Hotel Chiqui

Great hotel in a lovely location. Staff attentive when anything required. Amazing pool area and everything very clean and well maintained.

The only thing to mention was the return journey to the airport. If asking the hotel to book a taxi for you, you need to state a public, metered taxi otherwise they arrange their own transport which is more expensive (& also arrived late).

Great location right beside the beach. The pool was a nice addition. Staff were friendly and professional. Food in the Panorama restaurant was very good. I highly recommend Hotel Chiqui if you're staying in Santander, we had a a very enjoyable time with this as our base.

Very much enjoyed our stay at Hotel Chiqui. If I was to be picky, I would say that the breakfast buffet could do with some freshly cooked items such as sausage, bacon etc but it was perfectly fine for pastries, cold meats and coffee, however a little expensive for what it was, at €17 per person, especially considering we found local options for breakfast at €12 for 2 people, that being said it's worth a splurge for one day for the convenience of it being in the hotel but I personally wouldn't want to eat there daily.

Location of hotel right in the beach. We booked a room with a balcony and view and it was well worth it. The sound of the sea at night was lovely. Parking next to the hotel in the free public car park was excellent. Everything was walking distance. Added bonus was the festival of nations about 700 m from hotel. Lots of food stalls, bars etc. Live entertainment and music every night. Stopped about 1am. Sun beds for hire on the beach €15 for two beds and shade. Really lovely hotel, beach, restaurants and city.

Some people smoking on their balcony permeated into our room. Room a bit small

Fantastic view from balcony, room was very convenient. Staff super friendly and helpful. Drinking water is available on every floor, so you don't need to figure where to get it or if you have enough- just fill your bottle when empty. Location perfect- just a few steps from a very nice beach. The centre of the city within a walking distance with fantastic restaurants and interesting architecture, but can as well stay in the hotel area- very good choice of restaurants and bars.

Smoking can be sensed in some parts of the premises, also allowed to smoke on balconies, so the smoking smell comes in the room even if you have a non smoking one. Legislation doesn't require strict rules on that I understand, but we are just not used to that anymore so was a bit surprised.

Hotel Chiqui is in the perfect location for a city/beach holiday. The view from the terraced rooms overlooking El Sardinero beach is panoramic. The room was clean and comfortable with complimentary cold filtered water available at the end of each corridor. Staff in the Panoramic Restaurant were very obliging. Though the name of the restaurant suggests a view this is not the case. Reception staff were friendly and professional.

The Mediterranean breakfast was adequate but not worth the price. Their chefs need to learn how to cook bacon properly. It was warmed up & undercooked. There seemed to be no choice of cooked eggs apart from scrambled. However I never left the dining room hungry.

Pool, view, room, bed, location and reception staff all brilliant.

Restaurant mgr at times was a little unwelcoming and we were told we were not able to sit in sun (rare in Santander) or indeed that multiple tables were booked and they seemed empty. No explanation was given why and no smile or friendliness involved. Food was very very good but really the austere / cold attitude of the restaurant mgr at lunchtime was disappointing. Booking system for pool was irritating and only allowed 2 hours (you are not told this at time of booking). You could not move sun loungers into sun and the sunlounger attendant was like the police when you really need a friendly person doing that job. Made you feel that he was doing you a favour letting you in. Pool is icy cold (way colder than Atlantic).

The hotel is in a truly wonderful position overlooking the beautiful beach with fantastic views every way you look. The bedroom was big with a huge comfortable bed with a great balcony for those views. There was also a great bathroom with a huge shower area. The staff were so lovely and helpful, always greeting us as we passed through reception, particularly Lara who gave us plenty of information about the locality and looked after any requests we had. We would highly recommend this hotel for a stay in Santander.

Having to leave!!

I am so glad we chose this hotel. It is classed as a 3 star, but it definitely exceeds this rating. As a family we could not fault a thing. The reception interior is modern and comfortable. Our rooms double/twin with sea view were very clean and functional. The beds were comfy and the pillow was one of the best we’ve had in a hotel/Villa. All the staff were very helpful & friendly and spoke good English. Breakfast was excellent, the choice was great with hot scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage to the full range of cold continental including fresh fruit, meats, cheese, mini filled baguettes, cereals, yoghurt, pastries and assorted breads to toast or not and unlimited teas, coffees and juices. We ate in the restaurant Panorama on our first evening, service was good, food was delicious and reasonably priced in comparison to the UK. If we return to Santander, we will definitely chose Hotel Chiqui again.

Although Hotel Chiqui messaged me a few days before our stay which I’m very grateful they did. I did not realise that parking had to be prebooked in the private underground carpark. Fortunately, we were able to secure a space even though spaces are limited so for future reference if you are arriving in a car I would book a space at the time of your booking to avoid any problems.

Excellent location, professional and helpful staff, lovely restaurant on site. Excellent breakfast.

There were mosquitoes everywhere, they kept getting into our room even with the window closed and we've got severe reactions to the bites. Rooms are not properly sound-proofed. If you're a light sleeper, keep that in mind. There was a slight sewage smell in our room, I believe there was an issue with plumbing or damp. The bathroom fan wasn't working. The swimming pool area was almost always completely in the shade and the swimming pool is tiny. No hair conditioner provided. No tea/coffee or kettle in the room. Overall, not too bad for a 3* hotel, although a little bit too expensive for an off-season trip.

The common areas of the hotel are gorgeous and have a relaxing vibe. The pool area required booking when we visited and we booked it - very clean and nice chill out music. Staff were all friendly and helpful, booked taxis for us quickly. Room was very comfortable and simply decorated. One of us opted for breakfast one morning and would definitely recommend the option.

The bathroom was classically designed and a good size, unfortunately the shower was a bit dated & leaked a bit. It is a bit of a distance from the main part of Santander, but perfectly located if you want to go to the beach or just relax by the pool.