Seville specialises in small, luxurious hotels sited in the townhouses and mansions of long-dead aristocrats. Among the loveliest are Las Casas del Rey de Baeza (Plaza Jesús de la Redención 2, 954 561 496, €150-€185) and Casa Romana (C/Trajano 15, 954 915 170, €148-€185). Both manage to balance the cooler lines of modern design with a degree of sevillano character. Seven and a half miles west of the city is the Hacienda Benazua (Sanlúcar La Mayor, 955 703 344, €330, opens mid March 2006 after refurbishments), with luxurious cottages once used by Catholic monarchs and a restaurant managed by Ferran Adriá’s high-profile El Bulli team.

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