Hotel Cueva del Fraile

I think it's fair to say this hotel has probably seen better days even though the staff try hard. On the plus side the rooms in the old building are nice and cool, with comfy beds and are cleaned daily. Also the buffet breakfast is great value. Reception staff also very friendly and helpful. On the downside the food quality at lunch and dinner is pretty poor and choice quite limited. Seemed to us that it was mainly used by hard pressed couples with very young children grateful that there was a ready meal without needing to get in the car. Of mixed quality: Guests get free use of sports facilities (and reception have a limited supply of equipment): the pool area is great but aside from this the outdoor facilities are tired and underused. Wifi reception is sporadic and slow. Finally our experience of the rooms in the newer part of the hotel was poor (we changed rooms after a night). You should have a car if you're staying here; both because it's quite remote and so that you can savour the decent restaurants in Cuenca.

Stayed here for 1 night on the way back to the ferry.didn't realise it was out of but it wasn't a problem.Directions with sat nav were good. This hotel is going through a bit of a change, builders were in but didn't hear them working. Our room was nice and spacious and had been renovated, with a lounge area. Looked over a field which had goats in, with the gentle sound of their bells.the room had a large bathroom which was nicely done, Had a baguette for lunch, Then took the car and parked near the tourist info, then walked down into town ( only a couple of mins or less) lovely town to walk around, some of the houses are built on the side of cliffs! Had dinner in the hotel , food was nice, didn't really understand what we we ordered but that's what it's all about being on holiday and not knowing the language! All good fun! Breakfast was good, lots of choice. It is an old farmhouse and some parts look very old( nice) Nice stay.

This hotel resembled a camp site but with rooms instead of tents. The two rooms we had weren't very nice. No air conditioning in the rooms but they provided a fan. The drive to the hotel was amazing. It is set in an amazing spot in the mountains. The food was basic but seemed to cater for varied tastes. The best thing about the hotel was the facilities. A good sized pool, table football, pool table and even a crazy golf (though this has seen much better days). There was a nice outside space for evening drinks. It looks as is parts of the hotel have been refurbished and modernised. The downstairs, where our rooms were, are in urgent need of a make over! It's got conference facilities which looked reasonable. Note that the hotel is quite far away from the centre of Cuenca. It was fine as I was staying only one night. If I was there for a week, I wouldn't have been comfortable to doing so.

A large old building and gardens about 4/5 miles from Cuenca so you need transport. Could do with updating but the cost could be prohibitive. Suited me fine for an overnight stay. Lovely drive with great views taking right hand fork outside hotel along hilltop to car park just outside old Cuenca. Nice dining room where I had the hotel menu for 16e. Choice of 4 starters,4 mains, 4 desserts with a bottle of wine, water, bread and a tapa. I chose spag. bol,,chicken and chips and tarta vienetta. It was fine and good value for money. Old Cuenca is a lovely place and La Cuidad Encantada is only a few miles away if you are interested in unusual rock formations.

The hotel was several km from the centre of Cuenca, this was not a problem as it was very quiet. A few barking dogs at night, the bells from the goats and the baying burro in the adjoining field all added to its ambience. The room however was another story. No hot water for the 2 days we stayed there, the room as brown and I mean 1960's brown furniture, floors and 1 brown timber cladded wall. It was very clean and the hotel staff were, most of them, very good and helpful. The breakfast was adequate and plentiful but the evening set meal was abysmal with the al carte menu only a bit better. Unfortunately we will not be back.

LOCATION: I didn’t think the hotel’s out of town center location made it more charming. Perhaps this was the fault of construction crews and their noise, but I found the location just created more of a hassle to getting around. Although, if you plan on staying in this hotel to walk, jog, bike, or just be in nature the location is ideal. HOTEL: I booked at this hotel specifically because it had a pool. In other review, the manager defends the hotel and is explicit in saying the pool may not be open all year, but instead opened mid-June. Imagine my disappointment to check in on June 16 -with hot days during my stay- only to learn that the pool MIGHT be open by the end of June! Not being able to cancel the reservation without penalty, I was further disappointed by the ubiquitous construction crews, work, and banging. One construction truck blocked us in and, after about 20 minutes of trying to locate its driver, we decided to invest another twenty in making a 10-point turn back and forward to get around truck. ROOM: The first room we had (despite a room request for quiet with a view) directly faced some kind of construction motor that made a ridiculous racquet (Room #159). The front desk clerk allowed me to check another room (#149) that I was about to settle on avoid a fuss. Then my husband didn’t think the strong stench of cigarette smoke inside, and the strong smell of propane outside (and the noise of cars from facing the bend in the road) would work. I asked the front desk for another option and got an eye roll, but another option. We settled into room #143 and I used up my can of Lysol and my spray bottle of perfume trying to battle the smell of cigarette that had become a part of the air conditioning, sheets, etc. I really appreciate the mini-fridge in the room. There were no screens on the window, however, and both attempts to get fresh air meant that within 30 minutes a wasp/bee was in our room. I didn’t love the ratty sheets that had multiple tears and holes. I wish another tripadvisor reviewer had alerted me to the idea I’d be roughing it. I think I would have had a better attitude about the eyeroll, the construction, the smell of smoke, and the closed pool. Still, can the hotel designate some rooms as non-smoking?

I stayed 4 nights here. The rooms vary and are quite adequate and have what you need. Bed was comfortable. Bathroom was good. Everything was clean Windows that open so no need to use an air conditioner which I don't think was there. Room was cool due to the type of building - previously a convent, so I liked it. A small courtyard which was good to relax in. I did not have a car and the only transport was by taxi. For me, the breakfast was basic but adequate. Due to the isolation I needed to eat in the dining room at night. This I found extremely ordinary and didn't cope with it very well. I slept well and it was quiet, except for the dogs in a nearby house barking between 11pm and midnight. My room faced the car park so directly in line of the noise. In rooms on the other side it is unlikely to hear the dogs. Getting to the hotel passes the old city and the view of it from the road was great but difficult to stop for a photo. Took a taxi up to the old city and is well worth the visit. After exploring I walked to the bottom and into the new town and got a taxi back to the hotel. All easy enough to manage. I did find food was almost impossible to get in the old town due to the customary eating habits and I was fainting with hunger. Need to keep this in mind if you need to eat regularly. I would stay there again, but bring in the food supply with me.

I was so pleased with this hotel, the position was ideal for us. It is on the outskirts of the town and although a car is needed to get into town, it is not too far. This also means that you have access to the lovely countryside that can be found in this area. We had a family room being 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. We did not eat at the hotel, preferring to go into Cuenca, but everything looked clean. The staff were very hospitable - it may have helped that one of our party is fluent in Spanish! I couldn't fault it and would stay here again.

Some of the reviews of this hotel make me question whether we are talking about the same place. This is an excellent hotel that is a converted monastery with a superb swimming pool and breakfast ALL at a fantastic price. The staff were not unfriendly just businesslike and the standard of drink and food served was again very reasonably priced. Best of all it is a short 15 mins drive to the wonderful town of Cuenca.