WELCOME: The Corral del Rey mixes antique graciousness with mod cons
Of all the things Seville has to offer — tapas, bull-fighting, flamenco — it's probably best known as the home of legendary ladies' man Don Juan. And now the Spanish city finally has a hotel as seductive and romantic as the charming rogue himself.
Opened last year in Seville's Barrio Alfalfa, on the fringes of the old Jewish Quarter, the bijou Hotel Corral del Rey exudes an off-the-beaten-path glamour that is a welcome antidote to the city's more ostentatious luxury grandes dames.
In a previous life, the Corral del Rey — a towering trio of floors built around a traditional Moorish-style courtyard — was a private 17th century palacio. Now, after a meticulous two-year restoration, it houses six luxuriantly laid-back suites. The hotel's young Anglo-Iberian owners, brothers Anthony and Patrick Reid, brought in local architect Javier Betancourt and interior designer Kuky Mora-Figueroa, who have retained the palacio's original antique tapestries, Roman marble columns and vaulted, carved-wood ceilings, while introducing 21st century mod cons such as flat-screen TVs, marble-and-glass baths and wi-fi. Burmese side tables, oversized Uzbek wall hangings, Scandinavian oak-paneled floors and pieces by Spanish modernist painter Enrique Vara accent the Corral's whitewashed interiors, helping to complete its boho-boutique aesthetic.
And above all this is a duplex rooftop perch with a secluded table for two where, each evening, one couple can dine surrounded by Seville's illuminated landmarks, including its famous cathedral — the perfect setting for a Don Juan–worthy rendezvous. www.corraldelrey.com