Parador de Granada – Historic palace stay

The Parador de Granada sits inside the walls of the Alhambra, in a 15th-century convent built on the site of an earlier Nasrid palace. You stay within the same grounds that draw visitors from across the world, with the gardens and monuments a short walk from your door. Stone arches, tiled floors and a quiet cloister give the building its character. After the day-trippers leave, the area around the hotel empties out and the setting feels almost private, which is part of why this address is so hard to book.

The Standard Double room covers around 23 square metres with a full double bed, a private bathroom, air conditioning and a flat-screen TV. The building keeps its historic bones, so rooms carry beamed ceilings and old detailing rather than a modern finish. The deal is room only, though breakfast can be added at booking and is served on a terrace looking towards the Generalife gardens. A bar and restaurant sit on site for evenings when you would rather not head back down into the city.

You could not be closer to the main sight: the Alhambra is around 33 metres from the hotel, and the Palacio de Generalife is roughly 272 metres away. The Granada Museum of Fine Arts is about 118 metres on, with the Palace of the Alhambra around 228 metres. Staying inside the complex means you can reach the Nasrid Palaces early, before the queues build, then walk back for a rest in the afternoon. The Albaicin quarter and the city centre are a short taxi or bus ride downhill.

Couples and history-minded travellers who want to wake up inside the Alhambra rather than commute to it. Three nights gives time for the palaces, the gardens and the old town at a relaxed pace.