I agree with everything in the two reviews below and will now concentrate on making an additional point which some travellers may find useful.....

The parador within the grounds of the Alhambra costs approx four times as much as the Guadalupe at the time of writing and is indeed highly recommendable, but if you don't want to spend all that money and/or can't get in, and still wish to stay right by the Alhambra, the Guadalupe makes a very good substitute.

I can compare the two directly, since my parents and a senior friend stayed at the Parador (where I ate with them and experienced the lounges etc.) while I lodged at the Guadalupe. Their rooms were obviously more splendid, but mine was large and perfectly comfortable and my bathroom was actually better -- I was the one with a jacuzzi!

Anyway, with a ticket for the Alhambra, or even just the gardens, you can wander to and fro between the two hotels inside ten minutes (a lovely walk too), giving you the option of using the cafe/bar and garden of the Parador as a fine daytime base while benefitting from the Guadalupe's much better value at night. And with the money you've saved, you can eat ad lib from the Parador's imaginative local cuisine......