Luxury Seville Hotel Review: Hotel Ateneo

Ah, Seville!  Now that we have dark evenings here and it's getting colder, I'm reminiscing about what a wonderful city it was (and how warm it was!).  It was the perfect starting point for our Andalusian honeymoon.  We stayed in an impressively gilded and antiqued hotel, Hotel Ateneo, a luxury boutique type hotel.  We stayed for two nights and had a suite with possibly the biggest bed in Spain.  Our room was number 303, the Junior Suite.  Apparently the main suite has a Neo-Gothic library, but our budget didn't quite stretch to that and I thought that a honeymoon is not the time to be doing a lot of reading.

That bed came up as high as my waist - if you're petite you'd need a stepladder to get on there.

Our huge private terrace with views over the rooftops

Above: Fairly unassuming from the outside, the interior is breathtaking, with gorgeous sitting areas full of antiques and works of art (below)

Location
A short walk from Calle Sierpes, the main shopping street, made this practically perfect for me.  It was a lovely stroll along the shaded streets down to the Cathedral, which is pretty much the epicentre of things in Seville.

Facilities
All the little luxuries you'd expect were provided - robes, slippers, toiletries, hairdryer etc.  The only thing missing was a kettle (I'm British and the joy of making a proper cuppa with teabags from home should not be underrated), and perhaps a bit more information in the rooms on the hotel, things like mini-bar prices, and more local information. Outside there's a small courtyard with a little plunge pool.  There isn't a restaurant but a buffet breakfast is available.  We ate out - right outside the front door is a lovely little square, so we just stepped out for our morning coffees. 

Service
The staff were pleasant, helpful and efficient, giving us directions and assisting us with minor queries such as finding a corkscrew.  It was a nice touch that some cava and sweet-treats were delivered to our room with the maid congratulating us in Spanish on our marriage (at least that's what I think she said!).

Rooms
I don't think I could have found us a bigger or better room in Seville, it was incredible.  The bathroom was huge, with a fabulous rain shower, a freestanding bath, his and hers sinks, a dressing table, and separate toilet.  There was a dressing area behind the bedroom with space for luggage, a mini-bar, and a giant antique wardrobe that lights up when you open the doors.  In the main area was the bed, a seating area, the lovely fireplace, and a desk and further seating.  Outside is a huge terrace with table and chairs, bench, sun lounger, outdoor shower, and views over the rooftops to Santa Maria church.  You could quite comfortably have a party in that room.

Value for Money
I'll be honest - that's the most I've ever paid for a hotel in my life, and probably ever will.  The price we paid was 300 Euros a night (roughly £220 a night or $339 US Dollars), which rather exceeds our usual budget.  For a honeymoon, it was worth it - the alternatives in the price range were either a) quite small rooms, b) no double bed (two singles pushed together is common in Spain) or c) were that grey and beige bland modern style that I find depressing and uninspiring.  If I went back to Seville (which I thoroughly intend to do) I would possibly stay in one of their less grand, smaller rooms, which I think start from around 100 Euros a night.

I know that a city hotel room decorated with dark furniture and antiques is a million miles away from what is sold as the 'perfect honeymoon' of stark white minimalist rooms spilling out onto beaches in 5* resorts where you never leave and see the country you're visiting, but it was very 'us', and I cannot recommend a visit to Seville highly enough.  Just show me some photos if you stay in the Neo-Gothic library, will you?