Hotel Nueva Plaza

For a straightforward stay in Cantabria, you get a small hotel with 17 rooms across four floors, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi throughout and the useful basics covered. The tone is practical rather than resort-like: come back from a day out, eat in the hotel, connect to the internet and get some sleep without turning the evening into another expedition.

English, Spanish, Italian, German and French are spoken by the hotel team. That matters when you are arranging an airport transfer, asking about Santander or trying to explain that the room key has developed a mind of its own.

A terrace, a restaurant, a bar and room service give you several ways to settle in for the evening. The hotel also has a fitness area, massage and beauty treatments for the days when your legs have had enough sightseeing.

The hotel is in Camargo, Spain, at Avenida Bilbao 57 in the Muriedas-Maliaño area. Santander Airport is 1.5 miles away, while Santander city centre is about 3.1 miles away, putting airport logistics and city visits on a fairly short leash.

Maliaño railway station is around a ten-minute walk from the hotel. Santander Ferry Terminal is about a ten-minute drive, and Santander Cathedral is among the sights within reach of the city. The setting works particularly well if your itinerary involves flying in, taking the ferry or using Santander as the base for exploring Cantabria.

Parking is available on site, and the hotel also offers car hire. A lift serves the upper floors, with accessible facilities and an accessible restaurant.

The room choice is broad, from single rooms to options for couples, families and groups of up to six. Economy rooms keep things simple with a private bathroom; standard rooms add the more useful recovery kit of air conditioning, television and hairdryer. For two people, you can choose between a double bed and twin beds, which is helpful when one traveller regards bedtime as a solo sport.

The triple room with a view is the most fully equipped option in the standard range, with air conditioning, a fan, fridge, minibar, soundproofing, private entrance, television and both bath and shower facilities. Those details are less decorative than they sound: a fridge deals with water and snacks, soundproofing helps when sleep matters, and air conditioning is welcome after a warm day outside.

Comfort rooms and superior suites go further with Wi-Fi, a safe, desk, tea-making facilities, fridge, minibar, soundproofing and, in the suites, a dining area. Pick one of these if you want more than a bed and bathroom during a longer stay. Room facilities vary by category, so check the individual room card carefully before booking rather than assuming that the television, fridge or air conditioning travels automatically from one category to the next.

Restaurante - Cafetería Plaza serves traditional Cantabrian cooking with seasonal ingredients. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available, so the hotel can cover the full day rather than leaving you to hunt for food every time you return hungry. The restaurant also has a buffet breakfast, while room service lets you eat in private when the day has taken enough out of you.

There is one bar, plus a snack bar for something less formal. A buffet breakfast is available, and the meal arrangement follows the booking selected, so read that part of the reservation rather than relying on habit. A diet menu can be requested.

The dining room is also accessible to wheelchair users. For a quieter evening, the sensible plan is simple: eat Cantabrian food downstairs, take a drink at the bar and leave the sightseeing stories for tomorrow.

The hotel keeps its non-diving options grounded in things you can actually fit around a day out. There is a fitness area for a short session, a terrace for sitting down afterwards, and a library for the slower version of the evening. Massage and beauty treatments are available when stretching has stopped being a convincing solution.

A picnic area, hiking and fishing add reasons to spend time outside the hotel. Windsurfing is also available for a change of pace on the water. The hotel can help arrange excursions, and its tourist information service can point you towards places to visit in Santander and the surrounding area.

Travelling with children brings a playroom, a children’s play area and children’s television channels. That leaves the adults with a better chance of finishing a coffee while it is still hot, which is a modest luxury but a genuine one.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to midnight, while check-out is by 12:00. Reception is open from 07:00 until midnight, with express and private check-in and check-out available. An airport transfer and shuttle service are available; arrange the airport journey with the hotel before travelling.

Free Wi-Fi works throughout the hotel. Laundry, dry-cleaning and ironing services are available, alongside luggage storage, concierge assistance, a wake-up service, ticket assistance and tourist information. Cash, Visa and Mastercard are accepted. The hotel also has an ATM and on-site parking.

Rooms and public areas are non-smoking, and air conditioning and heating are available. Electrical sockets are type C and F, with a 230-volt supply at 50 Hz. That is standard for Spain, but a small adaptor is still less annoying to discover in your luggage than in an airport shop.