I was really looking forward to my first visit to Seville. And when I arrived to stay at Hotel Alfonso XIII, it looked even better in real life than in pictures. A Moorish-Andalucian gem, the hotel was commissioned by the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII, to host international dignitaries during the 1929 World Fair and it remains an iconic cultural landmark, located in the historic Santa Cruz quarter, next to the Real Alcazar and Seville Cathedral. This icon is traditional luxury at its best. It’s hard not to fall in love with its distinguished architecture and the Moorish details as expressed in mosaic-covered arches, soaring towers and beautiful courtyard where orange blossoms surround a Moorish fountain.It will come as no surprise that royalty and numerous international personalities have stayed here, among them Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Ernest Hemingway, Jackie Kennedy, Orson Welles, Sophia Loren and Brad Pitt. Although Hotel Alfonso XIII had a comprehensive renovation in 2012, 83 years after it opened, much of the original décor remains; patterned marble floors, beautiful mirrored and wood-panelled lifts, Moroccan lamps and crystal chandeliers. All the rooms, varying from large doubles to palatial suites, feel distinctively, grandly Spanish. It was a real fairy-tale experience for me to stay here. Covid regulations meant that the San Fernando restaurant was closed for formal dining inside but you could enjoy its menu on the delightful terrace of Ena, which was absolutely no punishment. And then of course there’s Seville itself. What more can I say? I chose to have dinner one evening at El Rinconcillo, a 350-year old bar and restaurant on Calle Gerona, and lunch at Las Teresas which last year celebrated its 150th anniversary and where you can admire a picture of Ted Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy taken during their visit in the 1960s. Both establishments offer classics including spinach and chickpeas, cod with tomato and serrano ham. And last but not least the incredible street Flamenco. I can’t wait to go back.