On the Hotel:
After reading all the outstanding reviews of this particular Parador, we were a little disappointed that this hotel wasn't more spectacular. I am a professional interior designer and have seen many "blow away" interiors and architecture projects over my 30 year career. This was not one. However, it is nicely done. I am a particular fan of Spanish Colonial Revival, so did appreciate all the appropriate period pieces. Our room (212) that overlooked the Generlife was pleasant, but nothing special for the price. Our bathroom plumbing was a bit noisy with its knocking and clacking every time you turned on a faucet or flushed the toilet. We thought the food in the restaurant was ok but not great. However, we were pleasantly surprised that we didn't have to shell out nearly the amount of Euro that we were expecting to for dinner. The breakfast buffet, however, was outstanding.

On the Alhambra:
Remarkable. It's hard to describe and much harder to imagine the wealth of these former rulers to be able to construct/afford such a compound. I felt honored to be able to visit. Just wish there had been furnishings, too. It should definitely be a highlight of anyone's visit to Spain.

A tip: mind all the discussion about purchasing Alhambra entry tickets early - on line. We had done that in advance and the day of our reservation we just walked right up to the "reserved tickets" window on the left side and presto - had our tickets. (You can't order them ahead of time, as I understand). I read some discussion about buying tickets to the Generalife gardens for the next day, in case you didn't have enough time in your morning or afternoon slot to see them. We entered the portal gate #6 at 2:00(there are several different gates where you can enter the compound), visited all three areas (including the N.Palaces at our apppointed 3:00 slot) and were done with the entire compound by 6:00 pm. Our ticket was good from 2:00 to 8:00. So it can all easily be done in that time frame, I think.

Another tip: If you are staying at the Parador, don't park at the general public parking at the at the bottom of the hill. There is a driveway to the left (no swing arm) that will take you partway up the hill to the entry road to the Parador. There is a reserved parking lot for Parador guests/residents inside a gated area right at the Parador itself. We heard of people who parked at the bottom of the hill and humped their bags all the way to the top!! Don't do that - it's quite a walk. When you drive up the hill to the gate on the road to the Parador, a guard will ask you to show proof of reservation, then will let you through the gate and on up the hill to the hotel itself and it's private lot.

Granada is fun. Take the Red Bus (1 Euro) down to the city center and wander around. There are lots of tapas bars that offer you tapas and a beer for 1.60 each at certain times of the day. This thrilled my husband, as he is always on tapa alert!

All in all - I'm glad we stayed there - it was pretty magical to be right there at the Palace and look out on all that history. Sitting in the Parador's patio and having a drink was like being in our own private residence...there never seemed to be anyone else around. There is also a lovely salon on the ground floor where you can play cards, watch tv, or read a book. Since we were staying at the Parador, we went out after dinner both nights after all the tourist crowds had long departed and walked around the grounds. It was great with all the night lights on and looking out over Granada. That is an extra little perk to staying there at the Parador, we thought.

Stayed one night last week! Driving up to the Parador makes one feel like royalty! Considering the price the interior of the room was nothing special. The set of prints and the truffles were a nice touch. We paid to be able to stay within the Alhambra and walk around at night with out the throngs of people. Too cold to sit outside on the terrace but we did walk around the garden. We took the tour offered through the Parador - no standing in lines and an excellent guide. Walk down the hill to the city and a taxi back up is only 3 Euros or there is a minibus that will take you most of the way for less than a Euro. A once in a lifetime experience.

Part of the charm of this parador is the fact that it's located inside the Alhambra and the Generalife gardens. How often do you get the chance to sleep in a 12th century building complex?
We had a ground floor room that faced a little pond, and although the temps averaged 100 degrees the flowers were in full bloom. The room was clean and cool, with understated decor that befits this place. (Speaking of the heat, buying bottles of water ahead of time for the Alhambra tour is a must - you're outside for at least 3 hours!)
there is an inner patio-like area with a little fountain, padded chairs and tables, serene and lovely. The night we were there a wedding took place in the tiny courtyard, for about 50 guests. It added to the unforgettable experience because the setting was so spectacular.
Dinner was great, in the outdoor seating area. The staff was terrific, accomodating my parents' special dietary needs and requests, and even though certain items we wanted were not listed on the menu the chef agreed to prepare them just for our satisfaction without any fuss. A special recommendation for the pastry lovers: try the Pionones, a sweet treat that is served only in Granada and is offered in the magnificent breakfast buffet.
Don't forget to use the enclosed parking area for the parador's guests - saves time and stress.
This place is worth every penny - and you'll never forget it.

Having read the reviews and seen the prices, we were expecting something very special. Perhaps our expectations were too high, as we could not avoid a feeling of disappointment. Do not get me wrong, the Parador is a very nice hotel, with character and in a pleasent and peaceful setting in the Alhambra grounds. However, for 245 euros (plus 7% tax) per night for room only, we were expecting a special something that was unfortunately lacking. The price reflects the fact that this is the place to stay in Granada, and that is what you are paying for, not any real sense of luxury or grandeur. The hotel is clean and the rooms are a good size. The furnishings in the room and bathroom are in keeping with the building, but fairly ordinary in quality, and the rooms overall have a fairly simple, but pleasent, feel. Our bathroom did have a slightly tired feel and the cleaners could have done a better job in the corners (our 70 euro per night room at the Macia Plaza in Plaza Neuva in the centre of Granada had a better, albeit smaller, bathroom). Some rooms on the top floor have views across the Generalife Gardens (they are 208 to 217 per our guide book), but we had room 207, which looked out on to one of the ponds. The grounds of the hotel (as opposed to the Alhambra grounds outside of the hotel gate) are nice, but could do with a bit more maintaining in some areas. One downside is that there is no outside area where you can stretch out with a book - only the tables on the bar terrace or the odd wooden seat amongst the hedges. The bar terrace is open to the public and can become a little busy with visitors during the day. However, one really good point was dinner on the terrace. As night falls the tree-lined terrace takes on a superb atmosphere, with gentle lighting, the sound the spanish guitarist and a great view across to the illuminated buildings of the Generalife. The food was good too, and for 27 euros per head for 3 courses (with a bottle of wine starting at about 10 euros), this was good value and definitely gave us a bit of that ´special´feeling we were after. If you do not stay at the Parador, I would definitely recommend coming up for dinner, as this will give you the best of what the Parador has to offer, without incurring the cost of a room. The breakfast (13 euros plus 7% tax) was also very good.