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Calle Colón is arguably Valencia’s premier shopping destination, an elegant stretch running from the bullring to Puerta del Mar with countless big-name fashion retailers and a vast El Corte Inglés department store. Sandwiched between a Bershka and a Brazilian café, you’ll find the Hotel NH Collection Valencia Colón.
One of several central Valencia outposts of NH (but the only upscale ‘Collection’ hotel), the Colón is in a 19th century building once used by the city’s regional government. It catches you a bit off-guard. One minute you’re on one of the city’s most heaving, high-footfall areas, the next you’ve slipped into a tall-ceilinged reception with a classy chequered floor, flashy mirrored panels and taxidermy busts ogling you from the walls.
NH Collection Valencia Colón almost goes out of its way to be at odds with the shopping mania outside. Valencia’s blazing summer sun is countered by cool and dim décor. Roaring traffic is replaced by ambient jazz in the corridors. Street fumes are blocked out by powerful – but obviously more pleasant – smells from various diffusers.
What are the rooms like at NH Collection Valencia Colón?
An historic building fashioned into a modern hotel, there is good variety – and no shortage of character – in the selection of rooms at NH Collection Valencia Colón. Lower-floor options have juliette balconies, while mine had a hatch overlooking Calle Colón. A slight lack of light was more than made up for in the charisma of the suite, which was thoughtfully configured and eclectically decorated with a mishmash of patterns and textures.
My tall-ceilinged room made clever use of an oddly long space. Divided by two cream units that also served as a wardrobe and mini-bar/compact kitchen, it had two clearly defined zones in which to unwind and relax. As dim as the room was, a lack of light wasn’t used as an excuse for uncleanliness: everything was spotless. The hotelling basics – a stiff mattress, climate-controlling air-con, a hot and powerful shower, a range of in-room amenities – were all there.
That said, the décor is certainly of a taste (to some it will seem cluttered) and the age of the building is likely a contributor to its noisiness. Some city centre hotels are like silos, totally insulated from the mayhem outside, but NH Collection Valencia Colón is not. There was a lot of thumping and blaring that came from both inside the hotel and out; if you require silence to sleep, it is challenging.
What are the facilities like at NH Collection Valencia Colón?
For an outpost of a global hotel chain, the Colón is tidily sized: 47 rooms spread across seven floors, with a towering internal central courtyard. As such, it also isn’t flush with facilities. Aside from the bar and restaurant – discussed in more detail below – there’s a small gym (free for hotel guests) and parking (€35 per day). The elevator carpets are changed to show the day of the week, if that counts as a perk.
Staff were a mixed bunch. Some were enthusiastic and keen to help, others were inexperienced and flustered – which didn’t always make for a smooth, stress-free stay.
What is the food and drink like at NH Collection Valencia Colón?
Breakfast is on the second floor in a lounge that is as dazzlingly eye-widening in its décor as the rooms. A continental buffet with a succinct variety of cheeses, meats, fruits and pastries and a short à la carte menu, the Colón’s breakfast is not a reason to stay in itself but functional (that said, the coffee machine was broken when I visited).
In-house restaurant Kamikaze serves a mix of Spanish and Mediterranean dishes, and is split into three venues: a ‘piano club’ with live music, a second-floor restaurant (in the same area as breakfast) and a rooftop ‘sky bar’. The rooftop doesn’t have much of a view and, depending on what is ordered, is extraordinarily expensive. Valencia has no shortage of bars with better vistas and more reasonable prices.
What’s the area like around NH Collection Valencia Colón?
The NH Collection Valencia Colón’s mightiest asset is its location. Sure, the Calle Colón is good for shopping, but it’s also well-positioned for getting pretty much anywhere in the city centre. Visitor sites like the Plaza de Toros, Valencia Cathedral and Mercado Central are within easy walking distance, while local attractions include the striking modernist Mercado de Colón and the restaurants, bars, art galleries and indie shops of trendy neighbourhood Ruzafa.
DETAILS
Address: Carrer de Colón, 32, L'Eixample, 46004 València, Spain
Price per night: From €175 per night.
Closest transport link: Colón (metro lines 3, 5, 7 and 9) and València Estació del Nord (six-minute walk).
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