Hotel Amadeus Sevilla

A family-run, musically-themed hotel set within an 18th-century manor house in Barrio Santa Cruz

Located in the heart of Seville’s ancient Barrio Santa Cruz and a stone’s throw from the Moorish Jardines de Murillo, Hotel Amadeus is a hidden gem. It has become a meeting point for local and international musicians who use its soundproofed music rooms and hold regular concerts in its magnificent 19th-century balconied inner atrium.

Named after different composers, the 30 high-ceilinged rooms and suites are furnished in dark mahogany with spotlessly laundered bedlinens. Guests are made to feel welcome and relaxed despite (or because of) the 4 polished pianos, numerous stringed instruments, saxophones and harps adorning the communal spaces. There's even a piano in one of the bedrooms (don't worry, it's soundproofed too). Breakfast is served on 2 large roof terraces with enviable views of La Giralda, the surrounding rooftops and the parks of Jardines de Murillo and the Reales Alcázares. Classical music in the background instils an atmosphere of calm, but no hint of austerity, mainly due to the presence of the exceptionally friendly family that runs the hotel.

Highs

• The Guerrero family: Maria Luisa's 5 children all studied at the Seville Conservatory. Her son Carlos was the architect behind the clever restoration project, which created phenomenal acoustics for the communal concerts and practice rooms
• Two lifts whisk you up to roof terraces with a Jacuzzi and superb views over Santa Cruz and the Jardines de Murillo
• Receptionists will regale you with anecdotes and tips on where to visit, eat, drink and have fun
• One of the cleanest hotels I've visited (Maria Luisa has her own launderette nearby)
• Excellent value for money considering the central location

Lows

• Some rooms are directly above street level, so noise may permeate into the room; but all have been soundproofed since our visit
• A couple of rooms in the annex are very small
• There's no pool - but you do get internet terminals, WiFi, a CD library and free fino
• Breakfast is an unembellished continental spread
• Not for boisterous party people or large groups