Fontecruz Sevilla Seises

“Charming boutique hotel with five star service”

My husband and I spent time in Sevilla with my mom last month and on the first leg of our trip we stayed here for five days. Here's everything you need to know about it before you book your stay... Property - the property itself is tucked away on a narrow little street in the Santa Cruz barrio ver… more

My husband and I spent time in Sevilla with my mom last month and on the first leg of our trip we stayed here for five days. Here's everything you need to know about it before you book your stay... Property - the property itself is tucked away on a narrow little street in the Santa Cruz barrio very close (two minute walk) to a myriad of bars, shops and restaurants. There are two restaurants and two bars, and a swimming pool. It's also very close to the Sevilla Cathedral and Giralda. Suites and Guest Rooms - We booked one of the Cartuja suites and my mom had her own Azahar room. There are four suites located on the ground floor (floor 0) and all are slightly different. We were in suite 003 and had a small courtyard, a living room area with a sofa, sofa table, a couple of chairs, a full size refrigerator, and a television, and then up a few stairs there was a second room which was the bedroom with a king sized bed (very comfortable), night stands, a desk, another tv, two small closets (one had a safe, and the other had an iron and ironing board). From the bedroom area (which by the way, does not have a door so if you're bringing kids who will sleep on the pull-out sofa in the living area, do not expect privacy), there was a bathroom with a bathtub/shower combination with a rainshower head and a handheld, a small vanity with a sink, a toilet and bidet. The bathroom was equipped with a hairdryer and the expected amenities. The water pressure in the shower was excellent and we had hot water every day regardless of what time we showered. We found the room to be comfortable and very clean. Note that other than looking out to the private courtyard, there are no windows in this suite. We didn't mind, but just don't expect a nice view. Because of the layout of the suites being on the ground floor and the regular rooms being on upper floors, it's not possible to have a connecting room. So my mom was upstairs in 103. Her room had a queen bed, a desk, a spacious bathroom with a walk in shower (no tub), and a window overlooking the restaurant below. It was also clean and comfortable, but not ideal for families with children who are used to connecting rooms. Pool - The rooftop pool was small (as most hotel pools are in Sevilla), with a small deck area surrounding it and some chairs. If you leave the deck area, go down a few stairs to the lower deck, there are loungers, tables, and patio sofas. The pool is conveniently located next to the bar, and there's a view of the Giralda from the pool, the lower sun deck, and the bar. It was quite nice and gets considerably busier at sunset when the views are more spectacular. There are pool towels in the room. Coming and Going - A few things to note. Some taxi drivers will not pull all the way up to the front of the hotel due to the narrow streets. Ours did but it took him a few tries to make a couple of the tighter turns. If the front desk calls the taxi for you, the driver will definitely make the effort to come right up to the front, so if you're going anywhere by taxi, ask the front desk to call. Also note that the front of the hotel has a few steep-ish step and no ramp. If you're with someone with limited mobility, this could be problematic, but I believe you can also use the back door, through the Pali restaurant. The whole area has stone streets and slight hills so if either of those present an issue, you may want to consider a different hotel where the ground is level and sidewalks are a bit wider (for example, the Radisson at Magdalena Plaza-- we stayed there on our third leg of the trip so check out my review of that hotel as well). Restaurants inside the hotel - The rooftop bar (Pura Vida) doesn't offer food but has a wide range of cocktails, wine and beer, and is open later than the lobby bar. Seating is limited, there are four or five patio-style sofas, a couple of high top tables, and seating at the bar. The bar also serves the tables and sofas on the lower deck area. The breakfast restaurant (El Invernadero) is only open for breakfast and offers a buffet. I believe it was approximately 19 Euro per person to add on the breakfast when you book the room, and more if you add it on afterward. We booked packages that included the breakfast for both rooms. When we arrived on the last day we were told that my mother's breakfast was not included for that day. Luckily, I had printed the booking confirmation that showed the buffet was also to be included in her package and they did not charge us. During discussions with the front desk staff regarding this, the gentleman showed me that on his computer the package comes up differently and encouraged me to always print the confirmation to show in case there are discrepencies. I always do this when traveling and encourage you to do the same. The buffet was impressive. There is drip coffee, an espresso machine, two kinds of rotating juices, and mimosas for beverages. There's a made-to-order omelet/egg station, a selection of pastries, various kinds of bread for toast, paella, spanish potato omelet, whole and cut fruit, cheeses, meats, granola, cereal, fresh honey, various jams, and rotating tapas (some days it was cream cheese with smoked salmon, others it was avocado spread, etc.). On the day of our tour, we asked them to have a picnic breakfast ready for us to take away as we had to leave just as the restaurant was opening and they packed us each a bag with a ham sandwich, fruit, water, juice, and a pastry. I loved the ambiance of this restaurant. It's built over ancient ruins and they've added a clear floor so that a couple of the tables actually allow you to sit above them and look down. The restaurant is bright and airy with plants and lots of light as well. We did not eat at Patio del Pali as it seemed overpriced compared to other restaurants nearby, so I can't comment on the food. Lobby bar - this is a cozy little bar in the lobby area that serves sherry, wine, beer, and cocktails. The hours are limited but if you're looking for something a little more upscale than the pool bar on the roof, this is a nice quiet place to have a drink and relax. Restaurants nearby - There are a lot of restaurants within a few minutes walk so I'll only mention the one we felt stood out. Gusto offers a nice menu with very good paella and excellent Spanish wines. Skip the sangria here and the desserts (they weren't good). Be sure to make a reservation. I believe we made ours on Opentable or google. As we were eating, we did see people being turned away who did not have reservations. Parking - we did not rent a car, but it seems that there is no parking connected to hotel so expect a bit of a walk if you need to park a car. Service - excellent all around. From the front desk to housekeeping staff to restaurant staff and bartenders, everyone spoke English fluently or near-fluently, were attentive and helpful, and very friendly. Overall, we had a very good experience at this hotel and I highly recommend it if you're looking to stay in the Santa Cruz neighborhood.

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