Parador de Carmona

Beautiful views. Great rooms for breakfast, having a drink.

The pool was closed. It would be nice if they could let you know what season the poo lis open.

We chose to stay at Parador de Carmona for its historic beauty—instead we were left shaken, upset and appalled by one of the most distressing and dangerously mismanaged experiences we’ve ever had at a hotel. During our stay three of us were trapped in the hotel’s elevator for 40 minutes in the middle of summer. The elevator was extremely small, and it quickly became hot, airless and stifling. There was no ventilation—none of us could feel any airflow, and there were no visible vents. Even more disturbingly: None of the buttons functioned. The emergency call system failed completely: the intercom did not work, the emergency button was unresponsive, and we were entirely cut off. If it hadn’t been for one of us barely getting cell reception, the hotel would not have even known we were trapped. This isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a critical and dangerous violation of basic safety standards. To make matters worse, when we begged the front desk clerk and the maintenance man to call emergency services, they REFUSED! They would only call the elevator company’s after-hours dispatch line, despite the dispatcher saying she could not guarantee when a technician could arrive from another city. The hotel staff’s refusal to involve emergency responders, despite a clear life safety situation, is not only negligent—it’s inexcusable. We were clearly in danger, but the staff seemed more worried about avoiding damage to the elevator than the health and safety of their guests. Once freed, there was no apology, no gesture of goodwill —not even a glass of water. When we inquired politely at checkout about a possible small discount in light of the ordeal, the same hotel clerk mocked my husband, spoke disparagingly about him to her other female coworker, and created a scene in front of other guests. Her behavior was deeply unprofessional and humiliating.

Since being trapped in the hotel’s elevator, we have learned from overheard conversations that the elevator has ongoing issues. Ours was not an isolated event. The fact that multiple criticism systems failed simultaneously—electrical, mechanical, and safety-related—is deeply alarming. As a 4-star, state-owned hotel, we expected responsible management and a basic duty of care. What we experienced was: Gross negligence in emergency response, complete breakdown of safety systems, shocking lack of empathy and accountability, and demeaning and inappropriate treatment of guests who were simply asking for fairness. The Parador de Carmona may be beautiful on the surface, but beneath the facade is a system that prioritizes appearances over human safety. We sincerely hope this review encourages immediate changes before someone suffers a worse outcome. (Again—the staff REFUSED to call emergency services after 40 minutes stuck in a hot elevator with no air. We asked several times for them to call emergency services and each time they refused. They were determined to make us wait an undetermined amount of time for a repair man to come from another city.)

Very pretty and stylish, capturing the beautiful spirit of the past. Tiene calentador de agua para té e infusiones.Con bidé.Servicio impecable. Vistas de ensueño.

El parking no está disponible pero hay uno a 100 metros.

A beautiful location and a fabulous property. Comfortable rooms and spectacular views.

the pool was closed despite temperatures consistently being 28 degrees or higher. The lighting in the dining room at night was too harsh and bright.

Dinner in the restaurant was goodCleanliness

Dogs barking incessantly for hours made it impossible to enjoy the terrace with our superior roomVery small canopied bed - no usb charging pointsSwimming pool at the bottom of a very steep hill was totally inaccessible to anyone with limited walking capabilities.

Beautiful place. Carmona is an enchanting, beautiful place.

While the staff was friendly, they did not go out of their way in any manner to address significant concerns. The air conditioning in our room (and from what I was told, all of the rooms) was inadequate. The front desk made excuses rather than have the problem fixed. (Andalusian summers are very hot.). On a similar note, sadly we had to cancel our trip very early because of an emergency back home. I had prepaid for several extra nights at the parador. I understood that they could not refund my money but I was looking for any type of solace. I asked if they would at least forgive our 40 Euro restaurant tab (having benefited the parador by several hundred euros of overpayment). But every special request, whether for working A/C or some special consideration, was denied

The views were great, and everything was neat and clean.

The construction, but that couldn’t be avoided during this stay.

Beautiful location, view.

Staff- little to no english. Many mistakes and misunderstandings! (None appeared very happy)Only one towel in room. Only one coffee for two people in room .Room booked was a two twin. We received one full bed. Very uncomfortable.

The historical setting, comfort, and luxurious building led to a first-rate experience. The service was excellent. Our room was ample, comfortable and provided a spectacular view of the vega of Carmona.

Very friendly and helpful staff, beautiful view, gorgeous pool and grounds.Great choice of food, lovely breakfast spread.

Nothing!

Everything! Rooms, meals, reception, waitstaff. Top notch!

First room had a bad smell, it Isabel at reception got us a much better room

Splendid views, comfy beds, lovely old building, great location, free parking

Having paid quite a lot for the room we always resent being charged for water in the room. 3 euros for a small glass bottle. It forces people into buying single use plastic bottles, something the hotel says is against its sustainability policies.A small gripe I know but ...

We love to go to Paradies because of the wonderful architecture and history immersion they offer.

We felt cheated because we did reserve this hotel because of its beautiful swimming pool and because it was announced as open at the time of our stay.. The staff would not receive our claim and blamed it on booking. I believe that this is one of Paradors'' downside: because it is owned by the state the employees do not feel involved as in a top tier hotel. Bottom line: without the swimming pool this hotel is not worth its price. You can still come and have a drink on the beautiful terrace.

Parador was beautifully situated in a lovely city. Staff were friendly and helpful with restaurant and sight seeing suggestions. Food was excellent as were the staff. Highly recommend this Paradors.

Nothing!

Great location with a splendid outlook; lovely building with spacious well appointed rooms

Built in an Alcazar, nice building and location, large room, good bed, parking, view from the room

Breakfast not good enough.Annoying ciopsticks

A parador with a wow factor. We had an absolutely brilliant time here. The public areas are exquisite. Our room was spacious and the view was just amazing. There is ample free parking if you have driven there. We enjoyed a delicious dinner in the restaurant, which features an interesting variety of dishes. Absolutely to be recommended.Carmona is an interesting town to wander around, full of history.

Like many historic towns, the roads leading to the parador are narrow and there are many one-way streets. However, this is a minor inconvenience for the thrill of driving into the courtyard.

Fabulous building. Very comfy lounges. Excellent food. Comfy bed and large room with fantastic views.

Shower over the bath, not ideal for me.

The public rooms are stunning, decorated in a stylish and comfortable manner. The bar/coffee bar sold hot and cold snacks in addition to the main dining room. Food and wine in the main restaurant was good and well priced . The beds were comfortable and there was plenty of hot water for showers. In general staff were polite and helpful.

The room we had on arrival had a broken heater. We were told we could change rooms but the alternative room would not have a walk in shower and anyway the heating would be fixed the next day. It was not and we had to report it again. A maintenance chap came to the room about 19.00 on the second day but after trying various ways to fix the heating gave up and left. We then went to reception to be told they did not know what was wrong with heating at which point we accepted a room change. On the third day in the corridor outside the new room they started painting. The vapours affected my breathing and when we complained we were told the work could not be stopped but it would only take a few hours. The smell of paint lasted for about 12 hours and was very unpleasant. A note and a complimentary bottle of wine was left in our room.

Just all round, fantastic property

Location, food, views