My wife and I stayed at the Monterrey during a weekend visit to Salamanca. The booking was made through an Internet service and we were not sure what to expect for the modest price. We were delightfully surprised to encounter a four-star hotel in the heart of the city, just a few minutes by foot from the Plaza Mayor. Beds exceptionally comfortable!

I thought the public places in this hotel were fine...very clean, if not smoky due to the large amount of people who seem to smoke in Spain. Our room was clean, but the carpet was worn. Beds were very comfy. Street noise was loud, and we had to keep our window closed because of it...We were with a tour group of 30, so maybe it's different when you're on your own, but our food was pretty good-everything was well prepared and hot. Nothing fancy, but very satisfying. I enjoyed the breakfast, too. Now for the best part of this hotel....across the street and down a corridor is an internet/laundrymat! They will wash your clothes, or you can stay and surf the net while your clothes are getting clean. I washed and dried a large load of clothes, and got to e-mail my friends for about 9 euros. Well worth it, considering I packed light and my clothes weren't their freshest! This hotel is soooo close to all you'll want to see in Salamanca, I think for a couple of nights, the pluses outweigh the minuses.

Avoid rooms on the first floor (European 1st floor) and at the front of the hotel. Our first room was on the first floor. The putrid green and orange carpet was worn and filthy. The tacky orange satiny bedspreads didn't look so clean either. The bathroom had the toilet wedged between the high bathtub and the wall leaving about an inch or two on each side and the toilet front was only inches from the bidet making it practically impossible to use. The street noise was dreadful. We complained and were moved to a room on the second floor at the back. The room was clean with new wood floors and simple (but new and clean) bedspreads. The bathroom was roomy and clean. We slept well because it was quiet. Others in our group remained in their original rooms and complained all the next day how they couldn't sleep because of street noise ALL night. The breakfast was generous though a guard was stationed near the door to prevent guests from taking so much as an apple for later. One woman in our group did try to take out a banana--and was she ever sorry!

This hotel seemed to be popular with organisers of large groups os tourists. When we arrive, the doorman did not open the door or help us with our luggage through the doors. The receptionist was dressed in a dowdy fashion and a welcoming smile was certainly not part of his 'meet and greet' job spec! Public areas were spoiled by dirty carpets and cleanliness did not seem to be particularly important.
Our bedroom was adequate but the ensuite bathroom was quite cramped and pokey with dark grey tiles from floor to ceiling. Towels were of a poor quality and not really fit for purpose, that is drying.
Although access to Salamanca was easy from the hotel, the area was very noisy at night and at the weekend the noise continued throughout the night until after 5.00 am. It made one grateful that it was holiday time and that the students had gone home!
Breakfast was adequate and some of the staff in attendance in the dining room were pleasant.
All in all, this was a hotel in which one would spend as little time as possible.