Corral del Rey

The family-owned Corral del Rey (from the same brothers who run Hacienda de San Rafael) is a boutique hotel option in Seville that gives visitors independence and a sense of daily life in this special city.

• The Penthouse Suites, which offer a plunge pool and terrace at a great value
• The newly renovated rooms (in Buildings 7 & 9)
• The intimacy of the property, which makes you feel as though you are in your own apartment, living in Seville

Two brothers, Anthony and Patrick Reid Mora-Figueroa, were brought up in London by their Spanish mother and Scottish father, and picked up a knack for hospitality and style that blends their family's cultures. With a British eloquence and Spanish warmth, they opened Corral del Rey in 2004 in a feat of mechanical engineering; the property is located on a narrow, winding alleyway in the heart of Seville's Old Town that can hardly accommodate tiny taxis, let alone cement mixers and delivery trucks.

The hotel, which occupies a series of former homes on Corral del Rey, flanks two sides of the street. Numbers 7 and 9 hold the more contemporary suites that feel like individual apartments (the Penthouse Suite, the hotel's gorgeous room with a separate sitting area, two terraces and a plunge pool is on this side). Number 12 is home to the more traditional hotel rooms as well as the small lobby, restaurant and office that doubles as reception. Those looking for more spacious rooms should book a Junior Suite or higher to ensure the most comfort (as other accomodations are on the small side). That there are only 17 rooms total (including five Junior Suites, two Pool Terrace Suites and one Penthouse Suite) results in a cozy B&B like quality to the property, where people hang out on the comfy sofa by the front door and let themselves in and out of the front door as they wish. (There is no doorman and the doors remain locked throughout the day and night so guests must remember codes to open the main gates).

What the hotel lacks in amenities (there is no gym, spa and limited room service) they make up for in charm, and with access to some of the city's coolest people. On a recent visit I was introduced to dozens of new friends, taken to a local favorite tapas restaurant (for a four-hour lunch) and only wished for more time to accept invitations to sherry vineyard tours, cooking classes, horseback riding trips, photography sojourns and visits to countryside bull farms. (The former I was ok declining…).

Those expecting full service, round-the-clock pampering and a grand, statement-making hotel will be happier at the Alfonso XIII. The Corral del Rey is ideal for independent travelers looking to have a romantic, authentic stay in one of Spain's most magical towns.