One Shot Palacio Conde de Torrejón 09

Rooms and decor

Picture an 18th-century palace that once housed Sevillian nobility, brought back to life today by contemporary art — that's the trick One Shot Hotels pulls at Palacio Conde de Torrejón. The chain is known for taking historic buildings and dressing them in photography and works by young artists, and that's exactly what happens here. Step through the entrance and you'll find old stone walls, original columns, and the palace's high ceilings playing against bright contemporary art and clean modern furniture, like a small gallery wrapped in history. The 41 rooms are styled with restraint — neutral tones that let the art on the wall do the talking — and some still keep visible details of the palace's original structure. Windows pull in plenty of light, with some rooms looking onto the central patio and others onto the old streets below. Reviewers consistently note the place has more character than your average chain hotel: waking up surrounded by art and palace bones, then stepping outside into a quarter just starting its morning coffee, is a genuinely lovely way to start a day in Seville.

Food and amenities

The heart of the hotel is the Andalusian patio — an open courtyard with soft light pouring in, the kind of quiet spot to sit with a coffee and let the city's noise stay outside. What you almost never get at this price tier is the small seasonal outdoor pool; in a Sevillian summer where 40°C days are routine, slipping in after a day of walking is one of the genuine bonuses. Breakfast runs in the lobby, which doubles as a small bar in the evening — fresh bread, local cheeses and cured ham, fruit, and proper coffee. It's a functional rather than spectacular spread, but enough to get the day started. Staff get strong marks for being warm and useful — they know the tapas bars, the underrated wine spots, and the corners of the neighborhood that tourist guides miss. Because Alameda is a quarter where actual Sevillans live and go out, having a local insider's tip is the difference between a generic stay and one that gets under the skin of the city.

Location and getting there

Location is what gives this hotel its distinct personality. It sits right in the middle of Alameda de Hércules — an old public plaza north of the historic centre that's grown into Seville's most bohemian, most-alive quarter. The streets around it are packed with cafés, tapas bars, indie restaurants, and nightlife that runs late, all real Seville rather than tourist-served. Step out the front door any evening and the neighborhood is buzzing. Las Setas (Setas de Sevilla) — the giant timber mushroom-shape structure with its rooftop viewpoint — is about an 8-minute walk, and Palacio de las Dueñas, a beautifully preserved aristocratic palace open to the public, is just 6 minutes away. The cathedral and Giralda are further south, around 15 minutes on foot, or you can pick up the tram at Plaza Nueva (T1 line, 14 minutes away) to drop into the cathedral district and shopping streets. For travellers who want to stay in a quarter with a real local pulse — coffee in the morning, the palace stay at night — this location punches above the rest of the list.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, the trade-off on location: the hotel sits north of the old town, so Seville Cathedral and the Real Alcázar are about a 15-minute walk away — clearly further than the Santa Cruz hotels that put you a few minutes from the main monuments. If your trip is built around monument-to-monument walking, you'll feel that extra distance. Second, Alameda de Hércules is a genuine nightlife district, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Rooms facing the street or the plaza can pick up bar noise and late-night chatter — light sleepers should request an interior room or one facing the patio at the time of booking. Third, this is value-tier 4-star: no full spa, no proper gym, the pool only opens in summer (so visitors in other months may not get to use it), and some reviews flag that rooms can be on the smaller side, sound insulation between rooms is just okay, and breakfast is functional rather than memorable. Come for the design, the neighborhood, and the price — and treat full-service amenities as a bonus, not a guarantee.

Our take

Pulling together what real guests keep saying, One Shot Palacio Conde de Torrejón 09 sells one thing — old palace plus contemporary art plus best neighborhood, at the lowest price on this list — and it sells it well. If you're the kind of traveller who likes a designed stay but doesn't want to pay luxury rates, who's into the idea of sleeping in an 18th-century palace dressed in contemporary art, and who wants to wake up to cafés, sip wine at a tapas bar where locals actually go, and cool off in the pool on a summer afternoon, this is the value pick with the most character on the list. If your trip is built around being a 5-minute walk from the cathedral and Alcázar, if you want full-service spa-and-gym 4-star, or if you're a light sleeper worried about weekend bar noise, the location north of the old town and the value-tier facilities deserve a second think. Overall 8.7/10 — best for couples, solo travellers, and budget-conscious explorers who want a designed stay in Seville's most alive quarter.