Apr 17, 2019, 12:38 pm
Last edit by: Tomphot
In-room safe: The safe was different from any hotel safe I’ve ever encountered. The basic idea is that you set the code once and then turn a lever every time you want to lock the safe. Typing in the code UNLOCKS the safe. So if you are in the habit of typing in a code to lock the safe, and retyping it to unlock, what you will really be doing is leaving it unlocked every time.
Parking: They have valet parking. You have to follow the instructions on their website to get to the hotel - they are on a restricted road that's for taxis/buses only that direction...but according to them you're allowed to drive the half block to the hotel. Then they'll park it for you. It was 21.50 euros per night.
Breakfast: Continental which included juice, coffee, fruit, breads, yogurt, custard, and cheeses and cured meats. There were small (4-7 euros) upcharges if you wanted something cooked from the kitchen but we were fine with the continental choices. It was a buffet – you tell the waiter of your hot choices.
Parking: They have valet parking. You have to follow the instructions on their website to get to the hotel - they are on a restricted road that's for taxis/buses only that direction...but according to them you're allowed to drive the half block to the hotel. Then they'll park it for you. It was 21.50 euros per night.
Breakfast: Continental which included juice, coffee, fruit, breads, yogurt, custard, and cheeses and cured meats. There were small (4-7 euros) upcharges if you wanted something cooked from the kitchen but we were fine with the continental choices. It was a buffet – you tell the waiter of your hot choices.
Palacio De Santa Paula, Autograph Collection - Granada, Spain [Master Thread]
Jun 12, 2016, 2:23 pm
#47
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sitting down
Posts: 557
The uprating charge for Gold/Platinum to the full breakfast has come down slightly at this hotel - from a stay earlier this month it is now the odd figure of €10.82.
The wifi arrangements are also now different in that you are handed a code for 'Premium' wifi for the duration of your stay at check-in, rather than daily cards.
The wifi arrangements are also now different in that you are handed a code for 'Premium' wifi for the duration of your stay at check-in, rather than daily cards.
Feb 28, 2017, 3:21 pm
#48
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Tit, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold, Carlson Gold, UA*S,
Posts: 1,360
Just had a very enjoyable stay at this property. As a newly minted Platinum member from SPG I was very interested to see how I was going to be treated and was not disappointed. My room was upgraded to a view overlooking the convent complete with a balcony and deckchairs. Apparently, the only room in the hotel to have this facility!
The breakfast was excellent with plenty of options and there was no charge.The only thing that slightly worried me was that when we arrived the receptionist asked me if I had booked my tickets for the Alhambra... I hadn't!
It would be great if the hotel would reach out to guests beforehand to explain how important it is to do so.
In the end, I just got up early (missing breakfast!) to get on-the-day tickets for the attraction which was great overall.
The hotel is well located, the bar and restaurant and really nicely appointed and there is even a nice little gym, sauna and steam room.
The actual setting around an old convent is pretty unique. I wonder what the nuns would make of it nowadays?
The breakfast was excellent with plenty of options and there was no charge.The only thing that slightly worried me was that when we arrived the receptionist asked me if I had booked my tickets for the Alhambra... I hadn't!
It would be great if the hotel would reach out to guests beforehand to explain how important it is to do so.
In the end, I just got up early (missing breakfast!) to get on-the-day tickets for the attraction which was great overall.
The hotel is well located, the bar and restaurant and really nicely appointed and there is even a nice little gym, sauna and steam room.
The actual setting around an old convent is pretty unique. I wonder what the nuns would make of it nowadays?
Dec 2, 2017, 7:28 am
#51
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: IAD
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,937
This is an excellent hotel located within walking distance of all the tourist sites, including a bevy of restaurants. Was in a one bedroom suite (not the Bishop’s suite) that was in really good shape. Nothing special though – it was pretty much just two connecting rooms put together, but at least it was designed thoughtfully. Bed was on the firmer side. After checking in, housekeeping brought Molton Brown toiletries to replace the standard ones, especially the stupid golfball soap.
The gym is small, with just one treadmill and one exercise bike. Premium WiFi is a blazing 58Mbps. Hotel staff were very fluent in English. Golds and Plats get to choose between continental breakfast or 750 points/night. If you choose the continental breakfast, you can order off the menu for hot items such as eggs at an unspecified price.
Taxi to the airport took 30 minutes, and cost about 35 Euros. Would definitely stay here again!
The gym is small, with just one treadmill and one exercise bike. Premium WiFi is a blazing 58Mbps. Hotel staff were very fluent in English. Golds and Plats get to choose between continental breakfast or 750 points/night. If you choose the continental breakfast, you can order off the menu for hot items such as eggs at an unspecified price.
Taxi to the airport took 30 minutes, and cost about 35 Euros. Would definitely stay here again!
Apr 12, 2018, 9:30 am
#53
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, United Silver, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 2,273
I just noticed that the name of the hotel has changed. I don't know how long it's been.
What had been AC Hotel Palacio De Santa Paula, Autograph Collection is now simply Hotel Palacio De Santa Paula, Autograph Collection on Marriott.com.
Let's hope this reduces the confusion about whether it provides Rewards benefits under the rules of AC Hotels or Autograph Collection.
AC Hotels, named after founder Antonio Catalán, became part of Marriott in 2011. Most of those hotels became part of a new brand for Marriott. A handful of higher-end properties became part of Autograph Collection, but retained their old "AC" names -- as if it wasn't confusing enough that AC was often incorrectly perceived as an abbreviation for Autograph Collection.
Perhaps someone could remove "AC" from the topic name of this FlyerTalk thread.
What had been AC Hotel Palacio De Santa Paula, Autograph Collection is now simply Hotel Palacio De Santa Paula, Autograph Collection on Marriott.com.
Let's hope this reduces the confusion about whether it provides Rewards benefits under the rules of AC Hotels or Autograph Collection.
AC Hotels, named after founder Antonio Catalán, became part of Marriott in 2011. Most of those hotels became part of a new brand for Marriott. A handful of higher-end properties became part of Autograph Collection, but retained their old "AC" names -- as if it wasn't confusing enough that AC was often incorrectly perceived as an abbreviation for Autograph Collection.
Perhaps someone could remove "AC" from the topic name of this FlyerTalk thread.
Apr 12, 2018, 11:47 am
#54
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: SJC/BUR
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Club Carlson Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 1,079
Feb 15, 2019, 8:44 am
#55
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,732
Planning for a trip around Spain in August and reading reviews on tripadvisor for the month of January, seems like there are a number of theft incidents going on here. Not sure whether it is true or not. But very worrying indeed.
Mar 3, 2019, 5:02 pm
#56
Join Date: Dec 2003
Programs: AA Plat Pro, United Silver, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,118
MTA: I looked at the reviews again and it's possible that multiple TA accounts are being used to report one or at most 2 incidents. The most recent one says "My family members wallet had been stolen" and I get the impression this reviewer did not stay at the hotel but is just piling on. It's never good when something is stolen from a hotel, but at least it doesn't look like there was a rash of thefts like I thought at first glance.
So...we are going to keep our reservation, fingers crossed.
Last edited by ehallison; Mar 12, 2019 at 10:13 am
Apr 4, 2019, 12:46 pm
#57
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,732
Wow you're right, 4 theft incidents reported on TA during January. One even mentioned that the items were stolen from the safe! The reviews seem to be from legit guests as the property responded to the reviews (although in a very dismissive manner; "You didn't have any proof of this."). I'm troubled as we have a 2-night stay coming up.
MTA: I looked at the reviews again and it's possible that multiple TA accounts are being used to report one or at most 2 incidents. The most recent one says "My family members wallet had been stolen" and I get the impression this reviewer did not stay at the hotel but is just piling on. It's never good when something is stolen from a hotel, but at least it doesn't look like there was a rash of thefts like I thought at first glance.
So...we are going to keep our reservation, fingers crossed.
MTA: I looked at the reviews again and it's possible that multiple TA accounts are being used to report one or at most 2 incidents. The most recent one says "My family members wallet had been stolen" and I get the impression this reviewer did not stay at the hotel but is just piling on. It's never good when something is stolen from a hotel, but at least it doesn't look like there was a rash of thefts like I thought at first glance.
So...we are going to keep our reservation, fingers crossed.
Apr 8, 2019, 7:34 am
#59
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: ATL - DL DM/3MM - HH Lifetime Diamond - Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 3,117
Apr 10, 2019, 7:05 am
#60
Join Date: Dec 2003
Programs: AA Plat Pro, United Silver, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,118
We recently had a 2-night stay here.
About the stay:
We stayed on points and were offered an upgrade to the old convent section of the hotel, with rooms overlooking an interior courtyard. The only drawback to this room is that we could hear some light restaurant noise until late (after midnight). It wasn’t bad and wouldn’t have kept me from sleeping if I was so inclined. But we could hear ALL the noise from an event which was luckily during the day. So if you are offered one of these rooms on a weekend, you might want to ask about scheduled events. I’d have been unhappy if the wedding party went on until midnight.
Titanium benefits were good. We were offered points or $10 F&B credit. We opted for the credit which we used in the bar. It more than covered a glass of wine and a beer. I’d have ordered a second glass of wine if I’d realized.
The breakfast was well explained at check-in. It was a continental which included juice, coffee, fruit, breads, yogurt, custard, and cheeses and cured meats. There were small (4-7 euros) upcharges if you wanted something cooked from the kitchen but we were fine with the continental choices. It wasn’t a buffet – you tell the waiter your choices. One morning we had an early time slot at the Alhambra so we let the waiter know as we were seated when they opened at 7AM, and he took care of us very quickly. The breakfast was in the main restaurant which is a lovely space.
The location was great. Everything within walking distance, although we chose to catch the city bus up to the Alhambra instead of walking uphill that morning. It stops about 2 blocks from the hotel. You could walk if you wanted - we wanted to see the Alhambra at night (did you know the grounds are open with no ticket required?!) and walked up then. Beautiful and peaceful.
About the TripAdvisor theft reports:
After staying here, I am convinced that the 4 complaints on TripAdvisor about theft from the room were all about a single incident AND that the safe was not locked. The safe was different from any hotel safe I’ve ever encountered. I had to read the directions through and practice twice before successfully locking it. I mentioned it to my husband, and when we next left the room he thought he had locked it…but he hadn’t. (the basic idea is that you set the code once and then turn a lever every time you want to lock the safe. Typing in the code UNLOCKS the safe. So if you are in the habit of typing in a code to lock the safe, and retyping it to unlock, what you will really be doing is leaving it unlocked every time). Of course it’s terrible when anything goes missing from a room and I’m not excusing it if it happened. But I wouldn’t let the multiple TA reviews scare you off based on what appears to be an isolated incident (and who knows if the property possibly addressed it internally/fired someone but doesn’t want to say publicly).
In summary: Great stay, great elite benefits; we’d choose this hotel again.
About the stay:
We stayed on points and were offered an upgrade to the old convent section of the hotel, with rooms overlooking an interior courtyard. The only drawback to this room is that we could hear some light restaurant noise until late (after midnight). It wasn’t bad and wouldn’t have kept me from sleeping if I was so inclined. But we could hear ALL the noise from an event which was luckily during the day. So if you are offered one of these rooms on a weekend, you might want to ask about scheduled events. I’d have been unhappy if the wedding party went on until midnight.
Titanium benefits were good. We were offered points or $10 F&B credit. We opted for the credit which we used in the bar. It more than covered a glass of wine and a beer. I’d have ordered a second glass of wine if I’d realized.
The breakfast was well explained at check-in. It was a continental which included juice, coffee, fruit, breads, yogurt, custard, and cheeses and cured meats. There were small (4-7 euros) upcharges if you wanted something cooked from the kitchen but we were fine with the continental choices. It wasn’t a buffet – you tell the waiter your choices. One morning we had an early time slot at the Alhambra so we let the waiter know as we were seated when they opened at 7AM, and he took care of us very quickly. The breakfast was in the main restaurant which is a lovely space.The location was great. Everything within walking distance, although we chose to catch the city bus up to the Alhambra instead of walking uphill that morning. It stops about 2 blocks from the hotel. You could walk if you wanted - we wanted to see the Alhambra at night (did you know the grounds are open with no ticket required?!) and walked up then. Beautiful and peaceful.
About the TripAdvisor theft reports:
After staying here, I am convinced that the 4 complaints on TripAdvisor about theft from the room were all about a single incident AND that the safe was not locked. The safe was different from any hotel safe I’ve ever encountered. I had to read the directions through and practice twice before successfully locking it. I mentioned it to my husband, and when we next left the room he thought he had locked it…but he hadn’t. (the basic idea is that you set the code once and then turn a lever every time you want to lock the safe. Typing in the code UNLOCKS the safe. So if you are in the habit of typing in a code to lock the safe, and retyping it to unlock, what you will really be doing is leaving it unlocked every time). Of course it’s terrible when anything goes missing from a room and I’m not excusing it if it happened. But I wouldn’t let the multiple TA reviews scare you off based on what appears to be an isolated incident (and who knows if the property possibly addressed it internally/fired someone but doesn’t want to say publicly).
In summary: Great stay, great elite benefits; we’d choose this hotel again.
