Torremegia accommodations --new phone number Hotel Milenium

[peregrina2000]

I'm in Merida now (wow, what a city), but just wanted to provide an update for the Hotel Milenium. It is a very clean, simple hotel in Torremegia, private rooms with bath are 15€ per person. The competition (the Albergue Gitano or something like that, it's the only private albergue in town) has been waging a nasty battle against the Hostal-Hotel Milenium. When we walked into town, a little girl on a bike told us to stay away from the Hotel because it was dirty and expensive. The hotel owners told me the owners of the albergue have their children go do bad publicity for pilgrims walking into town. How awful, that's a pretty awful role model for one's kids, I'd say.

Anyway, two Germans I know stayed at the albergue and said it was fine, but that it costs as much as the hotel. The 10€ dinner in the albergue's bar, however, was (according to four people I know who ate there) really bad.

The Milenium has about 14 or 15 rooms, so they are rarely full, but if you want to reserve, they have a new phone number, 924 341 095. They are very decent people and have not launched a counter-offensive to the albergue, which I think speaks very well of them.

 

[anita]

Thanks Laurie - info much appreciated!

 

[hel&scott]

When we went through in 2008 the Albergue was closed - actually I learned new Spanish word on that trip "Cerado" as so much was shut... Any way the Albergue was shut and we stayed at the Hotel Milenium, not bad but it was either that or the bus shelter as there wasn't anything else. Old and run down, food okay, beer cold. Only down side was that it was 25€ per room (2 beds) and unless you had someone to share with then you were shelling out a lot. Good to see they are offering per person fees now.

The Albergue looks to be a much more interesting place to stay with a great 1/2 cartwheel of scallop shells around the front door

You've already passed through Villafranca de los Borros and I take it that the old olive oil press which is an Albrergue was open (it was shut for renovations when we were there). Looked an interesting place but a long way out of town if you didn't want to eat there. But buggar all else in Villafranca other then expensive hotels to stay in.

 

[MikeB]

I stayed in the Hotel Milenium on 9 April this year, and found it fine - clean, hot(tish) water, welcoming staff.

The pilgrim meal was €6 for hotel guests, and €8 for non-guests, but quality-wise was very poor - for me it was as bad as the meal at La Espuela in Almadén de la Plata. However, the waitress was absolutely run off her feet, had to cook, waitress and serve drinks in the bar. We all (4 French, 4 Germans, a Dane and me a Brit along one large table) felt rather sorry for her, but we all enjoyed ourselves.

I would recommend the hotel as a place to stay, but as for eating, perhaps not - or maybe we just arrived on a bad night.

For eating, can heartily recommend Hostal Moya in Monasterio (except the ice cream) and el Gato in Fuente de Cantos - especially the ice cream, WOW !

Looking forward to picking up the VdlP again in Mérida on 28 May

Mike

 

[peregrina2000]

I should clarify -- there are now two albergues in Monesterio. One is the privately owned Rojo Mar owned by the people who own the Gitano Bar (the one that sends out their children to badmouth the Hotel). The other is the recently re-opened Albergue Turístico owned by the Junta de Extremadura but contracted out to private parties for operating. That's the one in the pretty old scallop shell adorned building across from the church. That one was not open when we were there last weekend, though there was a phone number to call. We just decided to stay in the hotel.

The albergue in Almanzara, the old olive oil press right before Villafranca de los Barros, is once again open for business. Itś being operated by a local couple that owns a restaurant in Villafranca. We stopped in for a coffee (it's not much of a detour at all, and it's a nice stop even if you aren't going to stay there) and got a tour of the old press. The new operators have plans to set up a rather fancy restaurant as well as the albergue on the premises.