It is amazing that Sheraton allows a hotel to employ staff in the reception, bar and restaurant, who cannot communicate with guests in English. After we came to the room, we noticed only 1 bathtowel so we tried to ask for one more. The receptionist did not understand and thought we wanted to change from the double bed to twin beds. We asked for someone who spoke English and explained the rather small problem. However, when we returned to the room after a walk, no towel had been delivered but instead 1 bath robe to share :-) To solve the problem I went down to the reception showing the one towel to get one more and was asked to go to my room and wait after I had explained with my few words in Spanish what was the problem as the English speaking staff had left....

Luckily one of the janitors had overheard me in the reception and after he had asked the receptionist for the masterkey 3 times in Spanish, he got the key, took me to the storage room and gave me additional towels.

Speaking of bathroom, our room was according to the reservation a deluxe with renovated bathroom. To me it looked like a 2star Parisian bathroom due for a renovation. When you compare the presenation on the website with what you really get, it is completely oversold on the website and with heavy use of photoshop picture editing. I also wonder why housekeeping does not notice that one of the lamps in the bathroom needed a new bulb.

There is what could be a wonderful lounge betweeen the bar and the restaurant but in the evening there is no light turned on so you walk through a dark unwelcoming room. Maybe they did not turn on the light to show that tissues were lying beneath the piano....The cleaning had not removed it.

It is a pity that a place with so much potential for making it a wonderful experience is under such poor management. This is definately not normal Sheraton standard.

As others have commented it is a joke you pay for parking in such a place with so much space. Include the €4 in the rate or don´t charge at all.

Housed in an ancient monastery, this is not at all the modern characterless block you might expect from the brand name Sheraton. The impressive old stone buildings wrap around a large stone courtyard, set with tables in order for guests to enjoy the sun. Service is friendly and the rooms comfortable and homely. Dinner is good, and the choice and quality of the breakfast buffet is surely one of the best around. You can hire bicycles from the hotel to explore the local area, including the very attractive mountain river that runs close by along the valley, and which has restaurants alongside. The outdoor hotel pool opens June to September. If you are staying over the weekend, do nip next door to the church where the few remaining monks still take Sunday services.
Rascrafria is a short bike ride away, with a busy cafe in the main square, artesanal chocolate shop and small tourist info centre on the edge of town closest to the hotel. A short drive up into the mountains leads to a high pass where begin a number of mountain walks - take good boots, a waterproof and some water, and choose from a range of hikes - there is an info centre with maps.
Three things need fixing - the chairs in the bar have sagged over the years and are pretty uncomfortable, the lighting in the hotel has been changed to modern low wattage bulbs and is stark, and the 'business centre' is a complete joke - the computer was so bunged up with viruses that it was totally unusable.
Finally, why charge extra for parking - it sends a miserly and unwelcoming message on arrival. If you really want to charge more. just put the room rates up a few euros!

Below are the positive and the negative aspects of this Sheraton:

(a) positive: it is located in an old monastery which is still running, with monks right next door. In addition, it is in the middle of one of the most beautiful areas of the Madrid region, with great areas to hike or go on bikes. In addition, breakfast is great; and

(b) negative: cleanliness of the room (there were long hairs in the bathroom...and none of them were from us!! When we discovered the hairs it was just too late to change rooms...); the hotel needs a general refurbishment (common areas and rooms are old, with a sixties "flair", although our bathroom was modern...a big contrast with the rest of the hotel!); you have to pay 3 (!!!) euros/hour to use the bikes (instead of being free!!); hotel's "secured" parking (there are two parking areas: one which is supposedly "secured", which has a cost of 4 euros, and another parking which is a dirt area, which is free). It seems you have to pay for everything!

If you want to relax in an area close to Madrid and to the Highway 1 (which is the natural highway to go to Southern Spain), this is good area, although be prepared to step back in time!

This was our third stay at this hotel which we use as a stop on our journey from Santander to our house in southern Andalusia. I can only echo the magical atmosphere and settings that all the previous reviewers have mentioned, it is a rather unique one and it is well worth the journey. The hotel oozes old world charm and traditional hotellerie. There is little high tech available and not all the rooms have been renovated but they are all full of atmosphere and more importantly, very comfortable in a homely kind of way. The service is good and all the employees try their best to please you even if sometimes, they have an hesitant English but their willingness to help is always much appreciated. The breakfast served in the spectacular dining room is excellent value for money and of a high quality. The same applies for dinner. Another plus is that the hotel is dog friendly and our Norfolk Terrier is made very welcome at everyone of our visits. We will be staying once again in St Paular over Christmas and we are really looking forward to it.