Detailed review by Praskipark
Praskipark
Warsaw, Poland90%
Travelling through Spain from Portugal to the UK and vice versa was a trip my husband and I did for several years, sometimes three or 4 times a year as we still had property in England and had to go back and check whether it was still standing or not. On some of our journeys we camped but mostly stayed in hotels. I have never really liked large hotels belonging to chains - I much prefer something with a bit of character, a building that has style and owners who make you feel like a real person rather than just another visitor.Cordoba is a fascinating city and one city I put off visiting for quite a while. The main reason being - too lazy to look for accommodation and a dislike of really crowded cities in the summer.
When walking through the old Jewish quarter close to the Mezquita we stumbled across this strange little hotel which is really a town house and blended in perfectly with the tiny narrow streets bursting with white-washed buildings.
The lady on reception was incredibly friendly and welcomed us straight away even though we hadn't made a booking. It was so good to be out of the sun with our sandalled feet placed on the cool marble floors. Looking around I noticed quite a lot of Moorish influences like the arches on the shaded patio - not sure if they were authentic or had been added but it didn't matter as they were certainly very attractive.
The hotel had been built in the ruins of a 16th century Moorish palace so I guess the decorative touches were original although I had a sneaky feeling that the owners had added their own artistic touch.
The hallway where the Arabesque arches are situated takes you into the patio which is lovely with dining tables decorated in crimson and white. The chairs are made from wrought iron but have been painted white and are quite ornate in a delicate way. Wherever you focused you saw a canvas of red and green with plants everywhere; red geraniums bulging out of flower boxes, hanging from window ledges and balconies.
Our room was simply furnished, very pretty with the small balcony overlooking the patio. I found the temperature in the room too hot even with the air conditioning on. Perhaps it wasn't effective or it could just be with being in the city.Because of the hotel's location the area around did get quite noisy which didn't bother us too much but could have been annoying for other guests.
On this particular trip we only ate breakfast in the hotel which is served upstairs in the bar; a simple breakfast consisting of cold hams, jams, honey, marmalade, cheeses and bread. Plenty of freshly brewed coffee and tea but I don't recommend the tea as it is too weak.
I do believe lunch and dinner are served but as we only stayed one night and wanted to eat out in the city we passed on the hotel's cuisine. If visitors don't want to walk or drive too far away to eat there is a restaurant about five minutes away and goes by the name of El Churrasco.
Next to the hotel is a souvenir shop which is run by the owners. Some of the items on sale were interesting but most of the vases were Moorish in style but just a little over the top for my taste.
So how would I rate the Hotel Gonzalez? The building is quite cute, decor simple but attractive, reception staff extremely helpful and have good language skills, fantastic location near to the Mezquita and the old Jewish quarter. Next time I am in Cordoba I would probably give this little hotel another visit and for just under 53 Euros for a twin-bedded room I think you can't go wrong.
Gonzalez8
