There's a Metro stop at the AVE station (Joaquín Sorolla) with service on the lines 1, 3 and 5, if you are so set against having to "battle your way through the city by car".
http://www.metrovalencia.es/planos.php?page=103
Do yourself a favour and pick a nice hotel in a nice part of town - hotels near railway stations are rarely the nicest option. If you plan in advance and leave plenty of time to get to the station, there is no way you will miss your train, or need to "battle" your way through traffic.
From Google Maps:
The AVE station is marked with a pin "I" in this map (See how close the metro station is to it - indicated by the white "m" in a red circle). Note that this railway station is close to, but separate from, the regular railway station "Valencia-Nord" at the top of the map. The hotel mentioned by
JuanRos is indicated with pin "D". A more budget option is indicated with pin "A". There is also a youth hostel a little further away.