HOTEL VIELLA, VIELHA

January 2024

Price: 80€ per night with buffet breakfast and buffet evening meal.

https://www.hotelviella.com/es

During the winter months Vielha, capital of the Val d'Aran, is chock-a-block with skiers who lumber about the place in their girst humungeous boots in a most ungainly fashion. Unlike us hikers who, clod in our Scarpas and Mammuts, move with the deft adroitness of ballet dancers. 

Vielha is a mountain town par excellence, with accommodation to meet every budget. Even during high season weekends it's possible to find a room for around 50€ but best book well ahead. For this Slow Pyrenees I reserved a room with half board at the Hotel Viella (not to be confused with the Hotel Vielha, Val d'Aran, probably my least favourite hotel in town) at a very reasonable rate. To a certain extent, it was too good to be true.

If I say the Hotel Viella lacks character and reminded me immediately of a Premier Inn I'm not damning with faint praise. Reception and other public areas are clean and bright, with more than a whiff of staged opulence. Plenty of soft lighting and sofas no guest will ever lounge on. I'm accustomed to smaller, family-run hotels but this feels friendly but corporate. Sometimes, as a solo traveller, that's a bonus, we merge into the background and become part of the hospitality scenery. I really don't want to stand out.

In keeping with the overall theme, my room was bright, clean and modern, with a sparkling ensuite and the usual sweet-smelling lotions and other gubbins. The desk was large enough to work on, the wifi signal strong and consistent. For a singleton there was sufficient space, for a couple it might be a tad claustrophic. In comparison to the utilitarian decor and furnishings the wooden stool looked a little out of place, it was also unstable.

So far so good, not least because even though I arrived a couple of hours before official check-in I was able to access my room. Conveniently, there's a Mercadona nearby so I was able to purchase a couple cans of chilled Estrella Damm to enjoy before dinner (served from 20:00). When I first started my Slow Pyrenees project, some five years ago, I had limited financial resources so for my evening meal I'd visit the local supermarket for bread, tomatoes and tuna and live on bocadillos. It was a bit messy, the crumbs got everywhere. Nowadays I have the wherewithal to splash out on a three course evening meal, which rarely costs less than 20€ and often comes with a bottle of wine. The food is always good and usually abundant. 

Imagine, then, my disappointment when I entered the dining room to discover that supper was a buffet. Not only that, a glass of wine was 3€ extra. Twlight robbery. Don't get me wrong, I love a breakfast buffet, and the Hotel Viella didn't disappoint on that front, but if I wanted fast food I'd have nipped round the corner for a kebab. 

I can't fault the service, the head waiter, who bore a striking resemblance to Jose 'Special One' Mourinho was particularly attentive (and didn't charge for the wine on my last night) and the food was well-prepared and tasty but it was at best, lukewarm. On the hand, one could, of course, pile one's plate sky high, sample different dishes and generally stuff one's face. And, after a 20km mountain hike, that's perfectly acceptable culinary behaviour. 

Given the price of half-board I felt guilty about being disappointed, perhaps I've become spoiled over the years. In any case, normal service was resumed the following morning at breakfast time which, and a big bonus point here, was served from 07:00. The Mourinho lookie-likie was on duty again, he never seemed to rest.

THE VERDICT: If you're looking for top-notch hotel accommodation in Vielha at a reasonable price then look no further than the Hotel Viella. It's clearly undergone a recent refurbishment and it shows, many hotels of a similar price can be dark and dingy. The buffet dinner was a let down for me but for others it might be a plus point. So, overall score = 8/10.

Please note that I got lucky with the price. At the time of writing, prices for a room only for February range from 65€ to 178€. Weekday are generally cheaper. And, as always, book direct wherever possible.