Mercer, Seville, Spain

Following a successful debut in Barcelona, Spain’s Mercer hotel group (no relation to its Manhattan namesake) has opened its sophomore property in Seville.

The bijou 12-room boutique property at the end of a quiet street is the work of Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos and interior designer Amanda Molina, who transformed the grand spaces of Casa Palacio Castelar, the former home of a prominent 19th-century nobleman into an unexpectedly intimate bolt-hole. 

There are visual splendours at every turn. The high-ceilinged lobby, restaurant serving Andalusian staples with a twist, and bar are embedded around the central Andalusian courtyard. The eye roams admiringly over ornately wrought grilled gates, beautifully restored plasterwork and mouldings, spiralling marble staircases, a modern chandelier designed by the architects, and a glorious glass-topped canopy. 

These old world details are quietly paired with dramatic shades of gold, moss green and mandarin orange, rugs by Arik Levy, artwork by Catalanian legend Agustin Puig, and furniture by Cassina and Poltrona Frau. As Molina puts it, ‘The overall effect is opulent yet entirely understated.’

A stainless steel plunge pool on the roof-top is a sybaritic pleasure as is the hotel’s proximity to Seville’s landmarks – the Torre del Oro, La Giralda and Real Alcazar.