Cathedral / Santa Cruz

Hotel Doña María

★★★★★

Few hotels in Seville have a view to match the Doña María's. It stands on the Calle Don Remondo, a short street running behind the Cathedral, in a historic palace-style building between the Cathedral and the Real Alcázar, and its roof terrace looks straight across at the Giralda, close enough to feel you could touch it. Up there is a small swimming pool and a bar, and that rooftop is the reason many guests choose the hotel: a swim in the morning, a drink at sunset with the bells ringing and the tower glowing, and the knowledge that the city's two greatest monuments are a minute's walk away. Below, the hotel has a garden courtyard and traditional Andalusian interiors, with antique furniture, tiles and decorative details, and a legend that underground passages once linked the building to its neighbours. The rooms reflect the building's long history of alterations: they vary in shape and size, which gives them character but also means that two rooms in the same category can be quite different. Some are generous enough to sleep a whole family, with wide beds and bathrooms with double basins, and the hotel offers singles, doubles and suites, plus rooms adapted for guests with reduced mobility. The Barrio de Santa Cruz begins across the street, with its lanes, squares and tapas bars, and the Avenida de la Constitución, the tram and the Archivo de Indias are around the corner. For travellers whose priority is location, and especially for families who want a pool in the old town, it is one of the most practical choices in the centre.

Who it suits: first-time visitors who want to be at the very centre of things, families who need a pool and a larger room, and couples who will make the most of the rooftop at sunset. It is less suited to travellers who expect uniform, modern rooms; the charm is traditional and the layouts vary.

Living in it: when you book, say if you need a larger or quieter room, and if you are not happy with the room you are given, ask politely to move, as the rooms differ a great deal. Use the rooftop early in the morning and in the evening, when it is at its best, and remember that the pool is small, so it can be busy in high summer. The street outside is close to the main sights and can be busy by day, but it is calm at night. Taxis can reach the door, which is useful with luggage. Book early for Holy Week, when the rooftop is a remarkable vantage point.

Value: rates are mid-range for the old town and rise sharply during Holy Week, when processions pass close by, and during the April Fair. Seville does not currently charge a tourist tax. The value case is the location and the rooftop: a pool with a view of the Giralda, a minute from the Cathedral, at a price well below the luxury hotels around the same square.