We stayed at the Hotel Dauro II in October and got a great rate of $79/night for three nights. At that price, I wasn't sure what to expect but we were delightfully surprised by our accommodations.

Our room (#416) was quite charming, spacious and filled with natural light. It even had an outdoor terrace with seating and a view of the Alhambra.(Rooms 417 and 418 are similar). From the bed, you had a hillside view of the town, which we really liked. The Cathedral is very nearby and the bells toll intermittently, adding to the charm. The bed (two twins pushed together) was very comfortable and there was generous closet space. From the bed, you could also see into the bathroom, which created an illusion of a larger space. The bathroom had a little window in it, also bringing in light. Breakfast was only $8 and was quite substantial with both hot and cold foods. There also is a bar in the hotel that serves light meals. There is Internet access in the lobby but you have to purchase time.

By the time we got to Granada, we'd already been on the road for 14 days and were mid-way through our trip. We had just left Barcelona and needed a break from the big city life. We were in Granada primarily to tour the Alhambra and were looking forward to some down-time. Note: Buy your Alhambra tickets before you get here...they usually sell out). We booked through Viator. They picked us up at the hotel and the bus took us straight up the hill to the parking lot.

The hotel is centrally located on a quiet alley and it did not disappoint. Exploring the neighborhood was great fun. Behind the hotel are many small bars, tapas eateries and restaurants. Immediately adjacent to the hotel (out the back door) is a great ice cream shoppe that we frequented often.

There is a walking tour of the city that takes place daily and only costs $12 euro. It leaves every day from Plaza Del Carmen (very near the hotel) and is sponsored by Cicerone. It's very informal. A guide shows up with a green sign in the middle of the plaza at 10:30 am and you pay him directly. He gave a fabulous tour through tiny alleys and to original marketplaces....places we would have never gone on our own. He even took us into the Albycinion area of the city to a turkish bath.

On the same block as the hotel, there is a main post office that is open until 8:30 pm! We were able to get stamps for postcards and to mail a package home. But be warned: no one speaks English there, so you are on your own! Even closer to the hotel (and on the same side of the street), there is a hair salon that accepts walk-ins. Walking down toward the El Corte Ingles Dept Store and the river, we found a full-
scale, two-story grocery store on the opposite side of the street and we able to purchase giant bottles of water for only 40 cents. I also found a lovely meat market where I was able to purchase meats and cheeses for our train ride to Seville. There are pastry shops everywhere.

We did laundry in Granada -- we found a laundromat called LaVanderia Autoservicio, not too far from the hotel. See their web site: http://www.geocities.com/lavagranada/ for location. The washing machines are very old but they get the job done. We brought our own Tide detergent and we did two loads of laundry. The guy charged us $32 for two washers and dryers. His place is open until 8:30 at night so be sure you get there by 6:30 pm. There is a little bar and an Internet cafe around the corner if you want to kill time or are bored. There are also many shops nearby.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Granada and our stay at the Hotel Dauro II. I'd highly recommend it to anyone! Not only was it lovely, but it was the best bargain of our trip. In Seville we had a room that was $100/night more expensive and not nearly as nice!