Hotel Alabardero

If you’re hungry for local flavor and a taste of posh, treat yourself to the splurge-worthy Hotel Taberna del Alabardero, a delicious four-star hotel that doubles as one of Spain’s premier culinary arts schools and restaurants. The tiny hotel, located a couple of blocks east of Plaza Nueva, was an afterthought to the school and offers a mere seven rooms.

The rooms (which are each named for a different city in Andalusia) combine traditional and modern furnishings. For example, a glass coffee table might sit next to a wingback chair, or a massive headboard will be found near a nightstand with delicate legs. All rooms feature standard amenities like air conditioning, a television, phone and minibar.

When we visited, the plant-filled lobby—with its grand archways—was bustling with activity. Businessmen, hotel guests and students relaxed in wicker chairs under the interior patio’s skylights.

Thankfully, breakfast is included in the room rate, giving guests a chance to taste test the student cuisine. The hotel rents out meeting and banquet rooms, as well as a small, fabulous roof terrace with a view of the cathedral’s tower. When not reserved, the terrace is a great place to catch some rays, and guests are invited to bring up drinks and snacks to enjoy at one of the small marble tables. Buen provecho!

Of historic note: The original building is a 19th-century house that belonged to a famous Spanish poet, J. Antonio Cavestany of the Real Academia Española. It was here that the Andalusian bard was born, lived and died.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.