Santemar

excellent location and immaculate. a fabulous breakfast. The bedroom staff were amazing so friendly and excellent at there job. lots of restaurants nearby and beside the sea and amazing walks cycle tracks and parks. stunning

The reception staff on our check in were friendly and lovely, on check out unfortunately the girl wasn’t it would have been nice to be asked did we enjoy our stay ! instead very little communication except did we use the mini bar. A smile goes a long way in such a nice hotel.

The staff were the friendliest we have ever come across. Not gratuitously 'friendly' but genuinely nice people and evidently happy by nature (Jose and Pablo were the ones we had direct dealings with). The hotel was spotless, welcoming and at ease with itself in the knowledge that they know how to run a superb hotel. Efficient throughout all staff from concierge, reception through restaurant to room cleaners. Staff were constantly at their jobs. There was a quality to every aspect of this place. Obviously this is a notable hotel as evidenced by the groups that stayed, including tour operators, vintage motorbike rally as well as the passing La Vuelta cycle race personnel. Many extra thoughtful features include the freshly pressed lemonade in reception (most welcome on the hot days) and hotel umbrellas (for the frequent showers in Northern Spain!). The bedroom was very well furnished with more storage than we could fill and a fantastic sea view.

More seating in the reception area. Relaxing lounges would have been nice (there were just a couple of multi-purpose rooms on the ground floor that had suites placed in them without much thought to layout)

Nice welcome from (male) receptionist. Near to beach, restaurants and bus into town. Nice decor. Large comfortable bed. Bedroom and bathroom well equipped and comfortable. Good breakfast. Lovely staff in breakfast room. Lobby and corridors smell fresh. Hotel clean. Nice garden.

Meal in restaurant was mediocre. No nice view from restaurant or lounges. No directions to garden. No sun beds in garden. Felt like we weren’t supposed to be in the garden. No comfortable chairs in the bar. (Female) receptionist was slightly off hand when we checked out, didn’t enquire whether we had a good stay.

We stayed at the hotel at the end of May, so just before the start of the season. We are family with two kids age 2 and 5 and had a family room which was two rooms with shared doors within the room. The room for kids had two single beds joined together which worked for us as none of them was able to fall off and no arguments about a bunk bed. The room was facing the backs of the hotel which was a quiet street with a view of other hotels/homes. That worked for us too as there was no noise at night and it was a more shaded side of the building. The hotel is suitable for kids with wide elevator and ramps for buggy, high chairs and kids menu for lunch. We’ve also had breakfast at the hotel really good selection of a buffet breakfast. The location of the hotel is fantastic! 5 min walk to the beach, less then 10 min walk to supermarket and along those walks restaurants and across the road from the hotel there is a pizza take away with chicken nuggets and fries. You can walk in less than 20min to the Magdalena Pennisula and just over 20min walk to Las Lamas park. Great bus connection to city centre, bus stop next to the Casino and it takes less than 15min drive and for two adults the cost was €2.60 one way. The hotel was very clean. Comfy beds. Good aircon. Bathrooms with large enough shower to wash little kids. Check out at 12PM which was so nice, as you could still have breakfast and not rush in the morning.

I really have nothing that we didn’t like about the hotel. The only small thing I could say is that the shower gel provided in the hotel is perfumed and with tiny shimmer bits which will suit probably most females however, won’t work for little kids and didn’t work for my husband so we had to buy a plain Nivea shower gel in the supermarket.

The decor of the room was very nice with a comfortable bed and some basic amenities such as a coffee machine and fridge. The location to the beach and restaurants was also an added bonus and from the hotel a 15-20 walk through the foot tunnel and following roads leads to a more central part of santander with an abundance of bars and restaurants. It was also walking distance to a number of natural areas of santander.

The room we had was not blessed with a fantastic view however it was well shielded from the intense sunshine as there was trees directly outside. However this meant a lack of natural light in the day. The hotel has a number of facilities but lacks a pool. This is however something we took in to consideration when booking due to the location of the beach. The outside of the hotel lacks the attraction of many modern hotels but this wasn't an issue.

I loved the fact that I could just look out from the window and see the sea. It's literally just a couple of minutes away. Breakfast had a massive selection of foods to choose from. It has a nice little gym, although there is way too much fragrance around it. We couldn't use cabify there, so it was nice of the hotel staff to call us a cab whenever we needed it.

I didn't like to be charged for a full stay before I even arrived at the hotel. Which isn't the policy. I chose this hotel to pay with cash when I arrived, which I paid even extra just for that. Got a refund, which was lower than the amount they took in the first place because of the exchange rate. It's not very nice. Was told by one employee that the policy changed, and that's what they do to then being told by another that I can pay by cash without a problem.

The staff are the shining Star of this place. Every single staff member was so lovely. it’s one of thee cleanest hotel I have ever stayed in and the beds are really comfy! the location is perfect. lots of decent restaurants at end of the road and only 5 mins walk to the beach! it looks like bedrooms and hallways have all been upgraded recently.

what I don’t like about the hotel cannot be changed- it’s the Ugliest building ever but please don’t let this put you off. it’s perfect inside. I think they could do up the bar area- it’s not so great in terms of Decor. we booked the entry level room and it was small as we had our kid on roll out bed but I understand there are bigger rooms if you upgrade.

The location is excellent beside the casino and a few steps from a beautiful sandy beach a and a selection of restaurants and bars, perfect for people watching especially the very stylish locals and their well behaved doggies - we felt very safe and relaxed. A 20 minute costal walk will lead you to the Peninsula of Magdalena, with its outdoor seal and penguin sanctuary, tourist train and of course the palace itself. The hotel is also beside the tunnel, a 20-30 minute walk & you're in the main shopping district and all the cultural attractions of Santander city itself. The weather was very pleasant, warm but not overly sunny so the walks were an easy challenge. After a few hours on the beach make sure to visit the 100 Montaditos tapas bar for snacks, yes a Euro1.20 café con leche does exist combined with a large pint of beer and some dressed nachos will give you change from a fiver! There is also a well stocked Lupa supermarket close by. The breakfast was superb from detox juice and honey drizzled from the honeycomb to churros dripped in Nutula there is plenty of choice to suit every dietary preference. The Spanish Tortilla was my favourite, along with beautifully presented fruit platters and decadent pastries with have with coffee. There was also the usual fried breakfast and plenty of cereals too. The room was a good size, clean and bright with plenty of storage, We had a nice view of the coast and the surrounds of the red roofed buildings and trees in the neighbourhood. We did request a kettle but the coffee maker did the same job for cups of tea. The hotel has some nice touches, we did visit the Japanese Garden and the complimentary apples and lemonade bar at reception was very inviting. The staff were warm and welcoming from housekeeping to the breakfast staff we received several cheery holas, a special mention goes to the very helpful and efficient Valentin at reception. I would certainly recommend this hotel for anyone visiting Santander.

Nothing - everything was perfect in the hotel, first time in Santander and we will certainly be returning. BUT My Spanish language skills could have been better as not everyone speaks English, yes the hotel staff all spoke English but in the resort most restaurant menus are in Spanish - but with google translate, Irish charm and our very few words of Spanish we got by and were treated very kindly by all the Spanish people we met.

The location is in the El Sardinero area, close to the beach. Surrounding of the hotel in greenery, quiet. Along the beach you have bars with food and drinks, also some shops. It takes about 20 minutes to walk to the city through the pedestrian tunnel. The entrance to the tunnel about 100 meters from the hotel, it brings you to C.Tetuan on the other side. Close to the peninsula with Palacio de la Magdalena, 20 minutes walk. The rooms are arranged, the cleanliness is adequate. Breakfast rich and varied. I recommend this hotel!

I suggest more written information about the city of Santander in the hotel lobby, as well as more information about public transportation in Santander.

Lovely room, fabulous breakfasts! The location of the hotel is excellent, only a stones throw from the beach and on the fastest route into the centre of town.

I asked for a second key card for the rooms (we had a separate room for the kids) but only one card would ever work at a time, so if they were in the room you still had to knock and wait. In most hotels more than one keycard works at a time. Also, like many hotels in the North of the country at that time of the year, the cost of the rooms made it difficult to achieve the right value for money balance.