There are some cost effective alternatives to the pricey hotels. In Spain it's possible to find hotels without restaurants for a good form of accommodation. They are unranked but normally serve breakfast and boast a bar and some sort of room service. The hostal in Spain is very similar to a traditional hotel room, but can't be rated at more than three stars - and are quite a lot more affordable. Pensiones are usually clean, comfortable, and family owned and run. In such a large country with such a varied landscape the sky is literally the limit when it comes to choosing the perfect Spain hotel. Here you'll find boutique hotels housed in 17th century abbeys, rustic farmhouses, snow capped Pyrenees retreats and nestled amongst olive groves. You will find plenty of beautiful, modern hotels is some of Spain's big cities, but many hotels in both the city and the country are housed within elaborate buildings which are hundreds of years old, enveloping you in a little bit of Spanish history.