Local bus is in Santander City Centre in about 10-15 minutes from the airport. Good Value at 1.60euro each. From the centre you need to take a number 1 bus which drop you off at a big casino which is just round the corner from hotel santemar. You will be there in about 10 minutes or so. Dont think you can walk from the bus station where you get off the airport bus you wont. The hotel itself has a fairly attractive reception area with a couple of tv lounges just off the reception - these are pretty comfy. Be prepared for the terrible BLUE and RED stripy wallpaper when the lift doors open into the hallway on the way to your room. This looks dated and dull. The room itself was basic and fairly clean. The tv sits on top of the minibar cabinet (which was locked) and the top of the cabinet was dusty as was some of the panneling on the walls. Other than that the room was clean and tidy. We had dinner that night in the restaurant - there is a set menu which costs approximately 20 euro each and includes wine, water etc. Good value but to be honest the food wasnt that great. It was ok but nothing special. There is an ordinary menu but this looks expensive for the quality of food you are getting. The bar is very formal and not very comfortable - we had one drink there. The area around the hotel was fairly quiet. The hotel is close to the beach which is very nice and the promenade is nice. Not that many shops, bars and restaurants around it has to be said which is why we ended up eating at the hotel. We only stayed here for one night so it is difficult to really get a feel for the place but I did not find the staff (or indeed the locals) particularly friendly but then with me not speaking Spanish and hardly any of them speaking English it was difficult to communicate. In summary I dont think I will be rushing back to Santander but even if I was I would probably be checking out other hotels. This one was ok but nothing special.

We have returned from a great week-end break,travelling by Ryanair to Santander and then a two night stay at this hotel. This is a great region in spain with warm friendly locals.Seafood is the thing to try.Hotel in a lovely postion overlooking beautiful beach. Will definately return for a longer trip next time.

El hotel es una maravilla, en especial, el servicio de comedor y restaurante. La comida es de una excelente calidad y la variedad es enorme. También cabe destacar el agradable trato del personal del comedor. Además la situación del hotel es perfecta, al lado de las playas del sardinero y de la concha. Por poner una pega, diría que es algo ruidoso.

No es la primera vez que me alojo en el Santemar, hasta ahora nunca había tenido ninguna queja, aunque ciertamente este hotel necesita de forma urgente una remodelación eso nunca me importo ya que siempre me alojo para estancias cortas, mi sorpresa fue cuando en esta ocasión y debido a que fue un viaje que surgió de una forma espontanea me decidí en hacer la reserva mediante "central de reservas.com".En cuanto el botones nos acompañó a la habitación y abrió la puerta ya vi que no era como las otras habitaciones en las que anteriormente y no en pocas ocasiones, me había alojado; esta era mas pequeña en definitiva mas ruina, dejamos nuestra maletas, nos fuimos a cenar al Rte. DELUZ (genial) y volvimos a las 12 al hotel, nada mas entrar en la habitación ya nos dimos cuenta del ruido de fondo, aquí esta lo bueno había una discoteca en el bajo del hotel, a la 3.30 y viendo que no cerraban me decidí a llamar a recepción, muy amablemente me explicaron que si que hay una discoteca y que suele cerrar a las 4.30 d la madrugada. como es posible que se atrevan a cobrar 191, 58 euros (desayuno incluido) por una habitación que se encuentra sobre una discoteca, en fin una autentica verguenza. Al día siguiente volví a manifestar mi queja, no tuvieron ningún detalle... DONDE esta EL DIRECTOR deeste HOTEL? en fin que duerma una noche en la primera planta

Just returned from 3 night break at the Santemar and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Ryanair flights were excellent and a real bargain at £37 return! Hotel Facilities/Service: Hotel is a pretty ugly concrete building from the outside, but rooms are nicely furnished, modern and well maintained. Check in procedure went smoothly and our room was ready for us despite arriving at 10.00 am. Maids did an excellent job and room kept very clean, with beds turned down each evening and a complimentary chocolate. Didn't seem to have air conditioning, which would be a huge problem in the summer months. All you can do is open the window, which didn't help much. Bathroom is modern and toiletries are replenished daily. Powerful shower and good hair dryer. No brewing facilities - we took our own kettle as we're typically British and love our cuppas. We stayed room only as breakfast at hotel was expensive. Got a good rate of £50 per night for a triple room - try venere.com as you pay on checkout. The walls are really thin, as per previous reviews, but we were fortunate to have considerate neighbours so no problems for us. Comfortable bed so slept well. You can purchase breakfast locally for 2.25 euros at a bar near the Casino. Location of Hotel: The hotel is located outside of Santander in the El Sardinero area. Some rooms have sea views (ours didn't but was fine) Absolutely gorgeous beaches, huge size, immaculately clean and very quiet in November despite the weather being quite sunny and warm when we were there. No litter, promenade hosed down and sand cleaned daily. You won't find many nicer beaches in the whole of Spain! Would love to retire here! Quite a surprise really. Local Amenities: There is a local supermarket "Lupa" near the Casino which is just around the corner, and quite a few bars and restaurants around the Plaza Italia - the Mexican restaurant next to the supermarket highly recommended with cocktails for 3 euros. Places to avoid are the Chinese "Mulan" - very smelly carpet and mediocre food - and "Cafe Bar Oh" where we were ripped off on a massive scale - 20 euros for 4 drinks which had been costing 8 euros elsewhere. Gutted! Be warned - steer clear of this bar and its extortionate prices and service with a scowl! Language: English is not widely spoken and although I do speak a little Spanish, my pronuniciation confused a few of the locals! My pocket dictionary came in very handy, especially with the menus! Transport: Their transport system puts ours to shame. Taxi from the airport costs approx 17 euros but is well worth the convenience. Regular bus service into Santander, takes 10 mins and costs 1 euro single, preferred staying in El Sardinero because of the lovely beaches and easy access to Santander. Things to see: Santander Cathedral, Town Hall, Mercado de Este, promenade, Palacio de la Magdalena, Cabo Mayor lighthouse. You can walk right along the promenade from El Sardinero into Santander. Takes about 35 minutes and is very pleasant. Local footie team Racing Santander - their stadium is in El Sardinero about a 10 minute walk from hotel. We went to see them play top of league Sevilla. Good experience but at 30 euros for the cheapest seats, comparable price to the UK. Prices: Food and drink is generally cheaper than the UK - apart from Cafe Bar Oh, rip-off merchants (see above) Overall, I would highly recommend a visit to Santander, particularly with a cheap Ryanair deal. The Santemar is a good place to stay, but you would definitely need air conditioning in the summer.