HOTEL REVIEW


One of Europe’s grandest hotels has been restored to its former glory by HBA London, with a fusion of historical influences harking back to a more glamorous era.


Hotel Alfonso XIII Seville


Words: Shanna McGoldrick Photography: Tim Beddows A


s home to legendary womanizer Don Juan, bullfighting and flamenco, Seville is a city founded on a heady mix of passion,


mystery and charm. The capital of Andalucia has seen Roman, Moorish and Castillian occupation, witnessed civil wars and political turbulence, and was a playground for the privileged during the ‘Golden Age of travel’ of the 1920s and 30s. These are all themes woven into the full-blooded design narrative of the iconic


Hotel Alfonso XIII, recently restored to the tune of $25million by Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, a Starwood Hotels group. Drawing on the property’s glamorous past and Art Deco inheritance (it was opened by its namesake King Alfonso XIII in 1929) as well as Andalucia’s vivid history, studio design team The Gallery from HBA in London and Sevillian architect Demopolis have secured the hotel’s status as a luxurious and modern destination by restoring it to its former glory. “With the restoration of the legendary


Hotel Alfonso XIII, we were given both an exceptional challenge and opportunity to enhance the soul of this beloved treasure, a must-see architectural landmark in its own right,” says Inge Moore, Principal of The Gallery and HBA London. “Our research into the stories of Seville’s


layered heritage and reimagining of the hotel invites guests to join in the discovery of the passionate Andalucian culture through a design


abundant with the best of today’s comforts.” The result of the ten-month overhaul is an opulent fusion of architectural styles and cultural influences: Arabic-inspired arches, soaring towers and renaissance-style windows blend seamlessly into Art Deco features and bold colour schemes. Azuelos, Sevillian ceramic tiles, are hand-painted with a vivid azure and mustard palette which inspired the double-height lobby’s new and re-upholstered furnishings. And what a lobby it is: original surfaces including intricate marble floors, a dramatic marble staircase, bas-relief crown mouldings and a coffered ceiling displaying lavish frescoes and period chandeliers have all remained perfectly intact. Even the addition of electrical sockets was prohibited, forcing the design team to re-think the logistics of the interiors. The space leads out to an al-fresco dining


courtyard encircled by mosaic-clad colonnades. Rattan textures and button-tufted chairs in


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