Our visit to Seville was enriched by the location of our accommodation. Not only was it well-situated to explore Seville’s many attractions by foot, but it also felt like we were staying in a real Sevillian flat. This allowed us to truly immerse ourselves in this fascinating city, and experience what life could be like if we were locals. I liked it enough, that I thought I would share it here. Especially since it had an Andalusian feel to it; this was a place I want to remember as part of our experience.
Photo above: The front exterior door to our apartment. We accessed it using a lockbox, and it already felt like a special place to stay.
Photo above: The staircase was the only way up. And we were on the second and top floor. It had Andalusian charm thanks to the tiled walls and marble staircase.
The location was excellent
We felt the location of this apartment was great and I can highly recommend staying in the Barrio de Santa Cruz neighborhood. The neighborhood itself is an attraction when you visit. Plus, many key attractions were only a short walk away: Seville Cathedral (7 min), Royal Alcazar (8 min), Casa de Pilatos (9 min), Las Setas (13 min), and Plaza de Espana (17 min). The longest walk we had was perhaps from the Santa Justa Train Station (23 min) and the Plaza des Armas Bus Station (25 min). We broke up the walk from the train station by stopping at Boca Floja (see below for photos) for an amazing lunch. This helped us buy some time before we could get into the apartment. We did take cabs that were parked right outside the apartment the morning we left Seville for Granada from the bus station. We needed two cabs to fit the 6 of us and our bags, and they were only 6 EUR each. It was a bargain to save us the 25 minutes walking carrying all our bags so early in the morning. And had I known it would be so inexpensive, I might have taken a cab from the train station the day we arrived.
One of the best things about this location though, was that Moya Brunch was almost next door.
Photo above: The view from the living room, looking to the right. The city was alive below and we could find everything we needed on this street. There was a bakery across from the apartment, a small store a few doors down, and the best brunch in the world, almost next door.
Photo above: The first side street next to the apartment; super cute!
Pit Stop @ Boca Floja
Photo above: We highly recommend a stop here. This cute unassuming place had incredible service and excellent brunch offerings. We stumbled here between the train station and old town.
Photo above: Sophia’s favorite in Europe is freshly squeezed OJ. She looks so happy with her glass.
Photo above: The drinks were great; and so was the food!
Photo above: Boca Floja served what seemed like a Mexican-Spanish fusion made from fresh ingredients.
Our apartment in Seville
The apartment itself looked just like the photos we had seen when making the reservation. We stayed in December and paid $507 USD for four nights, including all taxes and fees. It was a real bargain. It had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The apartment was very spacious and nicely decorated. The bedrooms were toward the back of the apartment and were absolutely silent and dark at night, despite its central city location. We slept really good here and that was the main purpose we used the apartment for. So my family would consider returning here on our next visit.
However, there were some things we didn’t like. Probably the most annoying thing was the bathrooms. The shower drain was plugged and the water overflowed onto the bathroom floor. It quickly dried each day, but still, gross! Lately, it seems like if I get an apartment that doesn’t have a plugged drain, it is the exception and I hate that. Additionally, both toilets had problems. One was continually running and the other had the seat disconnected from the toilet. We were able to resolve the toilet issues with temporary fixes, but it was annoying. Other reviewers had noted a loose tile in the entry-way. This was there, but it didn’t bother me at all.
There were also some inconveniences with the technology. First, the apartment did not having working internet during our entire visit. This is the only apartment I have ever stayed at while traveling, and I have stayed at many, that did not have working WIFI. Additionally, the TV didn’t work, but with the internet not working, the TV was probably pointless anyways. We survived, but it would have been nice to have internet especially since we didn’t get good internet on our phones while roaming in Spain. Emma had to pack her laptop around the Royal Alzcazar so she could pop into the nearby Starbucks afterwards to attend some Zoom meetings. I told the owners that we had someone in our group who needed to be able to work from the apartment, but that made no difference. Still no internet.
I actually reached out to the owners/managers a couple of times, who expressed sympathy and/or interest in doing something about the problems we had, but there was no follow through. Surprisingly, despite all these things, we still enjoyed our stay and could even return again. Of course, I would probably inquire about the maintenance of the bathrooms first. Aside from these things, the apartment was very clean, the beds were very comfortable, and it was spacious and pleasant. And I certainly wouldn’t count on working from here.
Photo above: The apartment had a small functional kitchen. We didn’t cook anything here so I can’t say how well equipped it is. But it met our needs.
Photo above: The apartment had a dining table that seated our whole family.
How to do laundry while traveling
Our apartment didn’t have a washing machine. Which was fine, because we needed to wash everything we brought, to re-wear, and that was going to be a few loads. So I had my eye out for a laundromat where I could wash it all at the same time in larger machines. I spotted a cute little one called The Laundry Room just one minute away from the apartment. It is located on a small open plaza with a few tapas bars. It wasn’t open the first time I tried to visit, in the morning, and I never really could figure out when it actually opened (the sign has hours but they must not be strictly enforced). But, it would eventually be open each day. There were only a few washers and dryers in there, and they only took coins. I had to make change at a nearby convenience store, using Google translate to explain what I needed.
When I spotted it open in the evening, and that the machines were mostly empty, I loaded them up with all our laundry and my family sat outside the laundromat at a tapas bar while the machines did their magic. I moved the laundry from two washing machines to one larger dryer, and continued to enjoy the evening outside at the tapas bar until it was completely done. Then I loaded up our backpacks with the clothes and we took it back to the apartment to fold. This worked out great and Gary already said this is how we should do our laundry every time. It really wasn’t a pain at all; we were having a great time while the machines ebbed and flowed. And we could keep an eye on the entrance which was basically like keeping an eye on things.
Photo above: The Laundry Room in Seville, 1 minute from our apartment.
Photo above: Carmela Tapas Bar, just down from the Laundry Room.
Book your own apartment in Seville
We booked this apartment on Booking.com. If you want to stay here on your visit, you can book it here. Otherwise, Booking.com has many properties in Seville (we had a tough time choosing ourselves), including in this neighborhood, that you can choose from. I highly recommend using their platform. I have used it for many years and have always been happy, even when problems have arisen.
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