Granada: Three Nights

THREE NIGHTS: GRANADA
DEANNA MACDONALD
Special to The Globe and Mail
January 11, 2006
GRANADA, SPAIN -- There's little point in staying in anything less than a palace in Granada. And regardless of your budget, you can do it.

This former capital of the Nasrid Sultans, rulers of the last Muslim kingdom in Spain, is full of atmospheric, historic hotels in all price ranges. The most awe-inspiring location is, of course, the magnificent hilltop Alhambra palace, the lavish residence of the Nasrids that was taken in 1492 by the crusading Catholic monarchs Isabel and Ferdinand. However, the Albaicin, the Moorish quarter on a hill opposite the Alhambra, is almost as impressive. Its winding cobblestone streets and whitewashed houses are dotted with romantic hotels where, if you are lucky or book ahead, you can get a room with an Alhambra view.

HIGH END

PARADOR DE GRANADA
Technically, this hotel isn't actually a palace. But it's hard to quibble when the property in question is a 16th-century monastery within the walls of the most magnificent palace complex in Europe: the Alhambra. After all, haven't we all at some point dreamt of staying in any part of a sultan's palace? Clearly many have, as reservations for this 36-room parador (a government-run hotel in a historic locale), must be made months in advance.

While only a 15-minute walk from Granada's town centre, the hilltop parador is a world apart. Palm trees, cypresses and flowers of the Alhambra gardens surround the stone hotel. Inside is a mix of Spanish and Moorish styles with antique furniture and historic portraits in an atmosphere of understated luxury that reflects its long history.

And you certainly do feel like royalty as you sip a cool drink and watch the sunset from the restaurant terrace overlooking the Alhambra's palaces and gardens, framed by the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. But even if your room only overlooks a beautiful arcaded courtyard filled with fountains and flowering trees, you can console yourself with a private moonlit stroll among the palaces of the Alhambra with only your footsteps to break the silence.

MID-RANGE

HOTEL CASA MORISCA
Being exiled from the Alhambra is no hardship when Casa Morisca is available. Dating from the late 15th-century, this has to be one of the most romantic hotels in Granada. Found on a sloping street in the Albaicin, this renaissance palacio has been sensitively renovated, keeping many original features, including ceramic tiles, 17th-century iron and woodwork and an original Moorish pool in a courtyard surrounded by columns and balconies. Even a turret lookout was reconstructed in the 1990s based on a 1859 photograph. Though a short walk from popular restaurants, shops and the city centre, its hideaway feel is popular with couples.

The hotel's name derives from the Spanish term for the Moors who stayed on after the Christian conquest in 1492. Fittingly, there's a Moorish feel to the decor. Fourteen individually decorated rooms are set around interior courtyards, some with exquisite vaulted mudejar ceilings and Alhambra views, all with a tasteful mish-mash of Spanish and Moorish antiques. All the mod-cons have also been discretely added, including TV, Internet connection and air-conditioning. The public areas are just as appealing; an exotically plush drawing room has dark coffered ceilings and whitewashed walls scattered with Moorish fabrics, and a generous breakfast is served under an ancient barrel-vaulted ceiling.

SHOESTRING

HOTEL CASA DEL CAPITEL NAZARI
Everyone, including budget travellers, can experience the delight of a night passed in a Granada palace. Found on a tiny cobblestone lane in the Albaicin just off of the picturesque Carrera del Darro, the Casa del Capitel Nazari is a 1503 palace that was refurbished as a three-star hotel in 2001. Its huge wooden entrance door leads into a multi-storied courtyard with balconies supported by authentic Roman columns, 16th-century Moorish beams and a rare carved capital from the Nasrid era.

While less lavish than the more expensive palacios, the hotel is no less historic, and its 18 rooms are comfortable with immaculate bathrooms and a remarkable amount of character with coffered ceilings, terra cotta floors and Moorish/Spanish-style furnishings. A top-floor balcony offers views of the Alhambra and on warm days, breakfast can be had in the open air of the pleasant courtyard. The staff is friendly and helpful, and little details, like guest umbrellas for rainy days and good-quality toiletries in the rooms, let you feel more cared for than in your average three-star.

Hotel vitals

PARADOR DE GRANADA

Essentials: Real de la Alhambra; 34 (958) 221-440; http://www.parador.es.

Rates and rooms: 36 rooms; doubles cost $345, with breakfast $386.

Top draw: It is in the Alhambra.

Needs work: Reservations must be made far in advance.

HOTEL CASA MORISCA

Essentials: Cuesta de la Victoria 9; 34 (958) 221-100; http://www.hotelcasamorisca.com.

Rates and rooms: 14 rooms; doubles from $198 to $268.

Top draw: Romantic character.

Needs work: A nearby school can be a bit noisy during the day.

HOTEL CASA DEL CAPITEL NAZARI

Essentials: Cuesta Aceitunerios 6; 34 (958) 215-260; http://www.hotelcasacapitel.com.

Rates and rooms: 18 rooms; doubles from $76 to $130.

Top draw: How often do you find an affordable palace?

Needs work: Breakfast isn't included (it's $11 extra).