GRAN MELIA COLON

We usually try and stay in one of the Melia’s here in Seville. On this occasion we were able to get a booking at this Grand Dame. And what a treat it was! Food, Service and Location at the right price (we booked directly this time). It starts with the checkin - a Cava while you sit down to you give your details. We had booked a Deluxe Room on a B&B basis. But decided to upgrade to the Red Level at €50 per room per night. You might think this will have increased costs, but we worked out that it would in fact save us money plus help us enjoy the stay more. We met Manuel and Maria del Mar. They recognised that we’d stayed at the hotel previously, which was a nice touch. We were given a tour of the facilities: - Access to the RedLevel lounge (specific key card) from 12 noon – 10pm, with spirits, Cava, wine, soft drinks, water, mixers available, as well as special tapas, cakes, pastries. We’d spend some time here prior to going out for dinner or post-shopping, to relax a little, read the papers, have a drink, snack....perfect set-up. - International / national newspaper free We got our paper every morning, good to have a quick sneak peak on what’s going on. - Personalised service You get this regardless. ALL staff are so attentive and are masters in anticipating what you might want or need. 1 item of ironing free (although there’s an iron/ironing board in the cupboard of any room at this hotel (standard issue for Melia). - Late checkout This was one of the reasons we upgraded, it gave us the chance to make the most of our last day to use the facilities, take in the sun a little, chill out in the RedLevel lounge until our cab took us to the airport. - Special guest rooms (views) We were then whisked off to our room on the 7th floor by my namesake Estefania, and our luggage was already there. The room was on the top level, which is dedicated to GOYA! Room 708. We also had some delicious titbits waiting for us and some free water (refreshed every day). Wait until you see the bathroom/bedroom layout – you can see the view while having a shower, since the bathroom is separated via glazed window (yes it has a curtain to close it off). The double sink, Clarins toiletries and separate toilet just make this such a luxurious experience. The bed is just heaven – pillows to sink into, the bed so huge you to lose yourself in it. Haven’t slept this well in ages. You will never be short of fluffy towels, robes etc.... I love this side of the hotel, as it backs on the church next door and you can see the tower/cathedral. The church bells are also close and you’ll be able to hear them. But I find them quite soothing, reminding me that I only have to get up for breakfast. Breakfast is an experience. You can help yourself to anything at the buffet or ask for your tailor made breakfast. Everything is just delicious and tasty. The setting allows you to have some privacy, have a conversation. A Cava to with OJ to start the day with – why not! Definitely wait for the staff to ask for your coffee order, as you can request what you like. Marco and Helena looked after us wonderfully. Gym The gym is basic, but has all you need; treadmill, cycling, cross-trainer, floor training area with free weights, water cooler. Good A/C! Rooftop pool/sun area When we were there, there was only a small whirlpool, so only really useful to cool down in and even then, it was a bit awkward with several other guests using it as well. Just too small unless you want to get to know people! The sun loungers are very comfortable, so very relaxing. The area has a great view over the city. Location You cannot get anything better or more central. Within minutes you’re in the main shopping area, historical places. We walked everywhere. If you need a cab, there’s a rank in front of the hotel. If you fancy taking public transport, there’s a bus stop just 5 mins up the road. We went to three places in the evenings, dinner at Abades Triana (you’ll have to reserve this well in advance, but we won’t be repeating this experience), El Rinconcillo (we are usually served by Simon) – you can never go wrong with this place, the tapas and the service is amazing and to watch footie we went to O’Neills – this was something we arranged via WhatsApp prior to the match, as we wanted to be sure we wouldn’t miss the Champions League final. Michael, his team, especially the young lady who was training to be cabin crew looked after us fantastically. We had a great evening all round.

This is a beautiful hotel in an excellent location in historic Seville. The concierge staff went out of their way to help me with problems with my train tickets. They are happy to speak English. The breakfast buffet was fabulous. Only complaint is there is no coffee maker in the room and one person taking a shower will wake up the other person because there is only glass with a curtain between the shower and the bed. Getting around the city from this location is easy.

Best hotel we have stayed in in a long time. Location, staff, food room all outstanding. You will love it. Not too far from the airport. Close to all the amenities and historical sights. Unbelievable stay from start to finish

A traditional facade in a great location. On entry, you find yourself in a very"fancy" lobby with a red and white decor, which you can't ignore, and which might not be to everyone's taste. Excellent, clean room. Very good breakfast and friendly staff.

This hotel has an excellent location making it easy to walk around the old city and see most of the key sites. The hotel also has excellent Flamenco shows a couple of times a week, best to check directly with the hotel for the exact days/times. We have stayed at many Melia hotels in Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Marbella etc) and have treated ourselves to their Red Level offering many times. Sadly the Red Level experience at Gran Melia Colon is not up to the standard you will find at the equivalent hotels in Barcelona or Marbella. The whole experience feels like Red level here is something the hotel offers soley to generate extra revenue without wanting to provide any significant differentiation between Red Level and the standard offering. This is particularly true with the staff. When we checked in (mid afternoon) the Red Level desk was not even staffed. However we were looked after very well by the regular receptionists who were excellent. We were shown to our room by a Red Level staff member who was not over burdened with charm but was polite enough. She did not give us a full explanation of how things worked in the room. In common with many Melia hotels the lighting controls for example require a degree in electrical engineering. You can usually acquire this after three nights. We were there for four. The coffee machine can be used to make hot water if you prefer tea. We found out later. From someone else. The Red Level hospitality room (for drinks and snacks) is in the basement. Not buried deep enough for us but it’s a start. A poorly decorated and furnished room offering just about adequate snacks with very little choice. The Red Level staff looking after this room were curt and it felt like they thought they were doing us a favour. Red Level guests can take their breakfast here and some did but this room has all the charm and ambiance of a mortuary so it is hard to see why anyone would and we chose the main breakfast area where we were looked after very well indeed. With excellent food quality choice and service. So no need to pay extra for Red Level. “No se” (I don’t know) is a phrase often used by Red Level staff here. For example when I asked why the hotels only outside space (a small rooftop terrace) was closed to guests on our second day they didn’t know. Back to main reception who advised it was closed for a private function. Hot city (great city) been out sightseeing for much of the day and want to relax on the only terrace' Not possible because management has put a private function ahead of its guests. Not good practice or hospitality. I made my views very clear on this. Why was the air conditioning in the gym not working' “No se” from Red Level. Main reception said they would look in to it. They may still be looking for all I know. It’s always nice to have your five star Red Level hotel room made up at night. For some reason this didn’t happen at all on our second night. Visited main reception to ask why (as the red Level reception wasn’t (you’ve guessed it) staffed. “No Se” but they did send someone to service the room straight away. These are first world problems (and I could add to the list of silly irritating snags) but when a hotel is charging full on five star rates I feel it’s fair to say that these things should not happen and there were enough mistakes to ensure we will not stay here again. The hotel restaurant is called “Burladero” and it is excellent (see separate review) it is the only significant saving grace of this ordinary hotel and the best part is you don’t have to stay at the Colon to dine there. So don’t.