An uber-stylish new hotel in the historic Spanish city of Seville
Seville is not short of impressive architecture. Its cathedral – one of the largest in the world – was built on the site of a Moorish mosque, while the Royal Alcázar palace is a fine example of the Mudéjar style. The Plaza de España, in María Luisa Park, was designed by homegrown architect Aníbal González for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. Fifteen years in the making, the pavilion features a spectacular semi-circular building that fuses Renaissance Revival and Neo-Mudéjar styles – a nod to the city’s Islamic heritage – and Venetian-like bridges over a canal that symbolise the country’s ancient kingdoms. I sit admiring the sheer size of the square from one of the shady, ceramic tiled alcoves that each represents a Spanish province and watch horse-drawn carriages do a clip-clopping loop of the fountain at the front, as flamenco dancers entertain a gathering crowd.
This may be the grandest González creation in Seville, but it is not his only legacy. A 30-minute walk north along the river, in the old town, is another of the architect’s Neo-Mudéjar works, which has recently been transformed into a new Cristine Bedfor hotel. Previously an arthouse theatre and cinema, it was left in a state of disrepair for nearly two decades. ‘When I was shown the building, I fell in love. Even though it was abandoned, it had such an amazing history that I just couldn’t say no,’ recalls its owner Cristina Lozano, explaining that the restoration took three and a half years.
It’s the third property in her Cristine Bedfor collection: the original is on Menorca and a second outpost opened in Málaga earlier this year. ‘I think of it as being somewhere larger, for a more mature Cristine Bedfor,’ says Cristina, referring to the imaginary character who has inspired the style of the hotel group. ‘It was important to make this hotel cosy, but in the style of the old houses from Seville’s golden era in the 16th and 17th centuries.’ Having previously collaborated with her friend, interior designer Lorenzo Castillo, on the Menorcan guest house, Cristina tasked him with the complex job.
Beyond the lobby, with its lion-patterned carpet, powder pink ceiling and ikat fabric walls, the property’s theatrical past is firmly present. Standing on one of the balconies that surround the enclosed, glass-roof courtyard, it is easy to imagine performances on the stage, which has remained due to the building’s protected status. Today, the space ω serves primarily as the restaurant, where help-yourself breakfasts and Spanish-influenced suppers (tomato-based salmorejo soup, slow-cooked Iberian pork, orange mousse) are eaten at wicker tables paired with rattan chairs. Terracotta brick floors add warmth; thick, ship motif curtains soften marble columns; and vinyl wallcoverings match the blue-and-white tiles in the stairwell.
‘My inspirational sources were mainly the Renaissance and Baroque periods, when Seville was a major river port city in Europe – not just for trade but also for cultural exchange,’ says Lorenzo, who also cites the hotel’s palette of oxblood, lapis blue, emerald and mustard as paying homage to 19th-century Romanticism. Each one of the 28 rooms is based around a single colour and his custom-made textiles (one depicts bullfighters, another a pair of dancers). Produced by Gastón y Daniela and taken from designs in the company’s archive, each print is repeated in the curtains, headboard and sofa. Around the walls, hand-stencilling nods to other local landmarks, such as La Cartuja Monastery, while wooden wardrobe doors showcase Moorish-style fretwork.
In the heat of summer, the loungers and plunge pool on the rooftop terrace will be a real boon, but the hotel is equally appealing in the winter months, when the cobbled streets of the Santa Cruz district are free of crowds. During my trip, I browse shops such as Populart, which sells salvaged Spanish tiles and earthenware from the 15th century onwards. Later, still-warm evenings mean I can nab an outside table at Taberna Zurbarán, just round the corner from the hotel, to savour a glass of tinto de verano and a heavenly slice of Spanish omelette.
The city embraces the festive spirit wholeheartedly in the run-up to Christmas. From the first week of November, lights illuminate the old town, wooden stalls in Plaza Nueva sell handicrafts and gifts for the Feria de Artesanía, and campanilleros (bell ringers) and singers take to the streets carolling. Religious traditions include the displaying of belenes (nativity scenes) in public buildings; for those who wish to buy their own figurines, there is also the atmospheric Feria del Belén market near the cathedral. By far the most anticipated celebration, though, is Three Kings Day (Epiphany) on January 6. This is marked, the night before, by a lively procession of floats through the streets, folk dancing and performers handing out sweets to children.
Whatever the time of year, Seville is special. This is partly due to the Andalusian city having such a rich, multicultural history, which is, in turn, reflected through its distinctive architecture. Now, it’s time for the next act to begin in one of González’s masterpieces.
Doubles cost from €350: cristinebedforhotel.com
1/10The tiled courtyard.
2/10Arabesque motifs, such as the eight-point stars that feature in the interiors, reflect Seville’s Islamic history.
3/10A window in the restored building’s Neo-Mudéjar style.
4/10The roof terrace.
5/10Dishes at Taberna Zurbarán, a tapas bar with recently renovated interiors.
6/10The 15th-century cathedral.
7/10Populart specialises in salvaged antique tiles and ceramics.
8/10Plaza de España’s Vicente Traver fountain viewed from the tiled colonnade.
9/10Founded in 1850, Casa Morales is known for its house wines, tapas and period details.
10/10Plaza del Cabildo.
