
Seda Club Hotel
Silky smooth operator
Popular central plaza
Home to flamboyant flamenco and the ‘more is Moorish’ Alhambra, Granada wears its heart on an elaborately embellished sleeve. And Seda Club hotel has translated these glamorous traits and its lingering decadence as a 15th-century Silk Road stop (hence the hotel name, since ‘seda’ means ‘silk’) into a modern hideaway with intricate tiling, bronzed panels and bevelled lights, richly hued silks and velvets, and plentiful pattern. The ‘club’ part comes into play with its top-form service and speakeasy-style bar, but its trappings of a cathedral-view roof terrace, dinky private-hire spa and genteel afternoon teas offer luxury without ostentation.
Planes
Named for the famous Andalusian writer, Federico García Lorca Granada-Jaén Airport is the closest hub to the hotel, a 30-minute drive away. On request, the staff at Seda Club can book transfers.
Trains
Granada’s main train station is just a 15-minute drive from the hotel. Part of the Renfe national-rail network, it’s very well connected, with direct links to Valencia, Seville, Madrid, Barcelona and more major cities throughout Spain. On request, a pick-up can be arranged from here. And for sipping around the city, there are several Metro stops within a 10-minute walk.
Automobiles
Typical of historic cities, Granada isn’t the easiest to navigate by car, with some narrow streets and restricted zones, so try two feet over four wheels where possible. But, if you have come with a car, there’s parking at the hotel for €30 a night with valet included and chargers for electric vehicles.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
One of the most placid parts of a dizzying city, Granada’s Plaza de la Trinidad is a perfect central base for Seda Club. A pretty, leafy square, where you can sit by a Baroque fountain and idle the afternoon away, it’s also an active hub, where religious processions (such as the eerily intriguing Santa Semana Easter celebrations) pass by. And you’re within walking distance of many major sights – a few steps away, the Renaissance cathedral feels like being cocooned in a Fabergé egg with its ornamental gilding, but it’s a mere appetiser for the visual gorging that awaits at the Alhambra, a 30-minute walk away (you'll want to book tickets in advance and staff can help arrange guided tours). If its interiors inspire you to bring some Moorish colour and pattern into your life, close to Seda Club is the Alcaicería, a historic Arabic neighbourhood with winding narrow streets and a vibrant bazaar. After, take a head-clearing walk through the university’s Botanical Gardens. The green spaces only get grander with the Generalife palace and gardens to the east and beyond that the mountainous wilds of the Sierra Nevada national park, where you can ski in season. Realejo may be an antique Jewish Quarter, but local graffiti artists have brought it up to date with large-scale murals, so take yourself on a casual tour before swinging by the Museum of Fine Arts, not only home to important paintings, sculptures and objets, but housed in the Palace of Charles V, which has a spectacular colonnaded patio within. Music fans should take a mini pilgrimage to Placeta Joe Strummer, which was named after the Clash frontman (who loved the city) after a petition from residents – a mural commemorates him here – then hit El Bar de Eric (8 Calle Escuelas), close to the hotel to see up-and-coming rockers play.























