I'm clearing out the deadwood from my COT. So, with my chopper in hand...
I'm clearing out the deadwood from my COT. So, with my chopper in hand...
Member since:12.06.2002
Reviews:545
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Carmona is a town with a very long history and is situated about 30km east of Seville. It lies astride the NIV Seville-Cordoba highway so the town is very easy to find. The Alcazar de la Reina Hotel is situated in the heart of the old town. It's not hard to find as it's more than adequately signposted, but it's still a bit of an ordeal driving to it. The old town was not designed with the automobile in mind (in fact I doubt whether the wheel was even invented when much of this place was built!) and you must negotiate a torturous and convoluted route through the incredibly narrow streets and lanes (all one way). The streets are so tight, it could be quite hair-raising - I don't have much hair so I was alright.
When we eventually cleared the claustrophobic streets, we found ourselves at one of the highest points of the town with a car-park and small mirador at one side, and a magnificent, restored former palace at the other. Surely this impressive building couldn't be our hotel? A quick double-take confirmed that indeed it was.
Although it dates from the 17th century, the building was totally restored and the hotel opened
only in 1999, giving the best of both modern and new. The hotel has 68 rooms and sleeps 150.
On entering the hotel, you're immediately struck by the elegance of the main reception area. Everywhere is shining marble, intricately carved oak panelling, antique furniture and deep sofas. There are two internal courtyards leading off from the reception area and these have partial glass walls which means the desk, lounges and foyer are bathed in soft sunlight. The air-conditioning meant that this was pleasant, not stifling. One of the courtyards housed the swimming pool (the water was absolutely freezing...very welcome!), while the other was like an extension of the lounge and was kitted out with tables and chairs with a function room at the far end. The restaurant was to the left of the front entrance and the adjoining bar led on to a terrace at the swimming pool.
Check-in was a formality. The very professional staff were all multi-lingual, pleasant and efficient. A few minutes later saw us, keycard in hand, entering the unusually large elevator. We were on the second floor (most of the hotel is only two floors with a small part having three) - we never used the elevator again until checking out as the marble staircase was a treat to use.
The room was at the end of a very long corridor which overlooked one of the courtyards and we were escorted all the way by the housekeeper who we met by chance as we stepped from the elevator. All the rooms are individually-styled, although they all have the same facilities.
Our room was fairly large with cool marble floors and the walls a daffodil-yellow colour. At the far end were large French windows which opened floor-to-ceiling and overlooked a tree-lined courtyard. Very nice, but very full of chirping birds! As this was absolutely the only outside noise we could hear when inside the room, we didn't mind...in fact it was very pleasant. Speaking of noise, the AC unit was powerful, efficient but quiet as gentle breeze and as the outside temperature was climbing above 40C (104F) it was well used. The room was furnished in Baroque-style, which is far from my preference, but I could live with it. We had a couple of firm, but very comfortable, large twin beds (5ft) with attendant bedside cabinets, clock/radio/alarm, and reading lights. On the opposite side of the room there was a desk and chair, a cabinet which housed the cable-TV and a well-stocked mini-bar which was surprisingly inexpensive. An occasional table and easy chairs completed the furnishings.
There was a long hallway from the door to the room proper, and one side of this was taken up by glass doors hiding (or more accurately, not hiding) masses of storage space and a small safe (no charge). On the other side of this hallway was a bathroom which was a large as some rooms I've stayed in. It was completely tiled in a pink and white colour-scheme - Mrs P thought it was ghastly, but I quite liked it. The bidet and WC were behind a low wall separating them from the rest of the bathroom where there was a large bathtub and a great shower (although the shower was awkward to turn on without getting a splash of cold water first). There was a double sink below a large mirror which was well-lit, and placed in baskets on the vanity area were more quality toiletries and all sorts of knick-knacks like combs, sewing-kits etc. than comfortably fits in a suitcase. There were also plenty of big, soft, fluffy towels.
We didn't use the restaurant but it looked very nice, if a little expensive. Nor did we have breakfast in the hotel. We did, however, avail ourselves of some fairly inexpensive snacks from room service. The hotel has a secure, underground car park but there's adequate parking next to the hotel and Carmona didn't strike me as being the car-theft capital of the world!
In conclusion: The hotel was elegant and luxurious, clean and quiet, antique and modern, and generally, top-class. It sits in a quiet corner of a fascinating medieval town yet is only 20 minutes drive from the bustling city of Seville. We were sorry to leave.
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