Yh Giralda

The staff were hospitable, and one of the women showed us everything to see on a map. She even called to confirm the bike rental shop’s hours for us. They also kept our bags for free after checkout. The WiFi was poor, the bathroom smelled, and the shower cubicle was too small to turn around in. I’d consider trying somewhere else next time I visit.

We left as soon as we arrived because the place was a depressing letdown compared with its polished online image. In this case, the line between enticing people and misleading them has disappeared. It’s a hostel, not a hotel, despite being advertised as a hotel on most travel portals, including TripAdvisor and Atrápalo, as well as on its Facebook page and street signs. They refused to refund us, even though we explained we were leaving without using the room because the marketing had promised too much. The place itself felt depressing. The stairs are steep and there’s no elevator, so heavy luggage will be a struggle. At least guests can only be placed as high as the third floor. Our room was small and noisy, with barely enough room to move around the narrow, cheap twin beds. There was no outside window, only one facing the corridor, so you have to choose between natural light and privacy. Even with the privacy choice, you still need to keep quiet because the thin walls let sound through like paper. Skip this hole. Seville’s city center is big and has plenty of excellent places to stay. There’s no need to pay extra for a spot by the cathedral at all costs. I don’t think places with dishonest advertising practices like this should be on the market.

The location gets the first star, the staff the second. That’s about all. My economy room was on the ground floor, opening onto the patio, and the door wasn’t quite right. Gaps let light and noise into the room. The bathroom was a bit run down, and the large bed was actually two small beds pushed together that kept sliding apart. It was cold at night because the AC wasn’t good enough. There’s no parking around, so forget getting close by car.

The place was clean, the personnel were nice, and the location was good, but the WiFi was bad and the hotel had electricity problems. I don’t know whether other hotels are better, but if I came back to Sevilla, I’d try somewhere else. Sevilla itself is beautiful, though.