La Casa de la Trinidad ★★★★

La Casa de la Trinidad is located in the city centre, in the old Arab quarter of the Albaicín, now deservedly a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area has lost none of its old charm, with a maze of narrow streets, little houses with pink-tinged roofs and white façades, fountains and ruins of the ancient city gate all adding to its old-world feel. Cypress trees are dotted here and there, giving an air of gentle relaxation and elegance to the city bustle. The hotel building itself has an attractive townhouse façade on two streets in a wedge shape with the entrance lobby at the apex. The small balconies at each window with their wrought-iron railings let you imagine yourself relaxing with a morning coffee watching the world go by. The carved wooden front door leads into the lobby, which is small but really beautiful with a lovely spiral staircase and antique mirrors and ceiling carvings. You are greeted by a friendly and helpful receptionist, Carlos at the time we arrived, who was very knowledgeable and informative about the best restaurants and cafes close by, as well as the must-see tourist places. We felt at home and keen to explore the area right from the start.

The rooms are bright, modern and comfortable, nicely decorated and spotlessly clean. The bathroom was huge by Spanish standards, with a lovely big shower and some nice little bathroom goodies which were replenished daily. There was a fridge and a safe, as well as plenty of storage and a little desk, all of which were really convenient. The room itself is not huge, but the space has been very well designed to include everything you need. The Wi-Fi was not super-fast but it worked and was adequate for our needs. Even though the hotel is so central, it was quiet at night and there was no noise keeping us awake at night. A picture of the Alhambra Palace over the bed is a constant reminder, in the middle of our modern comforts, of the ancient delights we are here to explore.

Our room looked out over the Plaza de la Trinidad with its lovely marble fountains and wide tree-lined walkways paved with the kind of decorative tiled patterns you see everywhere in Spain, and which seem to reflect the traditional geometric designs of Moorish art.

We were well set up for each day of exploration with a buffet breakfast in the hotel with a good continental breakfast-style choice. The Cathedral and Royal Chapel are right next to the hotel and the Archaeological Museum is close by too, as well as the maze of little streets with their tapas bars, shops, restaurants and some amazing bakeries that make up the old city of the Albaicin. In very close walking distance there is also Plaza Bib Rambla, also known as Plaza de las Flores because of the abundance of flowers there, with its central seventeenth-century Gigantones Fountain. The Alhambra Palace itself is a little further away but easily walkable as long as it is not too hot, and there are plenty of buses and taxis available. Finally we got to see the architectural and decorative marvels of the Alhambra, which I had looked forward to seeing since reading Irving’s Tales.