaning others to feel better about themselves.

Beautiful gardens and views. We had a balcony with a table and chairs so nice to sit on.

This hotel was beautiful and a good value. It is about 7minutes to the old city by carz

Very comfortable with spectacular views across Cordoba. The parador is slightly out of the city really easy to get to and plenty of safe parking. There is a bus stop just outside and taxis are readily available. The staff are friendly and helpful, drinks on the terrace were so welcome after an extremely hot and sticky day in the city. The room was huge, very comfortable bed and beautiful linen. Bathroom is tired and need some updating but didn't detract from a very pleasant stay.

Fancy a tea or coffee when you wake up? You can't have one: No tea or coffee-making facilities in your room. A swim before breakfast in the lovely on-site outdoor pool? You can't have one. The pool doesn't open until 1130. Something to eat? The buffet breakfast spread was plentiful and varied, but staff couldn't keep up with replenishment. At supper in the evening the classic "rice, pork, chicken and seasonal mushroom" wasn't to my taste. Sweet and tomato-ey, and the mushroom element was elusive. Perhaps it's meant to be like that. My companion was happy with his pork tenderloin on a bed of potato. Convenience dictated that we eat there a second time, and on that occasion my steak and his hake were excellent. There was, though, a huge amount of nonsense about our choice of wine, exactly the same Rioja Crianza, listed as the house red, as we'd had two nights earlier. Never before in my life have I known a server be so difficult, or one in an international hotel be prepared to speak neither English nor French. Be ready to be assertive, or perhaps just eat elsewhere! The room was good even if a little bit tired: spacious, clean, excellent bathroom, toiletries and towelage, huge well-linened bed. Gloomy, with only mood-lighting, so if you have senior eyes and need to read print or lace your shoes, use the bathroom! The public areas are pleasant and airy, the terraces and view delightful. Although it's in a very fine location, this particular parador is not itself one of the characterful heritage buildings for which the group is so well-known. Reception staff are knowledgeable and helpful, particularly in booking taxis. If you intend to use this hotel do check carefully meal and pool timetables. There IS an indoor pool and fitness centre available to guests, apparently year-round, but you have to book and then walk 300m offsite. And the outdoor pool is blissful: Above all, there is no piped music. Our three-night stay was intended to offer some relaxation and refreshment between sightseeing trips, but it didn't work entirely well for me. I had never stayed in a parador before and trusted the brand's reputation for excellence in all aspects of hospitality. Disappointing.