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The Best Hotels in Seville for a Sun-Soaked City Break
Where to stay in the southern Spanish city
Spring may finally be showing signs of appearing in the UK, but sunshine is never exactly guaranteed, is it? Stalwart Spain is always ready to rescue vitamin-D-deprived Brits – specifically, Seville, the most elegant of Spanish destinations, with consistently high temperatures and almost three thousand hours of sunshine annually. And awaiting you on your next trip to the warmest city in Continental Europe are the best hotels in Seville.
Ibiza's luxury hotels might be best for summer blowouts and Barcelona is a year-round favourite, but this Andalucian city is hard to beat if you're in search of authentic Spanish culture.
Sun-baked Seville is affectionately known among Spaniards as ‘the frying pan’, so you can be sure of clear skies and balmy temperatures as you stroll the Barrio de Santa Cruz – the city’s old town (and former Jewish quarter) is where you’ll find the Alcázar Palace and the cathedral, plus its famous La Giralda bell tower.
After oranges (or possibly before), flamenco is Seville’s most famous export and you’ll be able to give it a whirl in a hole-in-the-wall bar. For ceramics, don’t miss the Triana neighbourhood and its many pottery studios.
When it comes to the best hotels in Seville, Hotel Alfonso XIII is fit for royalty and was built to the spec of its namesake king, ready to receive his esteemed guests.
Or check in to Corral del Rey, a boutique hotel in one of the city’s many palace houses, now with an added rooftop pool.
From old-town boltholes to the places to stay with pools, this is Esquire's edit of the best hotels in Seville…
Gravina 51
A little on the traditional side, Gravina 51 is nonetheless one of Seville’s most charming stays – the boutique hotel has 37 rooms and a two-bedroom apartment for anyone hoping to hang around a little longer or bring the kids along.
Highlights of this Seville stay include the handy historic centre location, a peaceful patio and breakfasts that serve local produce only. There's no formal restaurant, but the bar dispenses snacks, including platefuls of the ultimate tapa jamón Ibérico.
It’s set within one of Seville’s palace houses, with all of the 18th-century building’s original character and features intact, only now with added WiFi. There's also a rooftop terrace to relax on, or for added privacy, book a room with its own balcony.
Hotel Alfonso XIII
If you're in search of Seville's stateliest stay, look no further than Hotel Alfonso XIII. Made to order for the King of Spain, who, back in 1929, wanted somewhere showy to host his visiting dignitaries, this royal retreat continued the tradition over the next few decades, welcoming Charles and Diana, Prince Rainier and Grace of Monaco, and Hollywood stars from Sophia Loren to Brad Pitt. We’re sure they enjoyed the opulence, along with the classically Andalucian accents.
The palm-edged Moorish palace – which has an outdoor pool and courtyard to cool off in – is in the historic Santa Cruz quarter and close to the city’s Gothic cathedral.
Fans of art deco detailing will enjoy cocktails in Bar Americano, or for brunch with a live-piano soundtrack, turn up at Restaurante San Fernando at 1pm on Sundays. Tapas classics and an extensive wine list are served at Ena Sevilla.
Hotel Colón Gran Meliá
It may have an average annual temperature of a balmy 25 degrees Celsius, but if you're visiting Seville during the summer, when the mid thirties are not uncommon, you’ll be grateful to the Hotel Colón Gran Meliá for adding a pool to its rooftop terrace. From up here, you’ll be able to admire the city sights from afar, instead of down at street level. And when you are in search of even more extreme temperatures (if you can take them), head to the Clarins spa to use its sauna, hammam and thermal showers.
The hotel opened in 1929 (clearly a prolific year for accommodation around here) and is another Seville landmark, popular with bullfighters and celebrities. Its El Burladero restaurant – and its southern Spanish cuisine – is loved by locals and visitors alike, who come for the tapas and ideally a seat out on the terrace. At second restaurant La Abacería del Colón, it's the jamón that takes centre-stage.
Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza
Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza may have a lengthy name, but its location can be summed up succinctly: extremely central. It's right in the city's historic heart – the Santa Cruz neighbourhood is home to the cathedral and the Real Alcázar palace, and it also enjoys proximity to the tapas bars of Calle Mateos Gago.
The heritage hotel has repurposed a traditional 18th-century courtyard. From your old-town HQ, you’ll be able to visit the Alcázar and cathedral's La Giralda bell tower, as well as a museum entirely dedicated to flamenco dancing.
The staff will be able to point you precisely in the direction of the best convent-made cakes, Andalucian fashion and the places to stockpile pottery in the Triana neighbourhood. Tapas tastings can take place in the courtyard or up on the rooftop terrace.
CoolRooms Palacio Villapanés
The best hotels in Seville err towards the aged side, clearly – this one is another palace, built in the 18th century and with the intricately carved wooden doors to prove it. CoolRooms Palacio Villapanés is also now the proud owner of a rooftop bar and pool. The baroque building – now protected as a key example of the architectural style – was originally designed for an admiral. It is just outside of the Barrio Alfalfa and a 15-minute walk from the cathedral and Alcázar. Also on your doorstep are the narrow lanes of the Barrio de Santa Cruz, which you could easily while a day away exploring.
The high ceilings, grand staircase, marble columns and shutters all blend seamlessly with newer additions, which include mid-century furniture by the design queen Patricia Urquiola. The staff look suitably dapper, thanks to uniforms created by the Galician designer Roberto Diz.
Casa del Poeta
You’re probably getting the picture by now – Seville isn’t really big on modern hotels. Yet another historic hideaway is Casa del Poeta, a boutique hotel set in a 17th-century house that has been eased into the 21st century, but was allowed to bring its period features and original architecture with it.
There are just 18 rooms and the hotel’s centrepiece is its patio and fountain. The old-town setting means you’ll be a three-minute walk from the cathedral and the neighbourhood’s narrow pedestrianised streets will lead you to more of Seville’s top heritage sites, including the famous Alcázar. The Barrio de Santa Cruz and flamenco hotspots are all within a short stroll away, too.
Hotel Casa 1800
Another converted mansion-palace now open to guests, Hotel Casa 1800 was built in 1864. You can still see the studded wooden doors that were created when horse-drawn carriages still had to fit through the gates. A meticulous restoration has ensured its heritage is preserved, but it’s just as homely as ever (casa by name and nature, you could say).
The rooms, which feature exposed-brick walls, chandeliers and gilded headboards, are arranged around a central courtyard, with a pool-enhanced terrace at the top promising perfect panoramas – you’ll be able to see La Giralda bell tower, the rooftops and spires of Santa Cruz, and the greenery of the Alcázar gardens.
There's no restaurant at the hotel, but guests are invited to join afternoon snacktime on the patio, served daily between 4.30pm and 6.30pm, and the ideal pitstop to come home to.
H10 Casa de la Plata
What this new-build hotel in the pedestrianised shopping precinct lacks in historic character, it makes up for in traditional tiles, crafted nearby in the colourful barrio of Triana (Seville’s ceramic-mad centre), latticework and a classically Andalucian courtyard. The decor at H10 Casa de la Plata also includes black and white bathrooms, wooden floors and irreverent oil paintings.
Head downstairs to the Moorish-style pool to cool off from the city’s unforgiving heat beside the shade-supplying olive trees and the marble Roman bath, or follow the hotel’s handy tapas map around the neighbourhood. It's well placed for ticking off most of Seville's city-centre sights.
Mercer Sevilla
One of the grandest hotels in Seville (and we’re not just talking about the ceiling heights), Mercer Sevilla is in El Arenal, among the city’s oldest and most atmospheric districts. There are just 12 rooms and suites, set across two floors within this late-19th-century mansion near Nueva Square. The neighbourhood was once frequented by Miguel de Cervantes and, in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was home to one of the most important ports in the world.
The contemporary design of the hotel complements its historic backdrop seamlessly – and you’ll be especially pleased that a rooftop bar and pool have been introduced. At Mercer Sevilla's María Luisa restaurant, guests can take their pick from the Mediterranean menu, with ingredients such as sobrassada from Mallorca, prawns from Huelva, Cantabrian anchovies and Spanish Retinto beef all featuring.
Nobu Sevilla
There’s no stopping the expansion of Nobu Hotels – they do have one of the most successful Hollywood actors of all time backing them after all. In case you’ve missed it, that’s Robert De Niro, who initially encouraged chef Nobu Matsuhisa to take his Nikkei concept global while dining at his Los Angeles restaurant in the late Eighties, pleading with him to open another outpost in Tribeca, which he eventually did in 1994. Since then, they’ve brought black miso cod, rock shrimp tempura and yellowtail sashimi to the world, with editions everywhere from London to Las Vegas, via Marrakech, Madrid and Miami.
Many now come with hotels attached, as is the case in the sunny Spanish city Seville's Nobu, where there’s a rooftop terrace and plunge pool, a cocktail bar, and rooms and suites that blend contemporary Japanese design with Andalucian accents. And yes, plenty of opportunities to order black cod.
Ocean Drive Seville
We hope you can forgive us if you now have a certain mid-Nineties easy-listening anthem stuck in your head, but allow us to introduce this Seville hotel, which has absolutely nothing to do with the Lighthouse Family (or Miami, for that matter). In the heart of the city’s historic centre and the Encarnación quarter, the 49-bedroom hotel has a rather striking neighbour. It’s impossible to miss the mushroom-shaped Las Setas, a wooden structure designed by the Berlin architect Jürgen Mayer that’s home to a rooftop terrace, a market, a museum, various restaurants and its very own square for performances.
All rooms at Ocean Drive Seville have a balcony or terrace, but for the most outdoor space, book a suite, each of which has a roomy 27-square-metre deck. Keen-eyed mid-century magpies will be thrilled to spot an Eames LCW chair, on show in some of the accommodation alongside other design classics. The hotel's prime location puts you within a 10-minute walk of the cathedral, the Royal Alcázar and the shopper-friendly Tetuán Street.
Corral del Rey
In possession of a temperature-regulating rooftop pool (we’re sensing a trend here, which inevitably sweaty tourists will no doubt be relieved about), Corral del Rey is another heritage palace house hidden away down a narrow labyrinthine street in the old quarter. And if you love classic boutique hotels, this small-scale stay in the Barrio de Santa Cruz is the dream Seville bolthole for your next city break.
The guestrooms are set across three buildings, and the interiors include beamed ceilings, medieval wooden doorways, marble pillars, colourful headboards and original wooden shutters that dawn doesn’t stand a chance against. Light bites (that’s tapas in these parts) are served in the ground-floor café-lounge, or you can stumble out each morning in search of strong coffee and churros.
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