Spa Hotels in La Massana

I know that a review has to be balanced, and therefore it is probably best to start with the positives. The hotel location is spectacular, the swimming pool is decent and the grounds are well kept. Upon arrival, the reception staff were friendly and helpful. After that, there are huge problems with the hotel. The room is tired looking, with a slight musty smell and decor in need of an upgrade. The bed is an old wooden number that has seen better days and creaks like a pirates galleon. The room is boiling hot, with no functional air control. It has, thus far, been one of the worst nights sleep of my life. However, the main thing to avoid is the restaurant. For dinner, the kitchen serves a grand total of 5 dishes - 3 starters and 2 mains (pork and salmon - vegans should count themselves lucky not to be catered for). For starter, I had a ‘focaccia’ that was essentially a thick, tasteless doorstop bread of the type my bad grammar school used to serve to keep us sedated. This was covered in a layer of greasy cheese-adjacent substance and what could generously be described as ‘ham’. My wife had a goats (‘gods’ according to the menu, though what kind of benevolent deity would have inflicted this meal upon His children remains to be seen) cheese parcel. The parcel was about as well received as an Amazon Prime delivery that has been booted over next door’s fence. Onto the main, and the ‘pork’ was fatty and undercooked, served with a few slices of poorly fried potato that seemed to subliminally scream the word ‘sorry’. My wife’s salmon was an insult to a fishes’ memory - slimy and unappealing, tossed carelessly on some tired lettuce and a few beetroot cubes. The price of €25 per person may have been reasonable if that was the amount we were being paid to eat it. The most ridiculous part of the evening though was the service. About 10 waiters hovered around the dining room, a number that seems high until you realise that a separate team member performs each task. Drinks and bread was one waitress. Ordering food was a waiter. Delivery of the starter was another waiter. Another waitress collected the plates. Another brought the cutlery for the main. Another brought the main. Another dressed in a full bomb disposal suit delivered the bill. After a while it becomes obvious that it is a strategy to diminish responsibility through collectivisation - it’s like a philosophical conundrum- if a crap meal is served but no one actually served it, did it really happen? Unfortunately for us, the answer is yes, and I still have ten hours trying to sleep in this unbearable inferno. On this occasion, rather than ‘gods’ cheese, I suspect that both the meal and the room have been designed by the other guy…

The Ushuaia hotel was extremely comfortable, spotlessly clean with a great selection of really good food from the buffet which was different each night. The only minor irritation with the hotel was the bar staff who, all though were fantastic, the service was very slow at busy times. Free ski lockers were provided in the hotel & it was only 1 minute to the lift. I would highly recommend the hotel but a have a few warnings if you are skiing with beginners: If you are booking this is a ”ski in” hotel, beginners will struggle to get down the Blue run to the hotel. I have skied for 30 years & would say that it was a difficult blue & you would have to come down on the chair. I have seen many comments saying Arinsal is a great place for beginners. I totally disagree. There is only one nursery slope, & I appreciate that it was half term, but it was heaving. Beginners we spoke to were bored as the queue wasn't worth 15 seconds of skiing before re-joining the long queue. There is a Green marked on the piste map but even a ski guide said it's really a blue. Pal next door has much better beginner facilities. However, as a beginner to get to the nursery slopes in Pal, you would need to travel on the bus, but only for about 8 minutes. There is a cable car from the top of Arinsal across to Pal, but you would need to ski down Blue's to get to the nursery slopes. Getting back to Arinsal, by the Free Bus or the L5 service, on the day we tried, as my wife is not a confident skier, included an hour wait at the bus stop in Pal as information on times is sketchy at best. Both services do take you back to the Ushuaia though. Intermediate skiers would find the amount of ski school trains in your way annoying. Yes everyone has to learn but, there are simply too many instructors & some classes were 14 strong so you are picking your way around them. I must mention the cleanliness of all facilities on the mountain as they were brilliant. Lunchtime eating was priced reasonably as well in both Arinsal & Pal. Would I go back to the Ushuaia, definitely Would I go back to ski in Arinsal, maybe Would I go back to ski in Pal, yes

The hotel has a spa and bar in another building ... to go to the spa you have to go wet by the street ... Food and good service