Category: travel

Seville Gastronomic Heritage Guide

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sevill gastronomy heritage

Introduing Sevilla’s first Gastronomic Heritage Guide to tapas (and the best places to find them). The first printing of the guide is out and about and you can also download the free APP, which has both Spanish and English versions. It’s a perfect way for both locals and visitors to discover the diverse and delicious gastronomy of Sevilla, one bar at a time. Handy maps and recipes are also included in the APP.

“Establishments suggested come from a popular survey conducted by Tourism Board of City of Seville website between April 15 and September 15, 2013, as well as from a selection prepared by a technical commission of experts composed of Julio Fernández, Chef of the Michelin Star restaurant Abantal, Fernando Huidobro, president of the Andalusian Academy of Gastronomy and Tourism, Javier Compás, wine tasting technician, journalist and gastronomic writer, Shawn Hennessey, best gastronomy Twitter 2013 and author of Sevilla Tapas gastronomy tours, and Paco Sánchez, historic bar-restaurant owner in town, former owner of Bar Giralda and Bar Estrella. As a rule, these establishments are limited to the traditional and touristic heart of the city, although some other establishments are also included beyond that area because of uniqueness, quality and tradition.”
~ Visita Sevilla

I am very pleased and proud to have had a part in the creation of this very special guide.

app sevillaDownload the APP at Visita Sevilla

Barcelona | Hotel Room Mate Emma

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bcn emma (1)
After my pleasant stay at Hotel Room Mate Lola in Málaga last December it’s probably not surprising that I would choose to stay with Room Mate again on my recent trip to Barcelona. I’d actually looked into a couple other hotels there but, as usual, Room Mate came through first with a good four-night offer, plus Emma is just three metro stops from the Renfe Sant station, where the AVE stops. And it felt good – a bit like coming home – when I arrived and got settled into my comfortable Deluxe room. It had a nice big window, a very comfortable bed, a desk for my laptop, mini bar, safe and a good amount of closet space. My only small complaint was that the bathroom had very dim lighting, making “hair and make-up” very awkward. Had no idea what I actually looked like until I got into the lift.

bcn emma (2)[click on image to enlarge]

I was up on the sixth floor with a window facing the street, which turned out to be very quiet. I’d recommend a street-facing room for the extra light, unless you are a very extra-light sleeper, in which case there are also rooms facing the interior patio. There are seven floors of standard and deluxe rooms, with two floors of suites with private terraces above. I was actually surprised that the ultra-modern décor could feel so cosy, but it did. As always with Room Mate, breakfast is served until noon, but I just opted for a quick morning cup of coffee while I plotted out my day.

Room Mate Emma is located in Carrer Rosselló, in the chic Eixample barrio, a stone’s throw from the elegant Paseo de Gracia and close to just about anywhere you’d want to go. In fact I walked everywhere during my four-day stay and found lots to do nearby. There is also a small supermarket right across the street to pick up “supplies” like mineral water, juice, wine and snacks. Great customer service, as always. Recommended!

Hotel Room Mate Emma
Carrer Rosselló 205
Barcelona
Tel 932 38 56 06

For restaurant recommendations have a look here… Eating Out in Barcelona

Málaga | Hotel del Pintor

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hotel del pintor room
After three fabulous nights in Málaga mid-December I realised I needed/wanted to extend my visit by one more night. Unfortunately the lovely hotel I’d been staying at had no availability and they asked me if I would like them to call somewhere for me. Well, back in July while I was on summer holiday in Málaga a friend of mine came to visit and spent the night at Hotel del Pintor. I’d seen her room and, while not as nice as where I’d been staying, I thought it would be fine for one night. But imagine my surprise when I showed up at the hotel and saw that my room was nothing like the one I’d seen before. In fact, it was barely a room at all. There was one single bed in a room just slightly larger than the bed itself, with two small windows looking into two other small windows across the patio. Small, dark and uncomfortable. There wasn’t even a place for me to put my carry-on suitcase and I ended up leaning it against the door. The (surprise!) very small bathroom was clean enough, though the toilet seat was soaking wet when I arrived, and the toilet made odd gurgling sounds throughout my stay.hotel del pintor

I spoke to the receptionist who told me she couldn’t change rooms because they were fully booked and when I asked to speak to the manager I was told he was away in Sevilla for a meeting and couldn’t be reached. What? This was at midday on a Friday. I was pretty much resigned to spend my final night in Málaga in that dreadful room but certainly didn’t want to spend 54€ (the same price my previous – and much superior – hotel had charged per night) and so asked for something to be done. When I returned to the hotel in the evening to change for dinner (I’d stayed out as long as possible so I wouldn’t have to spend time there) I was told that the manager was still unavailable. I told the receptionist – a different one this time – that it was scandalous to charge so much for what was little more than a walk-in closet and was told that this was because of the hotel’s “excellent location”. Yes, on grimy calle Álamos, with no parking, no restaurant… all of which was available at my previous hotel (which is actually in an excellent location). Whatever. I left to meet my friends feeling very upset.

That night I had a terrible sleep on the small bed that creaked whenever I turned over (receptionist: “oh, that must be because the bed is new!”) on a too-soft pillow that was full of lumps. The next morning I got dressed and got out of there as soon as possible, and while checking out yet another receptionist told me that the manager – who was now unavailable because he was off for two days – had instructed her to tell me that they would not adjust the price for me. Unbelievable. What kind of hotel has no manager available from mid-day Friday until Monday morning?? Totally unprofessional. When my friend stayed there during peak season in July she paid 48€ for a room that was easily twice as big, yet management maintained they could do nothing for me. Trust me, there are plenty of other places to stay in Málaga where you will be treated much better than here.

Hotel del Pintor
Álamos 27
Málaga
tel 952 06 09 80

Málaga | Hotel Room Mate Lola

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lola
Those of you who know me know that I usually opt for holiday apartments if I’m staying somewhere more than a night or two. I just like the extra space and having a small kitchen for making coffee and snacks. But on this recent trip to Málaga I came across a nice 3-night online offer at Room Mate Lola, where my friend Annie Bennett had stayed not long ago and, based on her positive experiences there, I thought I’d give it a try. I was also interested to stay in the new hip Soho barrio, so it suited me quite well. I liked that I could walk to the hotel from the train station in less than 15 minutes (no problem with small carry-on bag with wheels and laptop). I wondered if the “standard” room might feel a bit cramped, but although it wasn’t overly spacious and only had one window looking over a side street, it actually felt quite cosy and pleasant. Nice use of mirrors helped make the room feel larger and added more light. There was also lots of closet space (with a mini bar and safe inside), a good-sized desk and comfy armchair in the corner.

lola collage

[click on image to enlarge]

Lola’s retro-chic style totally fits in with its location in the newly designated “Soho” neighbourhood of Málaga. What used to be a rather dodgy area of town is being transformed into a trendy barrio filled with galleries and boutiques, and almost daily more and more buildings are being covered in street art and graffiti, some by quite famous artists. And the Contemporary Arts Museum is just a short walk away. In fact, I found it a comfortable walking distance to pretty much everywhere I wanted to go: the Atarazanas market, the recently refurbished port Muelle Uno, Larios street and the surrounding shopping areas, and even Plaza Merced.

I opted out of the breakfast (an attractive buffet served until noon) but was still able to enjoy a cup of coffee in the bright dining area on the main floor. There was excellent free WiFi throughout the hotel and the staff were very friendly, professional and helpful. The only “negative” I can think of is that the lighting in the bathroom was a bit too dim for doing hair and make-up, but it was nice having both a bathtub and shower. I honestly felt completely at home and comfortable at Lola and look forward to future stays there, and to trying out some of their other hotels in Spain.

Hotel Room Mate Lola
Calle Casas de Campos 17
Málaga
Tel 952 579 300

Casa de Huéspedes Santa María

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casa huespedes bed
This quirky and charming family-run guest house was recommended to me by a friend who lives in El Puerto de Santa María and I have to say it was perfect for my overnight stay there mid-November. My room was on the ground floor at the back of the house, so not much light from the row of small windows just under the ceiling (presumably opening onto a patio), but it was brightly decorated in primary colours against white walls and bedding, which made it quite cheerful. The bed was super comfortable and everything was clean-clean-clean. I had an ensuite bathroom (some of the rooms share) which was small but serviceable. In fact, my only two complaints about the place had to do with the bathroom: no hand-held showerhead option, and the opaque window in the bathroom that opened onto the hallway (which wasn’t actually opaque enough and – bizarrely – had a curtain covering it on the hallway side of the window). I don’t know, just made me feel a bit “exposed” late at night.

casa huespedes room

[my room]

Owners Carlos and Myriam were very welcoming and helpful. I arrived with about fifteen minutes to spare to make my appointment for a sherry tour at Bodegas Gutierrez-Colosía, which happily was not far away, and Carlos not only gave me easy directions but also a couple of recommendations for places to have tapas afterwards. Unfortunately this meant I didn’t have time to take a peek at some of the other rooms and by the time I got back after lunch they were all occupied.

casa huespedes common spaces

[common areas of the hotel – click to enlarge]

Nice touches included a small kitchen where you could make tea or coffee and snacks. The fridge was stocked with bottled water that you could take and leave payment (1€) in a tin on the countertop. There were two complimentary coffee capsules with cups in my room and additional ones were also 1€ each, which seemed reasonable to me. The common rooms on the ground floor were also charming. A TV/reading room with a stack of books and comfy retro chairs, and a typical patio Andaluz, not-so-typically decorated. There was free WiFi in the common areas. All in all a pleasant stay and, at 40€, also a very good price.

It’s also an excellent location. It was about a 15 minute walk from the train station and just a 5 minute walk to the catamaran, which I took to Cádiz city the next morning.

Casa de Huéspedes Santa María
Calle Pedro Muñoz Seca 38
El Puerto de Santa María
Tel 956 85 36 31