Sleeping in Toledo
Madrid day-trippers darken the sunlit cobbles, but few stay to see Toledo's medieval moonrise. Spend the night. Spring and fall are high season; November through March and July and August are less busy. There are no private rooms for rent.
Near Plaza Zocódover
<$$> Hotel Las Conchas , a three-star hotel, gleams with marble and sheer pride. It's so sleek and slick it almost feels more like a hospital than a hotel. Its 35 rooms are plenty comfortable (Sb-€55, Db-€75, Db with terrace-€85, breakfast-€5, includes tax, 5 percent discount with this book, air-con, near the Alcázar at Juan Labrador 8, tel. 925-210-760, fax 925-224-271, www.lasconchas.com, lasconchas@ctv.es, Sole SE).
<$> Hotel Imperio is well run, offering 21 basic air-conditioned rooms with marginal beds in a handy old-town location. Weekends can be noisy; ask for a tranquilo room (Sb-€28, Db-€42, Tb-€57, includes tax, 5 percent discount with this book, elevator, cheery café, from Calle Comercio at #38 go a block uphill to Calle Cadenas 5, tel. 925-227-650, fax 925-253-183, www.terra.es/personal/himperio, himperio@teleline.es, friendly Pablo and Esther SE).
<$> Hostal Centro rents 28 modern, clean, and comfy rooms just around the corner (Sb-€30, Db-€45, Tb-€60, roof garden, 50 yards off Plaza Zocódover, first right off Calle Comercio at Calle Nueva 13, tel. 925-257-091, fax 925-257-848, www.hostalcentro.com, hostalcentro@telefonica.net, Asun or Angel, SE).
<$> The quiet, modern Hostal Nuevo Labrador , with 14 clean, shiny, and spacious rooms, is another good value (Sb-€28, Db-€42, Tb-€55, Qb-€65, includes tax, no breakfast, elevator, Juan Labrador 10, half-board possible in next-door restaurant Rincón de Eloy, tel. 925-222-620, fax 925-229-399, hostalcentro@telefonica.net, NSE, jointly owned with Hostal Centro, above).
<$> Hotel Maravilla , wonderfully central and convenient, has gloomy, claustrophobic halls and 18 simple rooms (Sb-€33, Db-€50, Tb-€67, Qb-€80, includes tax, back rooms are quieter, air-con, a block behind Plaza Zocódover at Plaza de Barrio Rey 5, tel. 925-228-317, fax 925-228-155, hostalmaravilla@infonegocio.com, Felisa María SE).
<$> Pensión Castilla , a family-run cheapie, has seven basic rooms (S-€18, Db-€28, extra bed possible, no CC, fans, Calle Recoletos 6, tel. 925-256-318, Teresa NSE).
<$> Pensión Lumbreras has a tranquil courtyard and 12 simple rooms, some with views, including rooms 3, 6, and 7 (S-€19, D-€33, reception is at Carlo V Hotel around the corner, air-con, Juan Labrador 9, tel. 925-221-571).
Near the Bisagra Gate
<$$$> Hostal del Cardenal , a 17th-century cardinal's palace built into Toledo's wall, is quiet and elegant with a cool garden and a stuffy restaurant. This poor-man's parador, at the dusty old gate of Toledo, is closest to the station but below all the old-town action--however, the new escalator takes the sweat out of getting into town (Sb-€63, Db-€102, Tb-€133, 20 percent cheaper mid-Dec through mid-March, breakfast-€7.28, air-con, nearby parking-€12.50/day, serioso staff, enter through town wall 100 yards below Bisagra Gate, Paseo de Recaredo 24, tel. 925-224-900, fax 925-222-991, www.hostaldelcardenal.com, cardenal@hostaldelcardenal.com).
<MAP: Toledo Hotels and Restaurants>
<$> Hotel Sol, with 25 newly-decorated rooms in tasteful colors, is a great value. It's on a quiet street halfway between the Bisagra Gate and Plaza Zocódover (Sb-€40, Db-€55, Tb-€68, includes tax, breakfast-€3.60, 10 percent discount with this book, air-con, parking-€8/day, 50 yards down lane off busy main drag at Hotel Real, Azacanes 8, tel. 925-213-650, fax 925-216-159, www.fedeto.es/hotel-sol, hotel.sol@to.adade.es, José Carlos SE). Their "Hostal Sol" annex across the street is just as comfortable and a bit cheaper. A handy launderette is next door.
<$> Hostal Hospederia de los Reyes, good for drivers, has 15 colorful and thoughtfully-appointed rooms in a new, attractive, yellow building 100 yards north of the Bisagra Gate, outside the wall (Sb-€38, Db-€50, includes breakfast, air-con, elevator, Perala 37, tel. 925-283-667, fax 925-283-668, www.hospederiadelosreyes.com ).
Deep in Toledo
<$$$> Hotel Pintor El Greco , at the far end of the old town, has 33 plush and rustic-feeling rooms with all the comforts, yet it's in a historic 17th-century building. A block from Santo Tomé in a Jewish Quarter garden, it's very quiet (Sb-€83, Db-€103, Tb-€122, tax not included, elevator, air-con, Alamillos del Tránsito 13, tel. 925-285-191, fax 925-215-819, www.hotelpintorelgreco.com, info@hotelpintorelgreco.com).
<$$> La Posada de Manolo rents 14 thoughtfully-furnished rooms across from the downhill corner of the cathedral. Manolo Junior recently opened "The House of Manolo" according to his father's vision: a comfortable place with each of its three floors themed a little differently--Moorish, Jewish, and Christian (Sb-€42, Db-€66, big Db-€72-84, includes buffet breakfast, 10 percent discount when booked directly with this book, no elevator, air-con, 2 nice view terraces, Calle Sixto Ramón Parro 8, tel. 925-282-250, fax 925-282-251, www.laposadademanolo.com, laposadademanolo@wanadoo.es).
<$> Hotel Santa Isabel , in a 15th-century building two blocks from the cathedral, has 42 clean, modern, and comfortable rooms and squeaky tile hallways (Sb-€30, Db-€45, Tb-€62, includes tax, breakfast-€4, elevator, air-con, great roof terrace; buried deep in old town so take a taxi instead of the bus; drivers enter from Calle Pozo Amargo, parking-€6; Calle Santa Isabel 24, tel. 925-253-120, fax 925-253-136, www.santa-isabel.com, santa-isabel@arrakis.es, Andres SE).
Outside of Town
<$$$> Hotel María Cristina , next to the bullring, is part 15th-century and all modern. This sprawling 74-room hotel has all the comforts under a thin layer of prefab tradition (Sb-€62, Db-€97, Tb-€130, €154 suites available, tax not included, breakfast-€6, elevator, air-con, attached restaurant, parking-€9.35/day, Marqués de Mendigorría 1, tel. 925-213-202, fax 925-212-650, www.hotelmariacristina.com, informacion@hotelmariacristina.com, SE).
<$> On the road to Madrid (near bullring): There's a conspiracy of clean, modern, and hard-working little hotels with comfy rooms a five-minute walk beyond the Bisagra Gate near the bus station and bullring (Plaza de Toros, bullfights only on holidays). Drivers enjoy easy parking here. While it's a 15-minute uphill hike to the old-town action, buses #4 and #6 go from just west of Hostal Madrid directly to Plaza de Zocódover. Two good bets are Hostal Gavilánes II (18 renovated rooms, Sb-€33, Db-€42, Db suite-€81, Tb-€56, Qb-€65, includes taxes, breakfast-€2.50, parking-€5.50/day, air-con, Marqués de Mendigorría 14, tel. & fax 925-211-628, www.gavilanes.to, hostallosgavilanes2@hotmail.com or javi@acceso0.es, NSE) and Hostal Madrid (20 rooms, Sb-€27, Db-€39, Tb-€53, includes tax, café next door, parking-€6/day, air-con, Marqués de Mendigorría 7, tel. 925-221-114, fax 925-228-113, NSE). This hostal rents nine lesser rooms in an annex across the street.
<$> Hostel : The Albergue Juvenil San Servando youth hostel is lavish and newly-renovated but cheap, with small rooms for two, three, or four people; a swimming pool; views; cafeteria; and good management (95 beds, €8.60 per bed if under age 26, €11.30 if age 26 or older, hostel membership required--you can buy it here for €11, add €2.10 to include breakfast, in 10th-century Arab castle of San Servando, 10-min walk from train station, 15-min hike from town center, over Puente Viejo outside town, tel. 925-224-554, reservations tel. 925-267-729, ralberguesto@jccm.es, NSE).
Outside of Town with the Grand Toledo View
<$$$> Toledo's Parador Nacional Conde de Orgaz is one of Spain's best-known inns, enjoying the same Toledo view El Greco made famous from across the Tajo Gorge (76 rooms, Sb-€58, Db-€120, Db with view-€136, Tb with view-€179, breakfast-€10, €26 menus in their fine restaurant overlooking Toledo, 2 windy miles from town at Cerro del Emperador, tel. 925-221-850, fax 925-225-166, www.parador.es/english/index.jsp, toledo@parador.es, SE).
<$> Hotel Residencia La Almazara was the summer residence of a 16th-century archbishop of Toledo. A friend of the cardinal and fond of this location's classic Toledo view, El Greco hung out here for inspiration. A lumbering old place with cushy public rooms, 28 simple bedrooms, and a sprawling garden, it's truly in the country but just 1.5 miles out of Toledo (Sb-€30, Db-€41, Db with view-€57, Tb-€48, 10 rooms have view, air-con, Ctra. de Arges 47, follow signs from circular Ronda de Toledo road, tel. 925-223-866, fax 925-250-562, www.hotelalmazara.com, reservas@hotelalmazara.com).