One
of the best hotels of our vacation to Spain, unfortunately we only
stayed one night. The swimming pool was a main reason for staying here,
and it's in a large garden area with plenty of sun lounge chairs. The
hotel itself is gorgeous, with lots of wood and tile. There's an inner
yet outdoor courtyard where you can have dinner, plus two bars on the
property. Location is excellent, right near the Cathedral and the
Alcazar, with plenty of outdoor cafes nearby. We were able to easily
walk to the bus station, but did take a taxi from the RENFE station. We
used a Starwood Instant Award upon checkin, where for 1500 points, we
were upgraded two room categories. Well worth the points! The room was
HUGE and gorgeous. Enormous bathroom, connecting hallway where the
closets and front door were located, and a huge bedroom. Very
attractively decorated, with king-size bed, desk, chair and ottoman. We
had a tiny balcony overlooking the courtyard (restaurant) mentioned
above, just enough space for two people to stand on (no room for
chairs). We didn't eat at the hotel, so I can't comment.
Don't forget
the horse-and-carriage ride (for about 35 Euros)--it gives you a great
view of Maria Luisa Park, which we wouldn't have had the time or energy
to see otherwise. The horses were treated well, otherwise, I wouldn't
have gone (the weather was cool, and they made the horse stop to drink
halfway through the trip).
I learned that the standard rooms are Baroque decor. Not just for that reason, but we decided to upgrade. We used a Starwood Instant Award, whereby we remitted 1500 points at check in to receive a double-class upgrade (I think it was then a grand deluxe room). It was enormous, with huge bathroom, closet/foyer area and bedroom/sittin room. It even had a tiny balcony overlooking the interior (yet outdoor) courtyard restaurant--just big enough for two adults to stand on at one time. So I'm not sure what decor we had--I'm guessing Castillian--very nice, in any case. The hotel was charming, the pool was awesome, and the location can't be beat. Highly recommend!
See the Smart Money magazine article on doing Europe for less.
