halfempty

I will be in Seville in mid May and I am trying to decide between the Hotel Alfonso XIII and the AlmaSevilla Palacio de Villapanes. I believe that both are in the Santa Cruz area. If anyone has stayed at either one, could you please tell me what you thought of the hotel in regard to convenience, location, surrounding area, décor, service, etc.? I have read the reviews on TripAdvisor, but I always like to hear what Fodorites have to say.

Thanks for any info you can give me.

HappyTrvlr

We stayed at the beautiful AlfonsoXIII. There is a lovely courtyard and traditional tiles are used throughout. Very well located in Seville. I highly recommend it but I do not know the other property you mentioned.

nytraveler

Agree that we love Alfonso - very traditional an top service - also to prices. Don;t know the other hotel.

joannyc

I agree with HappyTrvlr. I have't stayed at the other property either.

Robert2533

I'm familiar with both. The Alfonso XIII was totally renovated and is quite the property now, back to its old grandeur, but is completely different from the Palacio de Villapanes. Recommending one over the other would depend on what style you are looking for. A bit more modern, younger and upscale, or classic and slightly more traditional.

kimhe

Hundreds of guest reviews of both places:

Alfonso XII: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/starwoodalfonso.html

Palacio de Villapanes: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/alma...nes.en-gb.html

I wouldn't hesitate a second, Alfonso XII you only find in Sevilla.

Dukey1

We stayed in the Alfonso several years ago and loved it. Despite what a lot of people here seem to think, we found it to be well-located for walking to and visiting the main sites. Having the pool was wonderful in the Seville heat, too. The interior of our room was really fun to see and we thought the place was worth the money.

halfempty

Thank you all for your input. We are leaning towards the Alfonso XIII because it looks spectacular in the pictures. (We actually stayed there 44 years ago when it was quite inexpensive)

We usually prefer smaller hotels (the Alma Seville has 50 rooms and the Alfonso 147) I also read (probably on Tripadvisor) that there are often tour groups either staying at the hotel or just visiting the property. Did anyone find this to be a problem?

Also, is the location too far south to easily walk to most attractions? I used the little google man on the map to do a virtual walk of the streets surrounding the Alfonso and they looked lovely.

Any comments on this?

kimhe

Alfonso XII is almost as central as it gets. Just behind the Real Alcazár and 400 meters walking to the Cathedral/La Giralda and the famous Santa Cruz district. The hotel is also closer than most others to Plaza de España, the old Tobacco factory (Carmen) and the wonderful Lope de Vega theater. Often excellent music/dance performances here: http://www.teatrolopedevega.org/

Plaza de España: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Andalucia.html

Robert2533

We were there a couple of weeks ago. The groups visiting are not a problem, as they are only allowed in the public spaces, not those reserved for guests. Most of the reviews are dated as the hotel has only been reopened since last year, just in time for Holy Week. As far as costs go, it is one of the more expensive properties, but well worth it for comfort, quality and location, and as kimhe mentions, it's perfectly located for walking around, including the Santa Cruz district.

44 years is a long time. You will be surprised at the changes that have taken place in Sevilla, especially around the hotel. A lot of the area has been pedestrianized and cleaned up. It's quite nice.