El Arenal

Mercer Sevilla

★★★★★

For travellers who want luxury on an intimate scale, Mercer Sevilla is one of the most refined addresses in the city. The hotel occupies the former Casa Palacio Castelar, an elegant bourgeois mansion built in 1880 on the Calle Castelar in the Arenal, the district between the Cathedral and the river. It was restored by Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos, the Seville practice known internationally for its museums and stadiums, and opened as a hotel in 2016, with the five-star Gran Lujo classification. The restoration respected the house's structure, with its central courtyard, marble, tiles and an imposing staircase, and added a calm, contemporary interior of natural materials, soft colours and carefully chosen art, so the atmosphere is that of a beautiful private home rather than a hotel. The rooms, junior suites and suites are spacious and quiet, with high ceilings and high-quality bathrooms, and the scale is small enough that the staff quickly learn your name. The food and drink are a highlight: the María Luisa restaurant serves refined Andalusian and Mediterranean cooking, breakfast is served in the house, and the Fizz Bar, the Hall Bar and the Terrace offer drinks throughout the day; the terrace and its pool are the places to be on a hot afternoon. The location is a quiet street a few minutes on foot from the Cathedral, the Real Maestranza bullring and the river, close to the Arenal's traditional bars, and within easy walking distance of everything in the old town. The group also runs the EME Catedral Mercer and a separate residence with serviced suites in another palace house, so check that you are booking the hotel on the Calle Castelar.

Who it suits: couples, honeymooners and discerning travellers who prefer a small, quiet, beautifully designed hotel to a grand one, and who value service and food. It is less suited to families with young children, given the intimate scale and calm atmosphere, or to travellers on a budget.

Living in it: book a suite for a special trip, take breakfast in the house, and reserve a table at María Luisa for at least one dinner. Spend an afternoon by the pool between sightseeing sessions, and use the hotel's concierge to arrange tables and visits; they are used to securing hard-to-get reservations. The Arenal around the hotel is full of traditional taverns, and the riverside promenade and the Torre del Oro are five minutes away for an evening walk. The Real Maestranza bullring, the Hospital de la Caridad and the Triana bridge are all close, so a stay here makes it easy to explore both banks of the river on foot. Taxis can reach the street, which helps on arrival and departure with luggage.

Value: rates are at the top of the Seville market, as befits a Gran Lujo boutique, and climb during Holy Week and the April Fair. Seville does not currently charge a tourist tax. The value case is privacy and taste: a restored nineteenth-century palace house with few guests, excellent food and a pool, steps from the Cathedral.