When we were planning our two-week honeymoon to Spain, the most important thing to me was to explore the Alhambra. I heard repeatedly that staying inside the Alhambra was a not-to-be-missed experience. And, while that Parador looks lovely, we couldn't afford the prices, so I was quite pleased to discover the Hotel America on Booking.com. We booked our room eight months in advance, and (upon reading reviews) I opted for a "deluxe" room for about €15 more. It was *well* worth it, but more about that in a minute.

We are pretty adventurous people. We had rented a (stick-shift) car and driven from Madrid to Granada. We arrived right at dusk, trusted the GPS, which were both mistakes, and had done almost no research (I'd hoped to, and usually do, but got caught up planning the wedding instead) which all turned out to be mistakes. We tried to drive up to the Alhambra through the old town of Granada. What with the tiny cobblestone streets, the steep hill, the standard transmission, and the fact the buildings are so dense that the GPS kept updating slowly, we got hopelessly lost. We finally (at great risk to our health and sanity) made it up to the Alhambra Palace hotel. By this point it was completely dark, so we wedged the car into a parking spot of dubious legality and set out to find the hotel on foot.

This part of the adventure took about two hours. We asked for directions three times, covered (on foot) most of the real estate at the top of the hill upon which the Alhambra sits, followed signs in useless circles, and finally wound our way back around to find the hotel, which, it turns out, is only yards from the main entrance to the Alhambra. It is not well-marked, but knowing that would have helped. (Our GPS completely denied the existence of the hotel or the street it's on).

By this point, I was a little out of sorts. The bougainvillea-fringed door and cheerful front desk helped me feel a little better. We checked in and had no trouble despite the fact that by now it was well after 9 p.m. From the reaction of the receptionist, it sounds like people have trouble finding the hotel a lot. We were able to drive our car up to the front door to unload, before driving it back down to the parking lots, about a 15-minute-walk away. (You park in the public lots for the Alhambra, though you do get a discount for showing you are staying at the Hotel America.) Getting all our suitcases up the narrow, winding stairs was a bit of a challenge. There is no elevator.

Our room was, however, lovely. Traditional Spanish architecture and decor, it was cozy but not claustrophobic or small. We did not trip over each other, and there were plenty of convenient nooks in which to stash our suitcases so they were out of the way. We loved the curving roof, the terracotta floor, the tiled bathroom, and the large windows in the bedroom and bathroom. I am very glad we opted for the "deluxe" room however, because a smaller room would have been a bit cramped. According to the floorplan, ours was the largest room on the second floor.

The beds were the firm double beds pushed together we've come to expect in Spain. They were neither the most comfortable nor the most uncomfortable of the trip. Ample extra blankets were supplied, so we were able to sleep with the windows open.

The first night we had only body wash (and no shampoo) available in little individual use disposable paper packets in the bathroom. The next day, one packet of shampoo arrived, as well as a handful of other body wash. Reading the ingredients on the body wash, I found formaldehyde listed, which I thought was faintly unusual and alarming, but I suffered no ill effects from using the body was on my body as well as my hair (I showered second and my husband was unaware there was only one shampoo packet.)

The hotel was nice, but of course, the biggest benefit was its location. We were able to be among the first in line to get Alhambra tickets the next day, and being right inside the Alhambra is something I would highly recommend.

This is a good place to stay for a night while visiting the Alhambra, under certain conditions. I was traveling alone, and I don't recommend it for those traveling with small children. It was comfortable, quaint, and not very large, and there was not much to do in the hotel. Of course, outside was a different story. It was convenient for me as I was arriving at noon, had to walk across the grounds to pick up tickets for 2 pm, and then had a evening tour at 8 pm. Having a place to regroup or rest in between was perfect. The bed was comfortable, and the room was clean. Staff was friendly and spoke sufficient English. I was very happy to stay here.

We stayed in Granada for a single night, and booked Hotel America in the Alhambra. This was a lot cheaper than the Parador. The location was perfect for our visit. We had enough time to see the Alhambra and all of it's attractions. The staff was friendly and courteous. Since we did not eat at the restaurant(as we had dinner at the restaurant in the Parador), I have rated the restaurant as average. The room and bathroom were small but perfectly suitable for our stay.

Staying at a quaint, characterful hotel within the walls of the Alhambra - what's not to like?? The staff were so friendly and the superior rooms were comfortable, spotlessly clean and beautifully decorated. I counted at least 5 different styles of tiles in the room!
So much nicer than the Parador which was right next door, more than twice the price and seemed to have been denuded of much character at all - decorated by Ikea?
I do recommend eating outside on the terrace of the Parador in the evening. The America's restaurant is not open in the evening. The food at the Parador was good and the ambience was magical - once we moved away from the cigar smokers! And amazingly for Spain they even had a special vegetarian menu! So sleep at the America, eat at the Parador, and soak up the magic of the gardens of the Alhambra by moonlight, once all those annoying tourists have gone home! An unforgettable experience.
Negatives?
Parking is in the public car park which is some way off by car - but you can drop off your luggage at the hotel, and there is a shortcut back through the garden (if you have a ticket) - and there is a car park shuttle bus for those who are too lazy or can't manage the walk!
Also, the breakfast at the America was pretty poor - stale rolls and croissants and terrible coffee - but eaten in a lovely little courtyard, so they are almost forgiven!