After our time in Málaga and Granada, our last stop on our trip in Andalusia was in Seville. Here we let a hotel promotion help guide our destination planning to some extent. I had some free SPG nights to use, so we tried to maximize this redemption. Since this is an expensive Category 6 hotel (second highest for SPG, and the highest we could use for this particular deal), I think we got a great value for the Luxury Collection property.
Elegant lobby of the Hotel Alfonso XIII
The Hotel Alfonso XIII
We took a bus from Granada then a taxi to the Hotel Alfonso. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the front desk agent. We attempted to use a Suite Night Award, which not surprisingly was not successful. Then again, we still were assigned a junior suite without having to use SNAs. As I’ve said, this program needs some work, but ultimately I was happy with the results. This has happened to me several times. Bottom line, the hotel was lovely, and upgraded room was very nice.
The hotel was opened in 1928 to house VIP guests of King Alfonso XIII for the Ibero-American Expo. By some accounts it was intended to be the most luxurious hotel in Europe. The property went through an extensive renovation in 2012.
Interior courtyard between the lobby and the restaurant
Entry driveway to Hotel Alfonso XIII
Hotel Alfonso XIII Junior Suite
Our room consisted of a sitting room, a king bedroom and a decent sized bathroom. The decor was classic, but worked with the aesthetic of the property. Some of the art in the room included artifacts from around the time hotel of the hotel opening.
Sitting room and desk near the entry
The king sized bed was very comfortable
Large closet designed to look like a trunk. This was half of the closet
A well equipped bathroom, and yes, another toilet photo for those keeping track
hotel map
We chose breakfast as our platinum amenity. It was excellent, with an extensive buffet of hot and cold items. I can’t find it in my notes, but I think the going rate was approximately €32 per person, so I was happy to take this as our free amenity.
We didn’t spend much time in the hotel beyond a place to sleep and our breakfast. We did decide to have a drink one night before going out for dinner. It seems that our round at the bar cost more than our dinner, but at a high end hotel, I guess that’s not surprising. The American Bar was very nice. The bartender was fun to watch making all sorts of drinks. I was tempted by the Gin and Tonic menu. I was told that this drink is really hot in Spain right now. They had over 100 gins available, and 15 or so different tonics. At the bartender’s suggestion, I opted for the below combination.
Expensive, but tasty G&T
Exploring Sevilla
Outside the hotel, many Seville sights were easy walking distance. Food wise, we found countless little tapas bars where we did most of our dining. We usually chose a place based on how busy it was, plus we got a few recommendations from the concierge and guide books.
More jamon–so good.
An example of some tapas at one of the bars we enjoyed, Las Teresas
Besides the predictably good cuisine in Seville, it is also famous for their cathedral. The Seville Cathedral is the largest cathedral and third largest church building in the world. Christopher Columbus is buried there (at least by most accounts).
near the entrance to the Seville Cathedral
Interior and exterior views of the Cathedral
Just outside the cathedral is the Alcazar, another Moorish fort like the Alcazaba in Málaga and the Alhambra in Granada. This is now a palace for the Spanish monarchy.
There are extensive gardens, with some rather tame peacocks
And lots more Moorish architecture that I found really compelling
The Plaza de Toros in Seville is the oldest in the world.
Final Thoughts
Seville was a great place to visit, easy to get around, with much to see and tasty food. The Hotel Alfonso XIII was a nice place to stay, especially for free thanks to the free nights we used. It is likely the most expensive hotel in town, but it is in a very convenient location. Everyone we encountered at the hotel was very friendly.
Our trip was nearly over, but we had a quick stop in Madrid before our flights to take us back home. We booked a ticket on the AVE high speed train to take us there. Stay tuned.
