Hotel Alfonso XIII

Seville invites extravagance, and you can go the whole hog in this palatial hotel, built by King Alfonso XIII for his fellow royals attending the 1929 Ibero-American Exhibition.

Moorish opulence prevails in the public areas, while beds are king size (of course!) with rooms that combine a mix of modern, Castilian and Arabic.

The Ena restaurant on the garden terrace serves a superb fusion of Catalonian and Andalusian cuisine.

Located by the former tobacco company (where Bizet’s Carmen rolled her cigars, now part of the university), it’s a 10-minute walk from the Cathedral, but there’s a pool to cool off in, and a great art deco bar for cocktails.