Hotel Santa Isabel la Real

I would highly recommend the Santa Isabel la Real Hotel as a place to stay when you are visiting Grenada. The staff are fabulous, especially Ingo. When we arrived, he spent time with us, describing the many things we might do/attractions we might see /walks we might take, given the limited amount of time we had. His suggestions were spot on. Our room was spacious, bathroom well-stocked with the necessities. The breakfast offerings were multiple in number and quite delicious. Thank you!

What a delightful hotel in the historic moorish area of Granada. We were just a few steps from St Nicholas square overlooking the Alhambra. The hotel manager Ingo and the mother daughter team of Lola and Lola kept us oriented and well-fed. We loved sitting in the lobby with the open ceiling each evening with our vino. A few tidbits- nothing is as easy to find in the winding narrow streets as the locals tell you-- but everyone is friendly and helps you along. And the buses don’t always run on time, but once you see the narrow streets you understand why.... so plan accordingly when going to the Alhambra.

We arrived and were greeted by Ingo who gave us alot of information, most of which was scribbled on a map of the city. We had three nights at this hotel and beyond that first time with a knowledgeable person, the rest of the staff could not hepl us reserve tickets, or worse yet, were simply not available. We tried to call the office one afternoon and evening for over 4 hours, also ringing the bell as noted on the office door. Then we were given a cell number of the "sister" that was suppossed to be available but she did not answer either the night before we left or the next morning. The tub/shower did not have a mat so it was dangerously slippery. The two options for bathing was a economy size of shampoo or a disinfectant hand soap--no shower jell or bar of soap. The towels should have been retired some time long before we arrived. Breakfast, included, was pretty minimum and the thing we were to use to toast bread was archaic. We did not understand from the initial meeting with Ingo that the wall unit was for heat as well as air conditioning. The hotel is only heated a for a few hours in the afternoon, turned off at night and turned on for a few hours in the morning. On the third day we learned that we could use the wall unit for heat. It was 41 F on the second day and raining so were were very cold and since there was no one answering the phone or bell we were very unhappy. All in all it was not a well run hotel and at $240 a night (which did include parking) I am sure there are better choices in Granada.

While the property is in an attractive location in the old. City, it is difficult to navigate if you come by auto. Once you check in, which is friendly and helpful, service declines to “0”. There is never anyone at reception and the phone numbers provided are NEVER answered. Potentially, you could arrive to a locked door and never get in. The hotel is OK, breakfast minimal, management incompetent. Try it if you like high risk.

Stayed here for two nights and really enjoyed the time. Interesting drive to the hotel but there is a parking garage for 20 Euro daily (highly recommended). Clean, comfortable room and enjoyable inner courtyard. Great breakfast with homemade cake and yogurt. Nice views of the Alhambra and downtown Granada from nearby view points. Lots of restaurants within a 10-minute walk. Very easy to take a bus to the cathedral or Alhambra.

Fabulous, friendly, loads of charm. Just such a beautiful and rustic part of Granada, narrow cobblestone streets with bars and restaurants close by. We walked a lot but there is also a regular bus service into downtown Granada and the Alhambra - beware, they only take cash, they don’t wait and the drivers seem um, a bit annoyed. Secure entry. Loved our room, plenty of space, clean, comfortable, air-con, a lift to get us to the 2nd floor. There was a lot of noise late at night, banging doors, etc, but overall it was restful. Our host Ingo was so welcoming and friendly. Breakfast staff helpful but food choices a bit limited.

In short: my worst hotel experience so far. I picked this hotel as I wanted a good morning view to the Alhambra. I booked 2 nights Aug 30th to Sep 1st through Chase Travel network. I payed fully in advance and got a booking confirmation number. So all was good. On the afternoon of Wednesday Aug 30th, I landed in Granada, took a taxi from airport straight to the hotel. When I reached the hotel I saw the door was closed. I knocked on the main door several times no answer. On the door they put several phone numbers so I started calling each number one by one. All the numbers did not ring at all except the one highlighted in Yellow. It rang and I was able to hear it ringing from inside the hotel building but no one was picking up. Mind you this was about 11:45 PM afternoon and it was very hot outside. I was standing there in that stranded street with my luggage and with only have a bottle of water. The street is a narrow isolated street on the top of the hill and there is no shops or open hotels nearby that I can see. After about 45 minutes of knocking on door and ringing their phones I called my bank Chase to help me find another hotel immediately. I was standing in the heat with very bad signal, barely was able to reach my bank. I stayed with the bank on the phone for about an hour. After multiple tryouts, they were able to help and found me another hotel of 12 minutes walking distance (thankfully down the road not climbing up since I have luggage). After I checked in to the new hotel I called my bank to file a complaint and asked for full refund of my booking with hotel Santa Isabel la Real. I was livid. I basically lost 2 hours of my prime daytime tourist trip, and was stranded under the Sun for no reason. My bank did not know why the hotel was close during midday and midweek but still accepts accepts bookings!!! but thankfully eventually I did get a full refund. People, this was my story so if you still wanna book with them the MAKE SURE you call them first otherwise you might lose your money and time.

This hotel has so much charm and character, but the personal touch from the owners/staff really make the experience. When we arrived, Ingo sat down with us for about 20 minutes to help orient us with a personalised map, including recommendations for places to eat, drink, and sightsee, and tips on how to get around. When he heard we had an early entry to the Alhambra the next morning which would require us to leave the hotel before breakfast was served, he prepared us each a picnic breakfast to have in our rooms, which were waiting for us when we returned to the hotel that evening. The kindness and expertise of Ingo and all the staff made us feel so at home. It is also worth noting that the area the hotel is in, the Albayzin, was our favourite part of the city with its winding alleyways, whitewashed stonework, and brightly coloured flowers all around. It was much calmer and felt more local than the centre of the city. At the end of the trip, I got food poisoning (not from the hotel!) and they allowed me to remain in my room after checkout, which was a lifesaver. I highly recommend this hotel for a wonderful Granada experience.