I mean every word when I say it is the most hospitable and friendly hotel I have ever stayed in, anywhere in the world. It has much more the character of a British/Irish B&B than an impersonal hotel. Keep in mind that this hotel is located in one of the elder buildings of an old city, when considering things such as room proportions and sound-proofing. This is a beautifully restored building, in great taste, in the style typical of and unique to Galicia in north-west Spain. I stayed here in the ground floor level room with my 88 year old mother. who uses a wheelchair. Roberto and his outstanding staff could not have been more courteous and helpful throughout our lovely 4 night stay in the wonderful and city of Santiago de Compostela. Breakfast was delightful, served in the Galleria or beautiful garden. Even though Santiago is a city which is not easy for wheelchair users, with its very hilly and flagged streets, my mother was delighted with her experience here, and the sincerity and unfussy hospitality of the local people. I made a day trip (booked online through Viator) to Vigo, Valenca do Minho (in Portugal), the Celtic village at A Guarda and the seaside resort of Baiona. I highly recommend the opportunity to take at least one tour to the countryside and seaside areas, where the scenery is beautiful and unspoilt. Weather is never guaranteed in Galicia, although it will always be mild and gentle. We were lucky to have a fair bit of sunshine, and it was magnificent. Overall, we experienced excellent value for money on this holiday, but more important are the cherished memories of the kindness shown to us by Roberto and his staff. Viva A Costa Vella!

Plus: lovely garden, good breakfast, small reading area with good books, clean, central location, helpful tips from staff (good places to eat, hang out, etc)

Minus: noisy and terribly creaky floors - we were given the room on the ground floor directly across the reception and main door. we had booked quite early and were surprised why we were given this room (we were told this was the last room they give away -- apparently when bookings are tight and bumping off some guests is needed). my first night was a nightmare -- i didn't sleep a wink because the room was badly located and had thin door/walls. heard every phone ring, conversation, and main door entry (esp after midnight) as if i was standing right there in the entrance. worse, the floor above us creaked so loudly for every movement of the occupant around the room. all in all, very bad sound-proofing. in any case, when i complained the following morning, they transferred us to an upper floor with a gallery (luckily there was one vacant for that night) with a slight discount i guess as compensation for all the trouble. the second room was nice, with views all around, but still with slightly creaking floors.
Another minus: bathrooms too small

Stayed at Costa Vella with my family for two nights in January. We had two rooms. One was on the garden side and slept my two sisters and I in 2 single beds. My parents had a Queen room on the street side.

First impressions were that the staff were fabulous. They were very patient with us being hopeless with directions and accomodating of odd arrival and departure hours. The rooms were reasonably small - but compared favourably with 3 bed rooms in other hotels.

The hotel was lovely and clean. We had a nice view from our room over the garden and out to the hills.

If you are worried about noise book a garden side room. My parents found the street side noisy as we are not quite used to the late night habits of the Spanish. The wooden floors also create quite a lot of noise. This could be minimised by booking a room on the top floor.

There is no lift in the hotel but the staff will carry your bags. We had the breakfast at the hotel which was fine - croissants, juice, chocolate drinks, toast, fruit and coffee.

Great hotel, nice location from which you can take a relaxing walk along the winding streets to the cathedral.
I have fond memories of this trip, SdC is perfect for a relaxing break (and not too busy with tourists, at least in May).
The hotel seemed like a buzzing place, with friendly staff. Bit hard to get a beer when the garden gets busy, but the staff apologised and gave us a free round! Can't say fairer than that.
The only thing I regret is that I wish we had taken a trip to the coast. Oh, well, perhaps next time (and we would stay here again).