Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza

It seems unlikely that any hotel could make good on a promise to shield its guests from the electrifying din of Seville’s flamenco-tinged street life. Las Casas del Rey de Baeza, though, accomplishes this, and a bit more.

From the street the hotel appears utterly traditional, a whitewashed 18th-century house in the traditional style, in the midst of Seville’s historic district. The interiors, though, are refreshingly urbane and contemporary, an island of soothing modern design in the most picturesque of settings, bathed in the southern Spanish sunlight.

Slate floors and breezy open windows keep things cool, and the softly-lit interiors are sparely decorated, iron frames supporting hefty modern beds and contemporary furnishings contrasting with the courtyard or street views. Frosted glass doors divide bathrooms from bedrooms and flat-screen televisions forcefully remind guests of their place in time.

The hotel is organized about two central courtyards, and the rooms that face inward, from private patios, are the most peaceful and quiet. Facing outward, you’ll hear a touch more of the street life but you’ll take in more sun as well.

Positively bathed in sun, though, is the most unexpected of gestures, a small rooftop pool and an adjoining terrace, from which the rooftops of the surrounding neighborhood can be surveyed. Lighter fare is served on this rooftop terrace and lunch and dinner downstairs, in the modern Andalusian restaurant.