Hostal Sierpes

Lace! Tile! German kitsch! The one-star Hotel Sierpes offers plenty of style in central Seville. An elaborate lobby, restaurant and bar are on the menu here, along with 36 comfortable rooms, with equally comfortable rates.

Guestrooms at the Sierpes are much more low key than the heavily decorated common spaces. Floors are done in geometric tiles, and furnishings are wooden budget basics. Rooms are not equipped with TV but do have air conditioning and a telephone. All bathrooms are private and bathtubs are available (ask ahead).

Rooms open onto a second-floor interior patio outfitted with wrought iron chairs, glass tables and a skylight. Downstairs, the lobby is decked out with a piano, plenty of plants and a ceiling (somewhat bizarrely) draped in lace. The hotel restaurant, Don Melquiades serves traditional Andalusian fare in an equally Andalusian setting.

The bar, on the other hand straddles an amusing juxtaposition of local flavor (hanging hams and a bull’s head above the bar) and German kitsch (a large wooden bar and heavy wooden chairs seem like they’d be equally at home in Bavaria).

Bavarian bar aside, the Hostal Sierpes offers an authentic Andalusian experience, complete with a prime location (less than 200 meters from the cathedral) inside the maze of Santa Cruz’s tangled streets. Breakfast is sometimes included in the room rate (check when booking). Wi-Fi is free throughout. Ole!