Hotel Alcoba del Rey

Hotel Alcoba del Rey
Hotel Alcoba del Rey
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Hotel Alcoba del Rey

Small, Moorish-themed riad hotel to north of centre with Bedouin camp on roof terrace.

By Fiona Flores Watson

It seems odd in a city ruled by the Moors for 700 years (then called Isbyllia), that this is the only hotel in Seville based entirely around a Moorish theme - Alcoba del Rey means the King’s Bedroom. The owner used to live in Morocco, and he has employed materials which would have been used here traditionally 1,000 years ago: the floor tiles are of baked mud, as made in Fez, and the metal tables and chairs have typical mosaic designs, while the wooden beds were made in Marrakesh and Rabat. Horseshoe arches (think the Mezquita in Cordoba), hanging lamps and hand-carved cedarwood furniture are everywhere, with a rich north African palette of reds and blues; the colourful ceramic tableware is gorgeous.

Hotel Alcoba del Rey
Hotel Alcoba del Rey

The 15 rooms are all different, and are named after famous characters from Al-Andalus such as the poet Zaydun and Princess Zaida; Beatriz de Suabia has a four-poster canopy bed. The boho-arabic feel includes hand-woven bedspreads and floor rugs, hand-beaten brass sinks, cologne bottles and tea glasses. The roof terrace has an amazing haima (Bedouin tent) where you can sit on cushions and sip sweet mint tea, enjoy a cocktail, or watch a belly-dancer by candlelight; or slip into the jacuzzi and imagine you’re back in old Isbylli.

If you’re interested in local Sevillano customs, the most popular Virgin lives next door, in the Macarena church.

  • A good way to see the real Seville; this area is off the tourist track
  • You can buy all the furniture in the hotel, right down to the taps
  • Tiled tapas bar with gorgeous, if slightly uncomfortable, Moroccan furniture - unusual and handy for such a small hotel
  • Unusually, you can book a specific room
  • Be aware that this is a corner building on a noisy main road

Perfect for: riad lovers; anti-tourists

Address: Bécquer, 9, Casco Antiguo, 41002 Sevilla

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