The Hotel Alfonso XIII is not only considered “the” place to stay in Seville, Spain, but it’s listed as a historical site for non-guest tourists as well. And there’s a good reason for this: architecturally, the building looks like a Moorish castle. Built for the King’s visit to the fair in 1929, the hotel’s decor is traditionally Sevillian with classic archways, marble columns, and beautiful mosaics in rich colors.
I enjoyed the Alfonso very much. The staff went out of their way to help me, and I loved the hotel’s old world style. Its location is, quite simply, perfect. It’s such a landmark in the small city that it serves as an axis from which to explore other areas. Both taxis and horse-drawn carriages wait alongside the hotel, so you are never without fast and ready transportation.
In fact, there are horse-drawn carriages everywhere in Seville, or you can rent a bicycle or take one of the trams that whiz through the streets. That said, Seville is very much a walking city, so I only took taxis to and from the airport. I was able to easily walk from the Alfonso to every area or site I wanted to visit.
One of the most beautiful areas of the hotel is its courtyard, but since I was visiting in winter, it was a bit chilly to sit outside. Seville doesn’t get nearly as cold as other areas of Spain, however, so during the day, the temperatures rose to the low 60s Fahrenheit.
I stayed in a small suite with a good sized balcony and a city view. I had a bedroom and a separate living area with a couch, desk, and chairs. As is typical in Spain, my bed was two singles placed together to make a larger bed. I especially liked the bathroom with its ceramic mosaic tiles that created an iridescent striped effect in white, copper, and dark blue.
All of the rooms contain antiques and are decorated in Baroque, Castilian, or Moorish styles. All rooms also contain an LCD television, CD player/radio, rainforest shower head with a bathtub, a telephone in the bathroom, a data port, alarm clock, wireless keyboard, safe, and minibar.
The rooms include seven different types of suites of varying sizes, as well as deluxe rooms and the Royal Suite, which features a canopy bed and private butler service.
The Alfonso maintains an outdoor swimming pool, which is surrounded by palm trees. The fitness centre can be accessed 24 hours a day with your room key, and it includes treadmills, stair steppers, stationary bikes, and rowing machines – all with individual television screens and headphones.
A beauty salon/barber shop is on premises, and there are luxury shops in the lobby. The hotel also has meeting rooms and offers special wedding packages. The concierge arranges for private transfers to and from the airport or train station, and the hotel will ship luggage for you.
The Alfonso has in-house restaurants and bars. The Restaurante San Fernando is in the colonnaded inner courtyard. The Bar Americano is indoors and in art deco style. The Ena Sevilla is located on the outdoor terrace.
At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, the Hotel Alfonso XIII is more than a hotel – it’s an experience. And it’s a quintessential experience in Seville. Just walking through the beautiful building makes you feel in your bones that you are unquestionably in Andalucia.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, New York Travel Writers Association, and International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 43 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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