StarwoodGuy: May 2017

The cab ride from the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville at 4:15 pm was quick and easy. I had a Touriste Plus ticket, so Economy Plus but in the First Class car but without food?! The website and fare classes are insanely confusing for RENFE in Spain. So I attempted to enter the Sala Lounge, but was denied again even though this was a full fare flexible ticket and no Comfort or First seats were available for purchase at any rate so I had the highest fare but without the benefits. Oh well, pints of beer were 3 Euros at the neighboring bar so no huge loss. The train ride was a longish 4 hours but I worked and watched some previously downloaded movies before our arrival into Valencia. It was a quick fifteen minutes to the Westin Valencia at 10:25 pm. Check-in was easy and I went right to my room, a standard room with a street view but at an incredibly low rate I could hardly complain, and I had a beer while I caught up on work for an hour.

The next morning I was up at 7:30 am, had coffee in the room, and then headed out to explore the city. There is a large park with bridges crossing over it that circles much of the inner city, the Westin lying right on the outside of this park ring. It was an easy walk over one of the bridges, and from there into the winding streets, passing many Cathedrals, sections of the city's old walls, the main market, and many parks.

     After my two hour walk I showered and had breakfast in the restaurant's terrace, then went back out for the fifty minute walk out to the beach. The walk is not a must but it takes you through some standard neighborhoods before arriving at the beautiful beach. A taxi or public transit would have been just as easy. The beach seems to stretch out for quite a distance. I walked out the long pier and then made my way along the boardwalk, passing a large beach hotel. You can rent beds on the beach or just sit in the sand, and there is also an impressive beach club on the pier with bar, ample seating, and a large pool all with stunning views over the beach. There are a dozen or so various restaurants along the boardwalk for lunch or a drink as well. I then walked back to the hotel, went to the gym for an hour, and then made my way to the Military Museum located next to the hotel. It is open from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and again from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm except on Mondays when it is closed, and it is free!
      I had a quick bite to eat and a short walk back through town before heading to bed early so I could do the gym in the morning ahead of my flight to Mallorca to meet up with friends where we would be doing three nights at an AirBNB instead of a Starwood property since it was too difficult to get rooms for everyone at one property.
      The Westin Valencia was a good hotel, somewhat business focused, but efficient and though not located in the center of town, an easy walk to most of the sights.

Train in Seville

Train to Valencia

Westin Valencia Room

Westin Valencia Lobby

Valencia

Valencia Market

Valencia

Valencia- Bridge of Flowers

Valencia Stadium

Westin Valencia Exterior

Westin Valencia Courtyard/Restaurant

Valencia Beach

Me at Valencia Beach

Valencia Beach Club

Valencia Beach Sand Castle

     After a quick fifteen minute walk to the train station in Madrid, which is amazingly complete with turtle ponds and indoor gardens, I looked in at the Sala Lounge, but my First Class ticket was a Promo so it did not include Lounge Access. The explanations on the Spanish websites and even Rail Europe are extremely difficult to understand and posts from sources such as the Pointsguy seem to go out of date through no fault of their own but rather the constantly changing fare classifications by the Spanish rail agency RENFE and the odd translations into English. They were nice enough to let me take a quick photo of the lounge and it was only an hour wait before we boarded the RENFE express train to Seville.

     The train’s First Class/Business class was set up as a 1 on 2 configuration with a few television screens set throughout with a movie on for the trip’s duration and included a breakfast service which I passed on since I had just had breakfast at the hotel but I did accept a glass of water and a small bottle of wine. The train ride was quite quick at just under 2 hours and 30 minutes. Upon arrival it was right into another taxi and the short fifteen minute drive to the Hotel Alfonso XIII. It takes a bit of winding between the gardens and the two palaces in order to reach the hotel which is at the entrance to the primarily walking only, or horse and carriage if you prefer, area of old town. The check-in staff was wonderful and they had upgraded me to a corner suite on the top floor, room 320 which boasts a living area with views of one of the two palaces right across the street, and in the bedroom the same view plus a view in the direction of the other palace and pool. From the lobby to the room the decor was extravagant and impressive throughout. The bouquet of roses on the living room table were an especially nice touch.

      I headed out right away to begin exploring with some helpful tips from the amazing Concierge. I went first to Plaza De Espana, which I must say may rival the castle in Prague as my favorite man-made structure. It is no wonder television and movie directors from shows and pictures such as Game of Thrones and Star Wars have utilized it as a backdrop. The surrounding park is also impressive. From there I headed out along the river, stopping at sights on the way including the tower, the bull fighting ring, the city’s oldest bridge, and both the old and new markets, before turning inland again to the modern and old highlights including the “mushroom” as some locals call it, to the stunning and massive Cathedral. Tickets for the Palace and the Cathedral can be hard to come by so book in advance or opt for the combo ticket, but be warned even in May you will be fighting against large tour groups from all over the world on the one hand and some high temperatures on the other, with the temperature at 37 degrees Celsius as I walked around.

    Once back at the hotel I did a little cardio in the small gym before showering and heading out to the pool for some beers and sun. The pool is a highlight, an oasis right in the center of the old town. I did a walk around afterwards and grabbed some dinner at an outdoor tapas bar right next to the cathedral before heading back to the room to catch up on work. I was pleased to find that turndown service included not only slippers which I never use, but some chocolates and my favorite - ice! I made an in-from cocktail before bed.

    I was up early the next morning, I gave an attempt at the in-room espresso machine but as usual they proved too complicated for my limited ordering at Starbucks ability, so I managed a tiny espresso and then headed out on a three hour walk from 7 am to 10 am while it was still cool out. This allowed for a repeat walk around much of the city but at much lower temperatures and with the sunrise appearing from all areas and thus an abundance of shade. Once back at the hotel I had brunch, did some work, did a little cardio, and then spent two hours by the pool for some more sun and beers. I had requested a 6:00 pm checkout with the Your24 benefit which was denied but they did extend the standard 4:00 pm which worked well since my train was at 6:20 pm.

    I cannot say enough in the way of positive comments on Seville and especially the Hotel Alfonso XIII. The hotel deserves the title as a Luxury Collection Property without a doubt, and from the rooms, the sumptuous buffet, the staff all around especially at the front desk, concierge and pool, it was an outstanding stay.