Affordable hotels in Southern Spain?
Sep 17th, 2002, 08:22 AM
#1
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Affordable hotels in Southern Spain?
Hi. We're thinking of travelling to Southern Spain the first week of October. Is it possible to find nice pensiones or hotels in the $40-$60 range? And is it a good idea to drive rather than taking the train? Thanks to anyone who can help!
Sep 17th, 2002, 12:16 PM
#2
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Depending on which city, you can find very nice hotels for 50 to 75 euros , probably less t...<BR>Try hoteles.com they list most of the hotels on each location.<BR>Hostales can be very nice, the best ones are like a hotel without a full maned front desk. To give you a rough idea in Toledo an expensive city, the Hostal Santo Tome for 52 eu will give you a very nice double room with phone, cable tv, ac, simple but nice furniture and a big, white marble bathroom. And on top a great location.No rest., no breakfast. A great buy.
Sep 18th, 2002, 06:42 AM
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lesley,<BR>It's www.hotels.com<BR><BR>Annie,<BR>It's possible to find lodging in your price range in Andalucia, mostly "hostales/pensiones", but you can even find some nice 2 star hotels for 60 euros, or a bit more.<BR>Graziella's Toledo example is a perfect one.<BR>You just have to search them out. If you're planning to concentrate on Andalusian cities and won't have a car, here are some examples:<BR><BR>In Sevilla, if you stay from Nov-Feb, or July-Aug, you can find a double for 57 euros at the nice Hosteria del Laurel, in the heart of the Santa Cruz quarter. It's been recommended often on Fodors. There's also the Hotel Simon for 57-63 except for Holy Week/April fair and a few other dates (the Simon does have some dissenters here, though-do a text search).<BR>www.hotelsimonsevilla.com<BR><BR>For Cordoba, consider the Hotel Maestre, for around 50 euros. www.hotelmaestre.com<BR>or the Hotel Albucasis for 54-69, which is a Karen Brown favorite (but I've read complaints about thin walls and short supply of hot water on a slowtrav.com trip report).<BR>www.karenbrown.com<BR>There's also the new (opened last yr) Hotel Lola which looks really cute.<BR>www.hotelconencantolola.com but you'll need to email them about prices.<BR><BR>In Ronda, consider the immaculate Hotel Polo, in the center of town, for 46-61 euros.<BR>www.andalucia.com<BR><BR>The Granada budget hotels, like the Reina Cristina/Anacapri are pricier, due to the heavy tourism at the Alhambra. Check the Rick Steves Grafitti Board for Spain/Portugal, to see what budget choices his readers recommend in Granada.<BR>www.ricksteves.com<BR><BR>If you have a car and want to stay in Arcos de la Frontera, there's the very nice 1 star Hotel El Convento which charges 60 March-Oct. and only 42 the rest of the year.<BR>www.travel-in-spain.com<BR><BR>Also check the Bancotel voucher system, at<BR>www.bancotel.com You must buy a book of 5 vouchers, but each cost only 50 euros, and some of their 3, even 4 star hotels (but certainly not all!) require only 1 voucher for a double rm per night. There are participating hotels in all Southern Spain cities plus the Costa del Sol. Ex: the 4 star Carmen in Granada only requires 1 voucher for Mon. Nov. 25. Depends entirely on your dates, though. Takes savy planning to make this program work out just right and not to have coupons left over, but the savings can be considerable. <BR><BR>Also the Lonely Planet and Rough Guides for Andalucia have plenty of budget recs.<BR><BR>Hope this gives you some ideas.
Sep 18th, 2002, 03:50 PM
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Maribel, thank you so much for all your input. I greatly appreciate it. We will have a car so we'll hopefully have more flexibility and be able to drive into some interesting, non-touristy towns. If you have any favorites you'd recommend, please let me know. We'll be in Southern Spain in two weeks!
Sep 18th, 2002, 04:15 PM
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Hi Annie,<BR>In the Malaga province, I love Ronda with its highly dramatic setting atop a deep, deep gorge, also the Moorish hill towns around it of Grazalema, Gaucin, Casares, Zahara de la Sierra and Arcos de la Frontera. In fact the drive down the A 369 (make sure you take along the detailed Michelin map of Southern Spain!) from Ronda to Manilva on the coast passes through Gaucin and Casares and is quite interesting, <BR><BR>Around Sevilla, Carmona is quite pretty as well as Osuna, on the route to Granada, both filled with aristocratic 16th c homes. <BR><BR>In the hills above Marbella on the Costa del Sol, you have the blindingly white Moorish hill town of Ojen, and another highly picturesque Moorish white town right before reaching Nerja, the artists' colony village of Frigiliana, voted one of the most picturesque villages of Spain. Both are a photographer's dream. Just 2 km. north of Frigiliana is a cute little B&B, the "Posada Morisca" which has doubles in Oct. for 60 euros.<BR>See it at www.rusticae.com
Sep 24th, 2002, 11:59 AM
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Annie,<BR>I just picked up a copy of the Routard series new English version of their Andalucia & Southern Spain guide (Hachette Press). The Routard guides are the French budget traveler's companion, much like the Rough Guides or Lonely Planet series are for English speakers. It's loaded with low cost reccomendations, lots of practical info, honest opinions, good affordable stuff. You may not be able to find it before you leave, as it hasn't hit my local B&N or Boirder's yet-bought mine at a map store-so I'll just pass on their hotel choices:<BR><BR>In Granada, they recommend H. Residencia Los Tilos on the Plaza Bib-Rambla (have read 1 favorable review of it here-also a Rick Steves pick). <BR><BR>In Seville, besides the Simon, they choose the 4 yr. old Hotel Maestranza, 100 meters from the Cathedral<BR>www.hotel-maestranza.com<BR>Also the Hotel Zaida in an 18th c. home, Moorish style decor. A/C, phone, TV, private bath for 55 euros.<BR>www.andalunet.com/zaida<BR><BR>Hope this helps a bit more.<BR><BR>
