The Hotel-Restaurant El Moli is located in a beautiful river setting of old mill buildings. Our stay there was the most unpleasant experience of a month holiday in Northeastern Spain. We reserved a twin-bedded room, on the river side, with bathroom, many weeks ahead of the visit, and received a full confirmation, in English, that our room was reserved.
We arrived on 12 September in the early evening, and were sent to a cramped, dark unpleasant room, with twin beds, and a view of the parking lot. I presented a copy of the email confirmation letter to the proprietor at the desk, and translated its contents, verbatim, form English to Spanish. There were no twin bedded rooms on the river side, and all were booked for that night and the next one, I was told. The email letter had been sent by the proprietor's son, who wrote very good English, but was not there at the time. Our conversation was in Spanish, which I speak with working fluency. I asked why our reservation had been changed. The guest list was opened, and it was old-fashioned, with the names of each days' reservations in hand-lettered printing. My name was the first one on the list for that day, and I could see that the room number attached to our name had been changed and written over. This the proprietor said had, in fact, been done by his son, whom we eventually saw at breakfast, a pleasant-appearing man about 35 years old. He was an active member of staff.
We never spoke to him, or he to us. The room remains the worst one we stayed in, during a month in Spain; we had booked dinner, on the final night, in El Moli restaurant. Needless to say, we felt no inclination to break bread or drink wine at such an establishment. In our view, this lovely spot maintains itself for Catalan guests, with the proviso that passers-by will be accommodated if space is available. Otherwise, no reservation or confirmation will be honored. We were treated like dirty servants, sent to live over the parking and kitchen.
I would warn other non-Catalan guests to do what we did not do: if El Moli does not honor the reservations, signed by their own family, leave the hotel. The Michelin Red Guide listing means nothing.
- Hotel El Moli
