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Hotel El Horcajo – reviews, photos

3.0 of 5
Carretera Ronda - Zahara De La Sierra Km 95.5 | Apdo. 149, 29400 Ronda, Spain
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Hotel El Horcajo
4.0 of 5 stars 56 Reviews
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56 reviews from our community

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Atlanta, Georgia
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
40 helpful votes 40 helpful votes
“Yuck! Cold dated smelly room, insects, no wifi”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 November 2011

El Horcajo is a ranch located about 15 minutes from Ronda on curvy roads. The long gravel driveway to ranch was down steep hairpin turns that was pretty scary at night.

The basic dated rooms were off of the courtyard. The man at the front desk did not speak any English and our Spanish is limited, so he just showed us where we ate breakfast and handed us the keys to room 7.

Our room had a variety of spiders, centipedes, ants, rolly pollies and hordes of crickets everywhere. I'm not exaggerating when I say that there were at least a couple
dozen large insects crawling around. We tried to scoop them up and put them outside, but each time we opened the door more crickets would jump into the room.

The room was so cold that night that I had to wear 3 layers of clothing to bed under the covers. The radiator didn't work and the remote seemed to only operate the AC. I only had a couple hours of sleep since i was freezing and afraid the bugs would crawl on me. The bathroom smelled of sewer or sulfur that seeped into the bedroom. The towels were old and paper thin.

Breakfast was simple with rock-hard toast, plastic wrapped croissants, yogurt, salami, cheese and fruit. Also there was no wifi, so we were not able to plan from this remote location.

The next morning before breakfast, we told an English speaking staff member that we wanted to check out and did not need the next two nights because there was no heat and insects crawling everywhere. She explained that the AC remote slid open and there was a heat mode. It would have been helpful if the man at check in showed this to us because the nonworking radiator next to the bed was misleading.

She said that she had to charge us for that night because we should have said something the night before and it was a busy holiday weekend. There wasn't any way to communicate since the man did not speak any English and I'm sure our limited Spanish with charades would not have gotten the problems across.

Since we were charged for that second night, we stayed there comforted that we would at least have heat. My husband removed and killed the new round of insects that day, so I felt a little better about closing my eyes. Although this night, a family with a new born baby was in a room next to us crying almost all night. It was warmer, so I'm not sure if it was thin walls or their windows were open. Needless to say, I did not get much sleep that night either.

The only positive comment is that we liked the unusually long pillows. I'm not sure how this property has good reviews. My advice is to stay in or closer to Ronda with wifi and if there is a problem you can easily check into another hotel.

  • Stayed October 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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northumberland
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
“Super location.. but oh, the breakfast..”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 August 2011

Have just spent a couple of nights in Hotel El Horcajo, which is situated about 20 mins from Ronda. We were a party of 3 adults and 4 children (aged between 6 and 11) and were using this as a base to explore Ronda and the surrounding countryside. The hotel is/was a farmhouse and guests stay in simple, basic rooms scattered around a central courtyard in what look like converted stables. Each room has its own small terrace and is very basically equipped with wardrobe, sofa and table (no fridge, but we were given a bucket of ice at the bar which was fine). The accommodation is nice and has all you need for a short stay. Air conditioning worked well and bathroom/beds were clean although the sheet on our bed was warn and had a hole in it. I would have liked a blanket as it was fairly cool in the night. We loved the tranquility of the place; no traffic or noise, stunning views, fig and citrus trees, cattle and pigs grazing in the fields - it was heavenly around the pool. A couple of things could be improved though. Breakfast was a pretty miserable affair: packets of long life croissant, tinned peaches, toast etc.. Fresh fruit, fresh bread and pastries would have improved it so much. Coffee was grim and the butter needed to be kept colder as it had turned rancid. We were also upset to find out that one of our children had no sheets and pillowcase on her bed during her stay. As she slept upstairs we did not notice this until the day we were leaving - although it must have been obvious to housekeeping that someone had slept on an unmade bed when they made up the beds in the morning. A bit shabby really. Nevertheless, and in spite of this, we enjoyed our short break here and we would recommend this hotel simply for its beautiful location and tranquility. It also takes pets which is good if you have a dog. The owners must do something about the breakfast though as it is really letting things down.

  • Stayed August 2011, travelled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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Leeds, United Kingdom
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Fantastic”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 August 2011

This was our second stay here and we loved it! The accommodation is basic but clean and spacious. The food isn't sophisticated but it's good home cooking at a very reasonable price. We especially liked the oven cooked dishes. I'm going to try to make the courgette bake at home! The pool is well sighted for the evening sun and we appreciated the new sunloungers. The pigs were a source of much entertainment and the grounds are a real treat for birdwatchers. We'll be back!

  • Stayed July 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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pennsylvania
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Little gem located in the countryside near Ronda!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 July 2011
1
person found this review helpful

What a beautiful spot only a short scenic drive from Ronda! Quaint rooms full of charm, a idyllic pool setting (watch out for the falling figs!) and the best food we had on our two week trip through Andalusia. Well worth the drive off the beaten path!

  • Stayed June 2011
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask shoebits about Hotel El Horcajo
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Mpumalanga, South Africa
Senior Contributor
43 reviews 43 reviews
Reviews in 39 cities Reviews in 39 cities
31 helpful votes 31 helpful votes
“Good value for money”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 September 2010
2
people found this review helpful

This is a simple, rustic budget hotel in the middle of nowhere, therefore very quiet. But it is easy to find because it is well sign posted.
The staff is very friendly and speak good English.
The rooms are clean but sparse, but they have airco; a necessity in the Spanish summer. Unfortunately the rooms lack a fridge and have a TV with a screen the size of a post stamp.
The hotel lies within easy striking distance of the quaint town of Ronda.
The fare is wholesome, but do not expect culinary delights.
Good value for money.

  • Stayed September 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about Hotel El Horcajo

Carretera Ronda - Zahara De La Sierra Km 95.5 | Apdo. 149, 29400 Ronda, Spain
Price range (per night):* INR4,291 - 5,740

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