Hotel Colon, a Gran Melia Hotel

Andalusia’s cultural heart, Seville, is a city synonymous with bullfighting and flamenco—and the boho-chic crowd, which these activities have drawn for decades. The centrally located Gran Meliá Colón, built in the 1920s, has seen its share of glamorous guests, including Ernest Hemingway, Ava Gardner, Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso. Today the property still exudes old-world romance, with its Baroque-style façade, original stained-glass dome and lobby vestibule called “albero,” which refers to the sand found in the bullfighting arena. Completely renovated in 2009, each floor of the hotel celebrates a different Spanish artist, from El Greco to Goya. Guests are in walking distance to Seville’s monuments, including the world’s oldest bullfighting ring «La Maestranza», Giralda, Torre Del Oro, Cathedral, Triana and much more.