Very nice large lobby and lounge agrea. Unimpressive facade on busy street. We were in old wing, down an unpleasant maze of narrow, rather dingy halls. Lobby sometimes smelled faintly of sewage. Our room always smelled stale. The A/C did a barely adequate job of keeping us cool. It was a comfortable temperature for sleeping but you'd work up a sweat if you moved around or were in the bathroom, which was in the opposite direction from the A/C vent.
Window faced apartment windows, which were too close for me. Could hear loud street noises. Jackhammer and sirens at 7:30 one morning. But normal street noises blocked out. Two twin beds too short, even for someone 5'6".
The buffet breakfast was included in the price of the room. Scrambled eggs, half-cooked bacon. Some sausages, cheeses, stale croissants. Also included toast, sliced tomatoes, corn flakes, OJ (the only juice), yogurt, and some fresh fruit. All in all, not very exciting.
The best thing about the Carmen was its rooftop. Though the pool was only slightly bigger than a hot tub, the patio area was extensive, with multiple levels and a nice view of the Alhambra in the distance, church steeples nearby, and swifts circling overhead.