StarwoodGuy: Westin Valencia Spain

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.