Some days in Andalucia
Oct 7, 2018, 3:14 pm
#62
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Carmona: Necrópolis
The next morning we had to say goodbye to La Bobadilla and mooved forward to Sevilla. On the way we wanted to visit the necropolis of Carmona.
When we arrived and left our cas an old guy made heavy noise with a whistle. It turned out he claimed 1 € for the parking space. When I looked confused he showed me some official looking statement. I paid and the guy could again use his whistle as someone else arrived. Wired.....
The entrance to the necropolis itself is free and contains of a circular route of several tombs.
As usually some parts of the necropolis (perhaps the most important) were closed but it is nevertheless a stunning sight.
On the opposite site of the street is the amphitheatre, it was also locked.
When we arrived and left our cas an old guy made heavy noise with a whistle. It turned out he claimed 1 € for the parking space. When I looked confused he showed me some official looking statement. I paid and the guy could again use his whistle as someone else arrived. Wired.....
The entrance to the necropolis itself is free and contains of a circular route of several tombs.
As usually some parts of the necropolis (perhaps the most important) were closed but it is nevertheless a stunning sight.
On the opposite site of the street is the amphitheatre, it was also locked.
Oct 8, 2018, 1:25 pm
#63
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Santiponce: Itálica
Next we drove to Itálica. It´s an old Roman city which may some know as film Location of Game of Thrones. But it has much more to offer.
When we arrived again a guy (this time without whistle) claimed 1 €.
First you think you entered a park.
Street
Neptune mosaik
Remains of several houses
Termas Mayores
Most famous part of Itálica is the theatra which is well preserved and offered space for 25000 people.
Entrance
The arena from the ground level
Vault
View from the upper level
When we arrived again a guy (this time without whistle) claimed 1 €.
First you think you entered a park.
Street
Neptune mosaik
Remains of several houses
Termas Mayores
Most famous part of Itálica is the theatra which is well preserved and offered space for 25000 people.
Entrance
The arena from the ground level
Vault
View from the upper level
Oct 10, 2018, 3:03 pm
#64
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Sevilla: Hotel Alfonso XIII
When it came to Sevilla it wasn´t easy for me to choose our hotel. Alfonso is the classical choice but I read mixed reviews here. Also I wasn´t sure it´s really worth ist price. Alternative for me was Melia Grand which offers Penthouse Suites with whirlpools on its terrace. Price was around 300 € lower than Alfonso. In the end I wasn´t alsp convinced about Melia and more important Alfonso had the much better Location for sightseeing. So I booked 2 nights via Virtuoso in a Deluxe Suite at Alfonso, price was roughly 1.000,00 € per night.
Alfonso XIII is a hotel with a long tradition and is used by the Spanish king. It´s part of Starwood Luxury Collection.
As I said location of the hotel is in the heart of Sevilla. You can´t stay in a more conveniant location, in under 5 minutes you walk to Cathedral, Real Alcázar or Archivo de Indias.
From outside the hotel is built like a palace, interesting are the 2 entrances.
Seating area outside the hotel:
We arrived around 4 pm. and were relatively fast greated by a doormen who took care of our car and laguage. We were escorted to the front desk were a very friendly trainee checked us in. As the hotel was fully booked we didn´t receive an upgrade.
Alfonso XIII is a hotel with a long tradition and is used by the Spanish king. It´s part of Starwood Luxury Collection.
As I said location of the hotel is in the heart of Sevilla. You can´t stay in a more conveniant location, in under 5 minutes you walk to Cathedral, Real Alcázar or Archivo de Indias.
From outside the hotel is built like a palace, interesting are the 2 entrances.
Seating area outside the hotel:
We arrived around 4 pm. and were relatively fast greated by a doormen who took care of our car and laguage. We were escorted to the front desk were a very friendly trainee checked us in. As the hotel was fully booked we didn´t receive an upgrade.
Oct 10, 2018, 3:27 pm
#65
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Sevilla: Hotel Alfonso XIII
Before we went to our room at the 3rd floor we got a tour through the hotel. The common areas are simply stunning!
The lobby:
Seating group with tiles:
In front of the ballroom:
Hallway:
Small museum with the kings chair and desk:
Elevator:
In front of the elevator on the 3rd floor:
Staircase:
Hallway to our room:
The lobby:
Seating group with tiles:
In front of the ballroom:
Hallway:
Small museum with the kings chair and desk:
Elevator:
In front of the elevator on the 3rd floor:
Staircase:
Hallway to our room:
Oct 10, 2018, 4:06 pm
#66
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Sevilla: Hotel Alfonso XIII
When we enterred our room 308 we first stood in a long hallway.
The view on the map shows there are much worse sized rooms on the floor.
On the wall an old price list. In Euro nowadays it would be fine….
The living room was small and relative dark but the furniture was very nice.
View from the living room to the courtyard.
The bedroom was slightly bigger with a nice bed. The closet was hard to open with a chair in front and didn´t really offer much space.
Nevertheless the room was even darker than the living room! The window was frosted glass what´s not the kind of window I´m used to in bedrooms.
When I´m opened it I learned why. This view wouldn´t qualify as view of the year:
The bathroom was good with a very good sized shower and nice tiles on the wall.
First I was angry there was no welcome gift at the room. After our first walk through the city we found this:
Nice fruits, would have preferred a bottle of water instead of the Champagne which is useless for me (have a storage at home).
Later we even got more:
Unfortunately not everything was fine in the room. First the shutter at one of the windows didn´t move, after the second turn down they remained in this position
Also the shower at the bathtub was quite unique as it splashed in all directions and set the floor under water. As was easy to see it was damaged and someone "repaired" it as unprofessional as possible with sellotape. Can´t imagine housekeeping don´t notice.
Yes, the room was nicely furnished and had a good bathroom. Nevertheless I wasn´t totally satisfied. First I wish some more space, but it was still OK. Also I would like a proper window in the bedroom and prefer a brighter room. This room would have been fine if it had cost 500,00 €, but 1.000,00 € (wasn´t high season) was simply overpriced. Next time I would most likely invest 300 € more and book one of their bigger suites.
The view on the map shows there are much worse sized rooms on the floor.
On the wall an old price list. In Euro nowadays it would be fine….
The living room was small and relative dark but the furniture was very nice.
View from the living room to the courtyard.
The bedroom was slightly bigger with a nice bed. The closet was hard to open with a chair in front and didn´t really offer much space.
Nevertheless the room was even darker than the living room! The window was frosted glass what´s not the kind of window I´m used to in bedrooms.
When I´m opened it I learned why. This view wouldn´t qualify as view of the year:
The bathroom was good with a very good sized shower and nice tiles on the wall.
First I was angry there was no welcome gift at the room. After our first walk through the city we found this:
Nice fruits, would have preferred a bottle of water instead of the Champagne which is useless for me (have a storage at home).
Later we even got more:
Unfortunately not everything was fine in the room. First the shutter at one of the windows didn´t move, after the second turn down they remained in this position
Also the shower at the bathtub was quite unique as it splashed in all directions and set the floor under water. As was easy to see it was damaged and someone "repaired" it as unprofessional as possible with sellotape. Can´t imagine housekeeping don´t notice.
Yes, the room was nicely furnished and had a good bathroom. Nevertheless I wasn´t totally satisfied. First I wish some more space, but it was still OK. Also I would like a proper window in the bedroom and prefer a brighter room. This room would have been fine if it had cost 500,00 €, but 1.000,00 € (wasn´t high season) was simply overpriced. Next time I would most likely invest 300 € more and book one of their bigger suites.
Oct 10, 2018, 4:18 pm
#67
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Sevilla: Hotel Alfonso XIII
Breakfast was served at the main restaurant. When I first saw the buffet I thought: wow! Huge selction, not usual these days.
We were not given a menu to order. Unfortunatelly the good first lmpression didn´t last long. While choices were great, quality was not. At best the Food was OK, some items like crepes (hard and dry), waffles (dry) or pancakes (also dry) were underwhelming. When I ordered a hot choclate I got a cup of warm milk and a bag of industrial cocoa powder (in a luxury hotel?!). People at a table beside us (strange Germans) decided to order a la carte instead of using the buffet. Their egg Benedict with shrimps only missed one ingredient: the shrimps
They also said it didn´t taste "as expected".
We were not given a menu to order. Unfortunatelly the good first lmpression didn´t last long. While choices were great, quality was not. At best the Food was OK, some items like crepes (hard and dry), waffles (dry) or pancakes (also dry) were underwhelming. When I ordered a hot choclate I got a cup of warm milk and a bag of industrial cocoa powder (in a luxury hotel?!). People at a table beside us (strange Germans) decided to order a la carte instead of using the buffet. Their egg Benedict with shrimps only missed one ingredient: the shrimps
They also said it didn´t taste "as expected".
Oct 11, 2018, 9:06 am
#68
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What a delicious and nicely photographed trip report! I should love to duplicate your travels through this region someday as I have made only a short excursion into Seville back in 2013. Thanks, offerendum! ^^
Oct 11, 2018, 12:34 pm
#69
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Will post some sights, I think it will start tomorrow.
Oct 11, 2018, 2:00 pm
#70
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Sevilla: Hotel Alfonso XIII
The hotel offers an outdoor pool in the garden. Personally in a warm city like Sevilla I absolutely love to visit the pool to relax a little bit. Service at the pool was very basic but everything was clean and in good condition.
Enough space to relax:
Small garden:
For me a real pro, very nice place.
Enough space to relax:
Small garden:
For me a real pro, very nice place.
Oct 11, 2018, 3:25 pm
#71
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Still loving this TR - keep the pictures and posts on coming!
But wow, that's a lot of money for the Seville hotel if so many things are not as expected. The building looks beautiful and unique, that for sure. And admittedly it's not a price I'm willing to pay/can afford unless it's a special occasion - but it surely seems like a hell lot of money when you think I've seen hotels costing less (albeit in cheaper destinations) which are delivering a lot, lot more in terms of top-notch quality when it comes to the room itself, the view, and breakfast buffets.
But wow, that's a lot of money for the Seville hotel if so many things are not as expected. The building looks beautiful and unique, that for sure. And admittedly it's not a price I'm willing to pay/can afford unless it's a special occasion - but it surely seems like a hell lot of money when you think I've seen hotels costing less (albeit in cheaper destinations) which are delivering a lot, lot more in terms of top-notch quality when it comes to the room itself, the view, and breakfast buffets.
Oct 11, 2018, 3:27 pm
#72
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Sevilla: Hotel Alfonso XIII
Part of our Virtuoso-package was a dinner at San Fernando. We were greated friendly and were escorted to our table.
They offer a menu of the months which was included for us. price for 3 courses was 39,00 € Alternative they offered us a 35,00 € credit per person. It was a "memorable" meal….
It started with a tasty gazpacho:
At this moment it started to rain and it was a heavy rain.
When our first course arrived I was a little bit shocked. Yes, this were appetizers!
Artichokes in tempura with creamy goat’s cheese and honey with soy and thyme
Fried cazón –dog fish – and baby squid with lime and chilli garlic Mayonnaise
To be honest I was already full. But soon the main course arrived, seafood paella:
Yes, this was for 2 persons….. Even if I took 2 of this plates it wasn´t empty, would have been enough. Now I was totally full. But wait, didn´t I order dessert at the beginning? Yes, I did and I ordered the varied tasting platter for 2 persons. Happy day…..
No, we didn´t eat it complete (let´s say 70 %) and now I was absolutely totally full. Can´t remember which time I ate that much. So be careful with ordering…. The Food tasted good and I was satisfied. Really a nice dinner. prices were reasonable, paella is for excample 21,00 € per person.
The second day we wanted to try the hotels second restaurant, Ena by Carles Abellan. When we arrived we mentioned very loud Music as some dance party was in the room near by. The bar was very cold and empty but nice.
After no one took care of us we decided to Escape to San Fernando. They were fully booked but organized an additional table for us near the buffet area,
Again it had started to rain.....
Amuse Bouche
Octopus salad with la vera sweet paprika
Green salad with artichokes, green asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan and lime and lemon
Grilled Corvina, with stir-fried vegetables and balsamic vinegar
Sautéed sea bass with Moroccan lemon sauce and green asparagus
White chocolate panna cotta
Crepes stuffed with rice pudding, caramelised orange and spiced chocolate
Again a nice and tasty meal!
They offer a menu of the months which was included for us. price for 3 courses was 39,00 € Alternative they offered us a 35,00 € credit per person. It was a "memorable" meal….
It started with a tasty gazpacho:
At this moment it started to rain and it was a heavy rain.
When our first course arrived I was a little bit shocked. Yes, this were appetizers!
Artichokes in tempura with creamy goat’s cheese and honey with soy and thyme
Fried cazón –dog fish – and baby squid with lime and chilli garlic Mayonnaise
To be honest I was already full. But soon the main course arrived, seafood paella:
Yes, this was for 2 persons….. Even if I took 2 of this plates it wasn´t empty, would have been enough. Now I was totally full. But wait, didn´t I order dessert at the beginning? Yes, I did and I ordered the varied tasting platter for 2 persons. Happy day…..
No, we didn´t eat it complete (let´s say 70 %) and now I was absolutely totally full. Can´t remember which time I ate that much. So be careful with ordering…. The Food tasted good and I was satisfied. Really a nice dinner. prices were reasonable, paella is for excample 21,00 € per person.
The second day we wanted to try the hotels second restaurant, Ena by Carles Abellan. When we arrived we mentioned very loud Music as some dance party was in the room near by. The bar was very cold and empty but nice.
After no one took care of us we decided to Escape to San Fernando. They were fully booked but organized an additional table for us near the buffet area,
Again it had started to rain.....
Amuse Bouche
Octopus salad with la vera sweet paprika
Green salad with artichokes, green asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan and lime and lemon
Grilled Corvina, with stir-fried vegetables and balsamic vinegar
Sautéed sea bass with Moroccan lemon sauce and green asparagus
White chocolate panna cotta
Crepes stuffed with rice pudding, caramelised orange and spiced chocolate
Again a nice and tasty meal!
Oct 11, 2018, 3:33 pm
#73
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
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Still loving this TR - keep the pictures and posts on coming!
But wow, that's a lot of money for the Seville hotel if so many things are not as expected. The building looks beautiful and unique, that for sure. And admittedly it's not a price I'm willing to pay/can afford unless it's a special occasion - but it surely seems like a hell lot of money when you think I've seen hotels costing less (albeit in cheaper destinations) which are delivering a lot, lot more in terms of top-notch quality when it comes to the room itself, the view, and breakfast buffets.
But wow, that's a lot of money for the Seville hotel if so many things are not as expected. The building looks beautiful and unique, that for sure. And admittedly it's not a price I'm willing to pay/can afford unless it's a special occasion - but it surely seems like a hell lot of money when you think I've seen hotels costing less (albeit in cheaper destinations) which are delivering a lot, lot more in terms of top-notch quality when it comes to the room itself, the view, and breakfast buffets.
Oct 11, 2018, 3:54 pm
#74
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Sevilla: Hotel Alfonso XIII
Bottom line: Alfonso is an unique hotel with stunning common areas, perfect Location, style a great pool, good restaurant and high class furniture. Unfortunately there were also some failures like the damages in the room, the small and dark suite without real proper window in the bedroom and the underwhelming breakfast. I enjoyed my stay and I would return but for the prices they claim they offer too little from an objective point of view. It was simply overpriced but I doubt you will find something equal in Sevilla.
