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Review 4309: granadainfo, Alcoba Apartments - Apart A

www.granadainfo.com

Recommended. Review by eliza3 from Spain

1bed/1bath apartment in Granada, Andalusia

When

Sept - Oct 2009 , 2 weeks

Location

The apartment is located off Cuesta Gomerez, a street which leads up to the Alhambra from Plaza Nueva. This meant an incredibly central location but one which is very quiet, for a central city location in Spain. The apartment is one of two in the owners´ house. We loved the area. Being central, there are other buildings all around, but all residential.

Nearby Amenities

We walked everywhere. We were in Granada for two weeks doing a Spanish course but left our car in a long term car park. Many many bars and restaurants within a few minutes walk and many more within 5 - 10 minutes. Small supermarket five minutes away, two larger ones about 10 minutes away.

The House/Apartment

Most of the building was renovated or built by the owners in the late 80´s but the apartments were updated very recently. The apartment (Apt A) is small but has everything needed for a comfortable stay. You walk straight into the main room, which has a large sofa (also a sofa bed) and a dining room table and four chairs. The kitchen is a good size and we cooked several meals there. A double bedroom is at the front of the apartment and there is a small bathroom.

There is a lovely terrace leading at the front of the apartment, at the end of which is the studio of one of the owners, who is a sculptor. Pieces of her lovely work are on the terrace and in the apartment.

There is another apartment directly above (Apt B), which we did not see.

You can view the property directly: Alcoba Apartments.

Garden

The terrace is shared with the people in Apartment B - if they are there (there was no one in the apartment most of the time we were there) and used by the owners to access their own stairway. We found this a bonus as it enabled us to chat with them and discover all manner of information we would not otherwise have known about Granada. The terrace is lovely and we spent many hours out there. No pool - this is central Granada.

Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas

All was in good shape and all very clean. The owners have only been renting for a short time so everything is new and in good condition. Nice touches like candles and the aforementioned art. Enough furniture for us. Although the apartment can sleep four, using the sofa bed as well, it may be a tight fit with four adults for anything more than a couple of days. However, you spend very little time indoors or indeed in your apartment in the warmer months of the year - which is most of it.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms

The bedroom is relatively small but very comfortable. The bathroom - again quite small but completely functional.

Kitchen

The kitchen was fine, with plenty of everything we needed. We don´t tend to cook too many main meals when away and this was no exception but we did cook three to four full meals in addition to making breakfast and snacks. Full size refrigerator and stove/cook-top.

Problems or Bonuses

The only surprises were good ones and largely due to the owners, who were not only very helpful, but are also very nice people. Esperanza´s work was wonderful to see and also to see her working was a real bonus. We possibly talked to the owners more than some renters may, given we live in Spain, but in no way do they intrude on your space.

Both owners speak English and Spanish - Richard is English and Esperanza Spanish but she speaks perfect English.

The location was a pleasant surprise - the quietness of it, especially given its central location and proximity to the Alhambra.

Agency and Representatives (and price)

The agency we used was granadainfo who were very professional to deal with. All dealings were via e-mail, with very clear instructions. They are also English speakers.

We paid €600 for 13 nights, which we feel was a bargain. Compared to other places we looked at, this offered much more for the price in terms of space and location and also included free Internet access, which was important to us.

Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?

Yes we would absolutely stay there again. My only qualification, and as stated clearly on the website, it that it is a steep climb from Cuesta Gomerez to the apartment, so anyone with difficulty with steps would have a problem.

Things to do in this area

Granada is a wonderful city. We tried to avoid the tourist traps and were successful, at least to a degree. Our advice would be to avoid anywhere on or near Plaza Nueva, ditto much of Albaycin, other than for a coffee or a drink.

We had a wonderful meal at Estrella San Nicholas (looking towards the Alhambra at night - magical), in a couple of restaurants near Plaza San Nicholas (tourist spots but the view is lovely) several places in Realejo around Plaza Principe(Realejo is a barrio we liked and much more Spanish than Albaycin)and a wonderful flamenco in a bar in Calle Elvira. Explored Alhambra again and the caves and area around Sacromonte, which was wonderful.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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