Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla

Andalusian Elegance

TEXT: EDDI FIEGEL | PHOTO © HOTEL 1800

Boutique hotels tend to be tucked away, well out of way of most city’s main tourist areas, but in Seville, just yards from the cathedral and its iconic Giralda tower, the Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla couldn’t be more central.

Originally home to the Mayor of Seville, this grand, glamorous but amazingly discreet hotel was built in 1864 and as you walk in, the trickling of water from the foyer fountain, the strains of soothing Spanish guitar and the soft scent of tigerlilies are a welcome respite from the chaos and cacophony of the many tourist trap tapas bars nearby.

While the lofty ceilings, grand chandeliers and wall frescoes in the Andalusian style patio atrium may hark back to the building’s heritage, the décor in the 33 rooms gives the nod to the past but also feels contemporary and luxurious at the same time. There’s a feel of elegant opulence with buttermilk-toned damask bedding, Louis XIV style gilded sofas and parquet floors. Not to mention sleek bathrooms complete with Molton Brown products for an additional dash of luxury.

Hot and cold breakfast dishes are served in the light-filled atrium and in the afternoon there are also snacks, soft drinks and coffees from the Nespresso machines available free for guests.

Inside the hotel, the heat and hubub of Seville’s Santa Cruz district may feel a million miles away, even though it’s just yards from the hotel’s front door. However the rooftop terrace, complete with swimming pool and sun loungers, has some of the best head-on views of the Giralda tower and the cathedral in the city.

A superb location is likewise a feature of Casa 1800’s sister hotel – Hotel Casa 1800 Granada. In what was originally the palatial 16th century headquarters of a local police force, the hotel is just a short walk from the Moorish arches, mosaics and fountains of Granada’s famed Alhambra palace. Inside the décor shares the elegant glamour of its Seville neighbour, albeit on a more intimate scale with high ceilings, chandeliers, gilt rococo flourishes and four poster beds.

“For me,” says Francisca Garcia Moreno, Manager of both hotels, ‘both the Hotel Casa 1800 in Seville and Granada are about preserving the grandeur of our Andalusian heritage but also combining it with contemporary comfort and elegance. Our guests often return to our hotels and for me, that’s the ultimate proof of our success.”

hotelcasa1800.com