We have made reservations at the Hotel Alfonos XIII--but then just read someone's evaluation who thought it was becomming a little run down--would you like Casa Imperial more--Casa Numero 7 sounded interesting but why stay British in Spain--Suggestions appreciated--thank jan

Hi jlpx2,
I think you got that evaluation from me, responding to your email!
I need to explain:
the day we had drinks at the Alfonso XIII was Easter Sunday, an extremely busy time for this hotel, as they were swamped with guests and visitors. I did find the public areas not as gleaming and not as spotlessly maintained (chipped floor tiles, stained menus) as their Westin "sister" in Madrid, the Palace, so included that impression in my file. It may read as too harsh. I do think that it's probably time for Westin to do a "refreshing" of the public areas as they did with the Palace. Perhaps olga has a very different opiniion.
BUT, we weren't lodged at the Alfonso XIII, so I can't comment on the decor/maintenance of the rooms, which may be a very different story. My observation was also based on a comparison the very next night with the newly renovated Castellana Intercontinental in Madrid, which just gleams.
If you are a first timer to Seville and to the Alfonso XIII you probably won't notice the difference.
The Casa Numero 7 is a totally different experience, and yes, very British in feel.
I can no longer recommendd Casa Imperial given the very indifferent reception we were given and the current run down look of the public rooms on our last "inspection". It just didn't look or feel the same.

So despite my observation about the Alfonso XIII, if a Grand Dame classic European hotel with Moorish architecture appeals to you, you probably want to keep your reservations there, unless another poster tells you otherwise, given that you have an early morning flight the next day, as you indicated in your email.

Hope this explains the comment in my Seville file.

We were in Sevilla in November. Had confirmed reservations at La Taberna del Alabardero. It is tiny (7 rooms?) and the very nice manager apologized profusely, but they had overbooked. So we spent one night at the nearby Hotel Vincci la Rabida and then moved to La Taberna. The former was quite nice, the latter spectacular. If you can't get in to stay, at least have dinner at La Taberna's fabulous restaurant. Also, a sightseeing note: The Plaza de Espana, which had charmed us five years ago, was undergoing major repairs. The moat was drained, chain link fencing was everywhere and obviously there had been a lot of vandalism. Maria Luisa Park was also in disrepair and the Plaza de America was under reconstruction and blocked off. So, depending on when you are going, you might want to take these off your sightseeing list. Nothing looked like it was going to be finished any time soon.

I stayed at Casa Numero 7 recently, and loved it.
Yes, there's a certain British orientation there in decor (and virtually all signs, instructions are in English only), but what I loved was the location (easily accessible on foot to anywhere in Seville) , the quiet, and the personalized service.
Though I did stop in to the Alfonso XIII for a look, I was very glad that I had chosen a more intinate place for my stay. It really enhanced my stay in Seville

Cristina, the woman who manages the hotel speaks excellent English, but much of the rest of the staff is much more comfortable in Spanish. We took the opportunity to speak Spanish as much as possible, but it sure was nice to be able to get detailed help in English when we really needed it

I just got back from 4 wonderful days at the Hotel Alfonso XIII. It was worth the money in terms of service (parking, pool, location, breakfast, etc).