Parador de Granada worth $450 a night?
 

We are staying one night in Granada and I read so much about the charm, history, character, the view, etc. of Parador that I made a reservation there- the only room available for $450 per night - wondering if it is worth it !

I realize this is a matter of personal taste, but still would be good to hear from those of you who have been there or know about the place. It is especially interesting because I can get a room at Carmen de la Alcubilla del Caracol, which looks absolutely charming and beautifully ( Trip adviser rating #5 vs. Parador at #19). I realize these are two different types of accommodation, and should command different prices levels, but both are appealing to me at different levels. I don;t mind spending the money at Parado, if it is really a unique experience. Appreciate your comments.

Sorry meant to say a room at Carmen de la Alcubilla del Caracol for $245 a night.

I stayed at the Hotel America right next to the parador, and ate dinner at the parador. That satisfied my desire to see the building, and to stay up by the Alhambra, and saved a lot of money!

Whenever I see someone cite Trip Advisor and one hotel is rated 5 and the other 15, I think of Borat and that his sister is "number four prostitute in all of Kazakhstan."

One must not rely on the mysterious and capracious ways of voting on Trip Advisor.

We stayed at the Prador In Granada many years ago, but I think Thursday has the right idea, you can stay somewhere else and eat at the Parador. There is a spectacular view of the Generalife. $450 for a room in Spain is a lot of money.

I got to agree with Aduchamp1. I think that's too much for a just a room in Spain. Have you tried looking somewhere else though? Maybe you can still find cheaper accommodations... just look hard enough.

please save your money for other things in Granada - stay nearby and stop by the Parador for a drink or dinner. Some of the best views in Granada are FREE (Mirador de San Nicolas). Look at some of the apartment rentals in the Albaicin - http://murallaziriapartamentos.com/

I think even $245 is a lot for a room in Granada.
So I have given up on ever staying again at the parador in Granada. Stayed 40 years ago.. and now only go for a snack or lunch on the terrace.

"$450 for a room in Spain is a lot of money." It all depends on what you expect from your hotel, your comfort level, and the size of your wallet. It's difficult to find decent accommodations for less than €100 in any of the major destinations in Spain. But no, I do not think the Parador de Granada is worth $450 USD, but they get it. It's a popular destination for those who can afford it.

I've never seen any of the rooms at the Carmen priced at $245/night unless it's for the Tower Room and includes breakfast for two. We usually pay around $200/night for the standard double room, with breakfast.

Double rooms at the Carmen are priced at €120, €130 & €140 + tax. Breakfast is an additional €8/person.

I would not spend that to stay at the Parador. For starters, I much preferred staying in the heart of the city rather than up on the Alhambra hill. There is such good bus service that as long as you are on the bus route, it almost does not matter where you stay.

Please do not rely on TripAdvisor rankings!

Just remember, according to TA, the top restaurant in New York City (my hometown) is Basso 56. Number 5 is Patzeria Perfect Pizza. Wonder how many food savvy New Yorkers have even heard of these places.

Best hotel in New York City, according to TA? Casablanca Times Square!

Living in the Alhambra Parador for sure would be a special experience. It's built on the premises of, and partly based on, the San Francisco convent where queen Isabel la Católica on her own wish initially were buried in a humble grave in December 1504. She was later moved to the Capilla Real adjoining the Granada Cathedral where she now lies together with her husband Fernando, their daughter Juana la Loca (the mad), her husband Felipe el Hermoso (the good-looking, it has been suggested that Juana turned "loco" because of her love and Felipe's numerous affairs) and their son Miguel who died as a young child (she obviously had more reasons to loose her mind).
http://www.capillarealgranada.com/en/cont_index.html

But I think you should have a lunch here instead of spending such an amount on living in the parador. If you want to stay up here at Alhambra, perhaps stay at next door Hotel America for about $170. http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/america-granada.en.html

I would nevertheless suggest you stay down in the center close to the beautiful Albayzín area. Take a bus or walk up to Alhambra, all the city "action" is down in the center.

Some suggestions in Albayzín:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/apar...c9d006680165X2
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/el-a...4be40f3ac58544
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/casa...4be40f3ac58544

Some of the most salient young female flamenco artists in the world come from Granada, the singers Estrella Morente and Marina Heredia and the dancer Patricia Guerrero. Gema Caballero is another wonderful flamenco singer from Granada.

I would stay at Carmen de la Alcubila.

This carmen looks excellent, Egbert!

And of course, the queen Isabel initially buried on the premises that today is the Parador de Granada is the conqueror of Granada (1492) which completed the unification of Spain. She was also the sponsor of Columbus first journey to the Américas, also in 1492, which led to the creation of the Spanish empire. Immediately after the conquest of Granada, she and king Fernando ordered the expulsion of the Jews and eventually the Moors from Spain. Few other monarchs have made such an imprint on the course of history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_I_of_Castile

Thank you all, especially Kimh for your continued good advice. First, I have to make a correction- Carmen de la Alcubilla is actually just 120 Euro, or about $170, not the $240 I misquoted ( I was looking at the wrong email). I think you have all convinced me not to spend the $450 for one night. One other reason that I was considering Parador was that we will have a car and will need to leave to the airport early in the morning, to drop of the car and get on the plane to Switzerland, via Barcelona. Given that Carmen de la Alcubilla is not easily accessible by car, I was trying to make it a little smoother for our departure - is staying in downtown easier from that perspective?

Staying downtown is easier with a car.

I wrote a report about my own visit a few months ago; this is where we stayed (downtown):

http://www.palaciodesantapaula.com/index.html

Why not just drop the car off the day you arrive in Granada and take a taxi to the airport (about €30 from the Carmen)?

ekscrunchy - did you enjoy the Santa Paula? They just became a Marriott affiliate and I could use Marriott points there to stay for free

Agree to see if you can change drop off to granada CITY the day before without affecting your rate. Then taxi to the airport which is 15-17 kms away.

The Santa Paula is a masterful renovation of a historic property. It is not a warm and cozy place--many hard surfaces and minimalist room decor. I would have been happier if our rate had included breakfast; I had a little quibble with them when we wanted to have a la carte breakfast and they would not allow us to sit in the dining room. But their rules, so....

Other than that, I had no complaint. Location was superb for us. Both the Alhambra bus and the airport bus stoop a few steps from the hotel with the former stopping right outside.

So all in all, I would say it is a very good place to stay, although you will not find the atmosphere of the hotels in the Albaicin or the Alhambra hill. I much preferred staying downtown, though.

Here is my Granada report:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...k-in-spain.cfm

WAY too pricy for me

http://www.otel.com/hotels/alhambra_...ra%20palace%20...

or similar booked with Otel.com with cashback and a

10% booking facebook.com discount code usually saves

me 70% or more for 4 and 5 stars of better quality

than paradors sort of a tourist scam there.

Do beware all the fake reviews on Tripadvertizer

yet another commercial for profit Expedia scam.

booking.com best for honest recent reviews from real guests

I stayed at Carmen de la Alcubilla del Carol for about 10 days last year and couldn't recommend it highly enough. It's well located for visiting the Alhambra (15 mins walk) and less than 10 mins minutes walk to Plaza Neuva.

I stayed in El Cipres (has its own balcony & view of the Alhambra Palace Hotel & mountains) and another room (La Glicinia, I think).

The property is lovelier than the website depicts and the owner & manager are most charming & helpful. Sitting under the wisteria in the courtyard, looking across Granada to the Sierra Nevada, I felt as if I were staying with friends in their gracious home.

Hit the button too soon.

Parking: There isn't any parking on the premises, but if you ask at the Carmen, they might be able to advise you.

There is a little area along the lane from the Carmen, where you may be able to park. And you may also be able to leave your car in one of the streets near the Alhambra Palace Hotel.
It's about 2 mins walk from the Alhambra Palace Hotel to the Carmen - new pathway built in 2009.

I tend to trust the trip advisor hotel reviews for Spain. It's just not very "spanish" to bother writing a fake review on their own hotel. They barely answer the phone over there. Conversely I would not trust TA hotel reviews for a place like Morroco where it's obvious every Riad owner and their cousin has put up a fake review. On another note, I can't wait to stay at Carmen de la Alcubila some day...I love Granada.

I stayed at the Carmen de la Alcubilla on the Alhambra hill for five days a few weeks ago and also would recommend it highly. Delightful place with helpful owner, comfortable rooms, stunning views, thoughtful (and well-thought-out) amenities. Easy downhill walk into the center of Granada and easy to catch a bus back up the hill. Also easy walk to the Alhambra or frequent bus from nearby Alhambra Palace Hotel.

If you are arriving by car, Manuel the owner will send you an email giving you driving directions as well as instructions for contacting him when you arrive at the specified meeting place. He will greet you there, help you with your luggage, and whisk your car off to his garage or other parking place. You really won't want to be bothered with driving while in Granada.

Please note that Carmen de la Alcubilla is not suitable for anyone with serious mobility or walking problems. Unfortunately, the same can be said for much of the Alhambra and even Granada itself, which is a city best seen on foot.

The Parador is exquisitely situated and surely worth the splurge for those who want to stay within the Alhambra itself and don't mind the cost. If I were one of those, I might spend a night there, then move to the Alhambra Palace Hotel which is very grand, with all that I would want in a luxury hotel, and certainly worth a visit for a morning coffee on the terrace, or a drink at sunset, even if you're not staying there.

Meant to add...

Re: <i>"Given that Carmen de la Alcubilla is not easily accessible by car,"</i>

To clarify, it is accessible, by taxi at least. Manuel arranged for a taxi to pick me up at the gates my last morning and take me to the airport.

i would not spent that much for one night at the Parador, stay in another place and have lunch or dinner at the Parador while visiting the alhambra, true the America hotel is next door, however it is a basic
place and there are fine other hotels a short taxi drive away,also there is a nice bus going up and down the Cuesta.

Hey folks

Thanks for so many great responses and sorry for not replying sooner. I did cancel Pardor and will plan to have dinner there instead, but Carmen was booked for that night so I booked Casa 1800, which seems really good too, and is in downtown. AC Palacio was also good but about 50 euros more. Anyway, here is our itinerary - given all the help I got in this forum, I thought you should know where we are staying - any suggestions of good restaurants or activities near these places is also great:

May 16, 17 - Madrid - The Ritz
May 18-21 - Sevilla, El Rey Moro
May 22-23 - Nerja - Hotel Carabeo
May 24 - Granada - Casa 1800

So much for my initial plan to have only one or maybe two home bases to do the Andulucia! Just didn't work out in practice. We do plan to do day trips to a number of cities, as much as we manage, including of course Cordoba, Ronda, possibly Cadiz. Again, I welcome any suggestions for other places while we are there.

Thanks much for your help - will try to do a mini report at least, when I get back, and will post some photos as well- I may also do facebook checkins (I am Safa Rashtchy at facebook).

Thanks

I definitely think you're up for a journey to remember!