Where to stay in Seville

Hotel Alfonso XIII

This hotel is easily the most luxurious in Seville. It was built for the visitors to an industrial fair in 1928, but within months of opening the Wall Street Crash left its rooms empty. Now its opulent rooms and marble corridors are once again full of guests. A major renovation will add a spa next year.

How they rate it

The Hotel Alfonso XIII is "a real movie-star hotel a place that evokes nothing so much as Gloria Swanson playing creaky old Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard", says The Sunday Times Travel magazine. "As a refuge from roasting summer Seville, the place has no peer, with its LA-mansion blue pool and calm greenery screening off passing crowds." Recent guests have included Madonna and Tom Cruise, so "its star shows no sign of waning".

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The menu

The hotel's San Fernando restaurant serves Andalucian dishes alongside a range of international meals.

The cost

A double room at the Hotel Alfonso XIII costs from £230 a night for a room only. To find out more information, visit www.luxurycollection.com, or call 00800 325 45454.

Casa Romana

Situated in the trendiest part of Seville, Casa Romana will appeal to those who prefer a boutique experience. It has just 26 rooms, compared to Hotel Alfonso XIII's 147. Once an 18th-century home, it became one of Seville's first boutique hotels when it opened in 2004.

How they rate it

Casa Romana is a "good four-star option", says Nick Trend in The Daily Telegraph. The rooms are all situated around a traditional open courtyard and it is just ten minutes from Seville's world-famous cathedral.

But the best thing about Casa Romana is the roof terrace. It may look out over satellite dishes, but "an immaculately dressed, tiled sundeck with monochrome cushions and loungers on the lower part, as well as a miniature pool raised above it" more than make up for the view, says The Sunday Times Travel magazine.

The menu

The hotel doesn't have a restaurant, so head out and try some of the gastronomic delights Seville has to offer. Abades Triana (Abadestriana.com) offers panoramic views across the Guadalquivir and "a menu of traditional dishes given a modern twist", says Cathy Packe in The Independent.

The cost

A double costs from £115, room only. www.hotelcasaromana.com; 00 34 954 915170.

What the travel writers are saying

Finding a genuinely dog-friendly hotel can be difficult. But there are places where your best friend will be welcomed as warmly as you are. Kate Humble recommends Washbourne Court in Lower Slaughter, Gloucestershire, in The Times. The hotel has rooms for dogs and their owners that come complete with beds, a dog menu including steak for £15 and an array of dog toys. A dog-friendly room costs from £225 B&B per night (www.vonessenhotels.com).

If your dog is a bit of a handful, book into Typoeth Cottage in Camarthernshire, says Caroline Hendrie in The Times. The house is situated in great walking country. The owner, Suzanna, is a dog trainer who can tailor make an obedience course. The cottage sleeps two and costs from £250 for a week (www.typoethcottage.co.uk).

Or take your dog to the big smoke with a stay at The Milestone in London opposite Kensington Gardens. You'll be asked to specify bed size, duvet type and dietary requirements for your dog. Upon arrival, it will be given a collar with the hotel's phone number on in case it goes walkabout. The doggy menu includes potato waffles with cumberland sausage, or scrambled eggs on toast. Double rooms cost from £312 B&B there is no pet supplement (www.milestonehotel.com).