El Ladrón De Agua by Brendan Sainsbury

El Ladrón de Agua, situated on the edge of Granada's old Moorish quarter, is a small sixteenth century palace that nestles beneath the imposing heights of the Alhambra hill. Refurbished in 2001-04 with a distinctly modern sparkle this refreshingly informal three star hotel promotes peaceful water-inspired themes in a light and airy central courtyard. Arrive and be instantly seduced.

A selection of 15 individual bedrooms named after local poets such as Juan Ramón Jiménez, Manuel de Falla and the incomparable Federico García Lorca congregate on two levels around a brilliant white marble patio. The original fountain has been replaced by a much newer feature which might, in part, account for the hotel’s rather strange name - the water thief.

Eye-catching branding material is put to good effect inside a surgically clean reception area where stanzas of evocative poetry have been etched onto a number of colourfully painted screens. A small café area opposite, meanwhile, offers coffee and espresso whilst almost hidden away in a darker corner a cellar-like alcove serves up a decent €9 breakfast.

Leading off on the other side of the patio a pleasant lounge area is decorated with more refined modern furnishings whilst free 24 hour internet access can be procured on a handily-positioned plasma-screened computer console nearby.

Rooms
With a location that - in the words of the hotel literature - “almost touches the Alhambra’s Torre de la Vela”, close-up views of the famous Nasrid fort and their adjoining palaces can be - quite literally - a “pain in the neck”. Window shutters keep out most of the street noise, however, and perfectly adequate rooms boast queen-sized beds, small but modern shower cubicles and ubiquitous dark-wood furniture finish throughout.

Come for:
- Poetic inspiration in the form of Federico Lorca
- Walking distance from Albaicín, Alhambra and city centre

Not suitable for
- The noisy