When we arrived at the Parador in Leon we couldn't believe how wonderful the building was - it really is a breathtaking sight. The inside of the hotel definately matched our first impessions. The staff on reception were very helpful and friendly. Our room was in the new part of the hotel but was very spacious and had beautiful views over the gardens towards the river. It is worth taking time to explore the rest of the hotel - especially the library , where we discovered the windows overlooked the chapel - absolutely stunning.
We didn't eat in the restaurant so cannot comment on that - we did however have drinks and tapas at the bar and found it good and excellent value.
Bonus's at this hotel are that there is free WiFi in all the rooms and that there is a free private car park at the rear of the hotel.
Leon itself is a beautiful city with many things to see and good restaurants to try the local food. Not to be missed is the museum at San Isidoro Basilica - the medieval painted roof is just amazing.
I think that if you have a visit planned to Leon then the only place to stay is The Parador - it really will make it a visit to remember.

I decided to write a review as soon as we had settled into our room at the Hostal San Marcos; I was so pleased with life.
This place does encourage a lot of expectations and there are bound to be some guests who are disappointed. I must say, though, that I think the combination of stunning old building, modern day hotel and commerce blended very well when we stayed.
Our first sight of the hotel building drew a sharp intake of breath. We were delighted to be allowed to drive through the barrier to the hotel's (rather tiny) front door and park with no problems in what appears to be a pedestrian area while we unloaded the car and then to find the hotel has an attended car park at the back of the building at no extra charge. We found the front of house staff helpful and professional. Our room - on the first floor in the old part of the building - was a good size and (fairly newly?) decorated in a subtle and tasteful style with a half canopy over the bed which, itself, was extremely comfortable. We had french doors - opening windows are essential in our opinion and the bigger, the better - and a view of the river (nothing to write home about but pleasant nonetheless.) The bathroom was modern and well equipped with his & hers bowls, bidet and a "knockmedown" shower. The restaurant was too brightly lit for my taste but this is often the case and the ambience was subdued but comfortable with food rating around 6 to 7 out of ten. The wine was reasonably priced and the service, we found, relaxed and friendly. After dinner we wandered out into the square for a while then adjourned to the Bar in the hotel for coffee. I had breakfast in our room each morning - a luxury which I love in hotels and which in Paradores is delivered with no Room Service charge. We roamed the hotel building looking everywhere we were allowed and it is really beautiful in parts. In fact I could spend my whole life walking down that staircase!

Leon, itself, if a nice place but rather unremarkable. However, in my opinion this hotel is lovely and well worth making Leon a stopping off point on a tour of this part of northern Spain.

If you want to be amazed by the entrance than this is it. The facade and the rest of the old structure are priceless. But most of the guests sleep in an annex build in the eighties with no real view or sensation of sleeping in a monument. The rooms are spacious, the airco is in good order, the bathrooms are large and have everything you want, parking is free and nearby, the buffetbreakfast has a very good selection of food/drinks and the service is friendly. Why is it not excellent? The annex is a normal 4-starhotel but the prices they charge you are based on the rooms in the old building.
The walk to the citycenter takes 20 minutes at a leisurely pace.

We stayed at the Parador Hostal San Marcos, Leon, for 3 nights in September 2006. We paid EUR133 a night for a double room including breakfast for 2, booked direct with the Parador through their central reservations. This includes a 35% "golden years" discount available most dates if one of you is over 60. There is a large free secure car park round the back.

The Cadogan Guide rates this the best hotel in Spain. Perhaps we were expecting too much. The historic facade is 5 star, and the cloisters, and the main staircase, magnificent. Some rooms are older style, but there is a very large wing with many rooms which looks as though it was built in the 1970's and could come from a beach resort, though no doubt the rooms are nice inside.

The dining room and food are similar to most Paradors, though not much of a view like you sometimes get, so the food is good but not extra special. The bedroom we had, in a reasonably old part of the hotel, was also good, but similar to other Paradors ie not extra special. The breakfast room is huge with a large range of buffet food, you can carve your own ham from the joint, you can have sparkling wine, or red wine etc.

But being such a large hotel, I found it impersonal, a bit like living in a railway station. You could lose your way back to your room quite easily. There are queues at reception, they don't volunteer anything (like a map of the town, their views as to the best places to visit), you have to ask. The centre of the town is 20 minutes walk away.

The hotel is quite good value, I've no real complaints, perhaps I was expecting too much. If in Leon, you can view the facade free, and if you act as if you are a guest, you can just walk in and wander around the cloisters without paying, though these areas are supposed to be reserved for guests only (there are so many guests the staff have no idea who is or is not as long as you are respectably dressed). As a non-guest you can also eat at the restaurant.

There's not a lot to do in Leon for 3 nights, Salamanca is more lively and varied.