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Hotel Vettonia, Merida:
Stayed here for one night in January 2026
- Pros:
- 1) Location is convenient. We can walk to most attractions.
- 2) There is a good paid public parking nearby (which is not underground and easy to get in/out).
- 3) The front desk staff was courteous and helpful. The check-in/check-out process was smooth.
- 4) The room and bathrooms were spacious and clean.
- 5) The WIFI was free with good speed and connectivity.
- 6) The tariff was reasonable.
- 7) The place was quiet at night with good sleep quality.
- 8) There are reasonable options for groceries and eating next to the hotel.
- Cons:
- 1) The front desk is not operational 24 hours.
- 2) There is no dedicated hotel parking at the property.
- Soho Boutique, Seville:
We stayed here for one night in January 2026.
- Pros:
- 1) The location is good. There are plenty of eating and shopping options right next to the hotel.
- 2) The hotel decor is great.
- 3) The rooms and bathroooms are clean and spacious.
- 4) The front desk staff is quite helpful and courteous.
- 5) The WIFI was free with great speed and connectivity.
- 6) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality was great.
- 7) The tariff was reasonable.
- Cons:
- 1) There is no dedicated hotel parking.
- Ibis Budget, Malaga Centro:
We stayed here for one night in January 2026.
- Pros:
- 1) There is an underground parking right below the hotel.
- 2) The front desk is operational 24 hours.
- 3) The front desk staff was helpful and courteous.
- 4) The tariff is reasonable.
- 5) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality is good.
- 6) The WIFI is free with good speed and connectivity.
- Cons:
- 1) The location is not great. It is far from the city centre and there aren't great options for eating next to the hotel.
- 2) The rooms and bathrooms are tiny with very little maneuverability.
- Eurostars Palace, Cordoba :
Stayed here for one night in January 2026.
- Pros:
- 1) The rooms and bathrooms were very clean and spacious. This was the largest room among all the places we stayed on the trip.
- 2) The decor of the room and the lobby was quite good.
- 3) There is free parking right outside the hotel.
- 4) The location is great. It is right outside the city walls of Cordoba. It is a short walk to the Juderia. There is also a public laundromat close by.
- 5) The WIFI is free with great speed and connectivity.
- 6) The tariff is reasonable.
- 7) The front desk is operational 24 hours and the staff was helpful and courteous.
- 8) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality is great.
- Cons: None!
- Casa del Capitel Nazari, Granada:
Stayed here for two nights in January 2026.
- Pros:
- 1) The location is great. It is in Albaicin neighbourhood and we can walk to the city centre and the Alhambra from here.
- 2) The front desk is operational 24 hours and the staff is very helpful and courteous.
- 3) There are plenty of eating and shopping options right next to the hotel.
- 4) The WIFI is free with great speed and connectivity.
- 5) The area is quiet with great sleep quality.
- 6) The hotel decor is wonderful.
- 7) The tariff is quite reasonable.
- 8) The hotel contacted me with all the necessary details about parking beforehand. So I knew exactly what to do to get to the hotel.
- Cons:
- 1) The room looks a bit tired.
- 2) The bathroom was tiny.
- 3) There is no parking close to the hotel. It is a 15 minute walk to the parking with hotel discount.
- 4) The last minute directions to the hotel is poor.
- Sercotel Carlos III, Cartagena:
We stayed here for one night in January 2026.
- Pros:
- 1) Location is good. It is a short walk to the all the main sites.
- 2) There is a public parking very close to the hotel and they give a discount.
- 3) The hotel front desk is operational 24 hours and the staff was courteous and helpful.
- 4) The room and bathrooms were spacious and quite clean.
- 5) The place is quiet at night and sleep quality was great.
- 6) The tariff was reasonable.
- 7) The WIFI was free with good speed and connectivity.
- 8) Check-in/check-out process was smooth.
- Cons:
- 1) There are not too many good eating options close to the hotel.
- Casual Vintage, Valencia:
We stayed here for one night in January 2026.
- Pros:
- 1) The location is fantastic. It is right by the Ayuntamiento Plaza. There are plenty of eating and shopping options nearby. There is also a public laundromat nearby.
- 2) The front desk is operational 24 hours and the staff was courteous and helpful.
- 3) The rooms and bathrooms were spacious and clean.
- 4) The WIFI was free with good speed and connectivity.
- 5) The tariff was reasonable.
- 6) The place is quiet at night with good sleep quality.
- 7) Check-in/check-out process was smooth.
- Cons:
- 1) My biggest complaint is about the parking. The hotel has a discounted rate at a specific car park. But they did not let us know the details in advance (Granada hotel did that). So we had to take our car out and park at their specific car park. The usual rate is E32/night and the discounted rate is E18/night. Everywhere else, the hotel gave us a bar code that we could scan at the automatic payment machine to get our discount. This hotel only provided a stamp. So one has to pay at the counter. Although the car park claims it is serviced 24/7, there is rarely anyone afterhours. We checked out at 6 am and there was no one at the car park and we had to pay the full amount (at the automatic check-out) to take our car out. I would have given then 5-stars if they had not messed up the parking.
We rented a car for the entire trip - Budget. The process was quite smooth and we go an excellent car, pretty much what you would normally expect from a Budget. One thing to be aware of is that they have a fleet of electric cars. So by default they book you an electric car. You need to make sure you specifically select petrol one. Charging an electric car isn't easy on a road-trip. We had a flat tire in the middle of a trip and their roadside assistance was fantastic. Within a couple of hours, we had a new rental car and we were on our way.
- The roads are very good in Spain and it is easy to drive at the speed limit. The traffic is quite thin by Indian standards. There is very little honking or rash driving. The only issue is that the speed limit changes often and you have to be constantly watching out for it.
- There are plenty of petrol stations. You should never be far from the next fuel station.
- The parking is very challenging in the cities/small towns. Underground car parks are available. They are tiny and difficult to get in and out. And they are expensive. Costing up to 40 euros a night.
- Caceres: A good town to stop by on your drive through Extremadura. The old town is quite a pleasure to walk around.
- Merida: Must sees include the Roman Bridge, the Roman Theatre (and the adjacent museum), the Temple of Diana, the Alcazar and the Aqueduct. We could see them all in (rushed) half a day.
- Sevilla: The absolute must-sees are the Plaza de Espana, the Cathedral and the Alcazar (the last two needs prior booking). If you have the time, definitely check out the Metropol Parasol, Casa de Pilatos, Plaza del Cabildo, Iglesia Colegial del Salvador, Palacio de las Duenas and the Archivo general de Indias.
- Malaga: The must-sees are the Roman Theatre, Alcazaba and the Castillo de Gibralfaro. If you have the time, add the Picasso Museum, the Cathedral and the Centre Pompidou.
- Cordoba: The top site is the Mosque-Cathedral which needs prior booking. It is impossible to miss the Roman Bridge. Do roam around the Jewish Quarters. Medina Azahara is also worth the trip.
- Granada: Must sees include the Alhambra, the Cathedral (and the adjacent Capilla Real), the Mirador de San Nicolas, the Monasterio de San Jeronimo, the Basilica San Juan de Dios and the Monasterio de la Cartuja. Only the Alhambra needs prior booking.
- Cartagena: The must-sees are the Roman Forum, the Roman Theatre, the Punic Wall and the Waterfront. All can be covered in half a day.
- Valencia: Must-sees are the City of Arts and Sciences, La Longa de la Seda, the Palacio del Marques de Dos Aguas, the Cathedral, the Iglesia de San Nicloas de Bari, the Torres de Serranos and roaming around the Jardin de Turia.
TRIP ITINERARY