We booked this hotel for 4 nights for my 50th Birthday as we really enjoy interesting historic architecture and thought a converted Convent sounded just the ticket.

Our first problem was that the street department had changed the traffic flow of Oblates street, where the hotel is located, to one-way. And, of course, the Tourism department hasn't caught up and changed the signage, which subsequently directs you the wrong way down the one-way road to the hotel. Not Good. We went in circles for an hour and a half trying to figure out how to get going in the correct direction on the street, even after an extended telephone conversation with the Hotel's front desk.

The decor is very contemporary and, as others have pointed out, the place has been modernised at the cost of the original features, and felt very...sterile. The room was reasonably clean, but the towel replacement service was sporadic, and a used water glass sat on the desk for 3 days (and was still there when we left). The wardrobe and wall unit would have benefited from a thorough dusting.

Ladies, if you use curling or straightening tongs, beware; the only mirrors are in the bathroom or on the back of the room's door - all far, far away from the wall plugs. I was trying to straighten my hair using my eye makeup mirror! Also, I don't know about you but I found the concept of a glass bathroom door quite off-putting; Ok, it was semi-opaque, but that also means it was semi-transparent!

The staff were a bit stiff. Fernando was nice and spoke English, and one of the ladies in the bar spoke no English but managed to make our hour there pleasant. Our room window opened up into a courtyard garden and we were delighted to be able to shut off the air conditioning and fling open the windows. Too bad that the Kitchen door also opened up into the courtyard and that the night staff and breakfast cooks would stand outside the doors at 4 AM to smoke their cigarettes and have a laugh.

And the hardwood floors seemed charming until the guests in the room above us began to move around (unfortunately they were very early risers!)

The restaurant was good but expensive (£100 for two of us, and that doesn't include any wine!) We found that we could get a lovely meal in the Historic Centre for a third of the cost. Breakfast in the hotel was 13 Euros each. There is a very small luncheon menu that consisted of about 4 over-priced sandwiches.

The Historic Centre of Santiago De Compostella is about a 10 minute walk straight up hill from the Hotel. We are experienced and frequent Pennine hill walkers but I was puffing by the time we arrived at the plaza in front of the cathedral. But there is NOTHING around this Hotel. If you want to eat any place else, get ready to hike up to Franco Street.

On the last night of our stay we were told that they had 'forgot' to mention that there was a 10 Euro a night parking fee, which we thought was rather back-handed.

Right. The bottom line. If you want 5 star service AND historic ambiance, then give this place a miss and book at the Parador. We took a tour of it and immediately thought, “Now THIS is the business!” Everyone we spoke to that was stopping there loved it. The AC Palacio del Carmen was a very expensive 3 and a half star hotel in my opinion.

We drove to Santiago from Portugal and following the signs, the hotel was easy to find. There was free parking in front of the hotel. Though modern, the place is not offensive or overdone and has many nice touches, including inlets for natural light, free mini-bar in the rooms, and an altogether stylish, almost minimalist, ambience. The walk to the cathedral square is about 15 minutes, and includes a couple hills and some steps. The staff was friendly, attentive, and helpful. We would stay there again.

We stayed in this hotel for two nights in May. The weather was miserable, the city felt gloomy. It was so nice to get back to the hotel.

Its closer to the Cathedral than some reviews imply. Perhaps if you're older or less mobile the steps up to the Cathedral might be an issue, but I barely remember them! Wouldn't have taken us longer than 5 minutes to walk there, there is a Michelin 1 star restaurant on the way (if you book in advance - we didn't!), and other bars and restaurants nearby.

If you're driving there is free parking in the hotel grounds, or a covered garage where you need to pay a fee. Its easy to get to, unlike most hotels in the old town.

The dining room was lovely. We were tired after a lot of travelling, and the weather did not inspire us to go out (we had packed for warm weather - not freezing rain), and so the Sunday breakfast that lasts until midday enabled us to have a very welcome sleep-in (after travelling for 4 weeks) and still get a nice breakfast. We also ate dinner at the restaurant, and had one of the nicest meals we had in Spain.

The AC salon (where complimentary snacks are available until 5 pm) was a great place to relax after sightseeing in the cold, and to warm up with coffee/tea etc.

The decor is obviously not to everyone's taste, but we really enjoyed the mix of old and new, and the modern feel of the hotel. We'd definitely return or recommend.

The hotel is undoubtedly lovely and they have done a good job on the conversion. However there isn't a bar which is always a down side as there are no local places. In addition, when we were there the pool was shut which was the only reason we booked it.
The worst thing about the place is that it is a pretty bleak walk to anywhere central. This bleakness is increased if (or rather when) the rain is falling. It is a godd 15 minute stroll to the Cathedral with hills and steps to face.