Parador de Zafra

Nothing can beat staying in a real castle! We used this zafra stay as our one night stay over on our drive to Portugal. The location is perfect, right next to the old town center. We walked into the town center and enjoyed one of the best meals of this trip in a restaurant called Meraki. The local do not have dinner until 8pm. The town center is beautifully decorated with lights. Rooms are warm and basic with beds, a desk and a bathtub. Parking is easy in the parking lot next to the hotel, and you can buy 24 hour ticket in reception. The staff is helpful by answering questions in time online. We didn’t have breakfast there but there seems to be a breakfast buffet. Checking in and out is easy. The keys are really fancy!

It’s a unique place, surrounded by a romantic little town. Very cozy to have dinner on the nearby square. All the staff were very friendly, and the breakfast was fantastic.

This is an old castle from the 1400s converted into a hotel. Very good breakfast. Comfortable rooms. It is situated within a short walk to many sites, shops, and restaurants. Reasonably priced parking right next to the hotel. Do not use the parking kiosk, but instead check in, and purchase a parking permit from the hotel. It's much cheaper. Unless you speak Spanish, skip the complimentary guided tour of the castle. You will see very little and understand even less.

The hotel is a converted castle and is truly stunning. The staff were friendly and helpful, they provided us with two rooms connected to each other which was great as we were travelling with three kids. The swimming pool was a great size and deep and had a lovely aspect looking onto the castle walls. The hotel is in a great location, being only a few minutes walk from the Plaza Mayor.

This was an unexpected stay of only one night and we were given a room in a tower which was not only quirky but very comfortable. We had a separate walk-in shower and a huge round jacuzzi bathtub. The whole building is lovely with lots of public places to sit and relax - both in the courtyard and inside the building. Taking the stairs instead of the lift was no hardship as the staircase is monumental - fit for the castle this once was. The staff were friendly and spoke good English, organising a taxi to the station for us when we had to leave early in the morning.