Hotel Casa de Indias by Intur – Review

Interlier Casa de Indias is part of Seville’s history. It’s a characterful, historic city hotel on Seville’s Plaza de la Encarnación, with views over the architectural landmark of the Metropole Parasol, better known as Las Setas. Guests enjoy access to the rooftop terrace and pool before the destination Ático Indiano bar opens to the public in the evenings. There’s also a Mediterranean restaurant overlooking the square, and a team whose warmth sets the tone from check-in.

The Arrival

Check-in came with smiles, a glass of sweet Seville wine and a torta de Sevilla, one of the city’s most famous pastries. It set the tone immediately. This is a hotel where the team enjoy what they do, and it shows.

Estrella, the General Manager, is the soul of the place. She has a gift for storytelling. It was a pleasure to spend time with her, as she shared tales from the long history of this building, known locally as the house of seven lives, since it has had so many uses. It has been a convent, a Guardia Civil base, and a residential apartment block. The old patio courtyard once rang with flamenco. One of the most touching stories was of a couple who booked a room to celebrate their 40th anniversary, remembering their wedding night decades earlier, when a resident of the building, back when it was still apartments, had gifted them a stay for their honeymoon.

The Room

Rooms have a clean, contemporary simplicity to them, with warm tones and an unfussy elegance. The deluxe rooms face the plaza, and many look directly onto the remarkable wooden canopy of Las Setas, the Metropol Parasol designed by German architect Jürgen Mayer. Said to be  the world’s largest wooden structure, and known locally as Las Setas for its organic, mushroom-like forms, it is loved and loathed in equal measure by Sevillanos. As a backdrop to your hotel room, it is undeniably dramatic, and I personally find it compelling.

Swing open the Juliet balcony windows, and you take in the energy of this market square. For more space, the connecting rooms work well for families. The double rooms with a bathtub are a welcome option after a day walking the city. There are also rooms and suites facing the internal patio courtyard, offering a more intimate and tranquil stay, with some opening onto large internal terraces.

The Hotel

Sculptures and contemporary art canvases punctuate the public spaces, adding a modern flair that sits well against the original features, including wrought ironwork, beamed ceilings, and reclaimed historic ceramics. The building’s various incarnations have left layers, and the modern design makes the most of them, starting with the beautiful reception lobby with its bold Andalusian azulejos.

The Rooftop

The rooftop is a 253-square-metre sun terrace with a pool and loungers for hotel guests during the day. From around 6 pm it opens as Ático Indiano, the hotel’s rooftop bar, and the views are exceptional. Las Setas fills the foreground, and as the sun drops and the light show begins, the kinetic patterns playing across the wooden structure, with swallows swooping through the warm evening air, it becomes one of the best places to have a drink in Seville.

The new cocktail menu includes spritzes as well as the classics (Negroni, Margarita, Moscow Mule) to house creations like Indiano Ron, with Santa Teresa Gran Reserva, and Sol de Jalisco, a tequila, fruit, and mint mix made for warm evenings on the plaza. On Friday and Saturday evenings, there’s also a food menu of burgers, sandwiches, and croquetas, so you can settle in for the night without moving.

The Restaurant

Breakfast is a Mediterranean buffet with strong local character: excellent cheeses, sliced Iberian ham, pastries, fruit, and a chef on hand for eggs however you like them. The restaurant also serves lunch, snacks and dinner, with tables spilling out onto the plaza in the sun.

The Location

Plaza de la Encarnación sits at the crossroads of central Seville. The Cathedral, the Alcázar and the Santa Cruz quarter are all within easy walking distance to the south. The Palacio de las Dueñas and the Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija are a few minutes’ walk away. The main shopping streets run south from the square. Triana and the river are a short walk west. The Antiquarium, the underground archaeological museum beneath Las Setas showing Roman and Moorish remains, is directly on the square.

Las Setas itself is worth exploring. A ticket takes you up to the panoramic walkway at the top for 360-degree views across the city’s skyline, from the Giralda to the rooftops of the old town. Go at sunset.

Final Thought

Casa de Indias is a comfortable, well-located, warmly run hotel with one of the most distinctive views in Seville, and Estrella and her team create a genuine sense of welcome.