I received an e-mail from the hotel a couple of days before my arrival date to invite me to contact them with any requests or queries, which I thought was helpful. The quality of service was impeccable from the moment I arrived and throughout my stay. I had lunch at the restaurant and used room service for dinner and was pleased with the choice and quality of the food with fresh seasonal ingredients. The buffet breakfast was also good and there was a good selection. The hotel has character in that it is housed in an old palace but the decoration is modern and trendy in neutral colours whilst preserving period features. The hotel is conveniently located from shops, restaurants and sights. I had a most pleasant stay.

We were lucky enough to stay in a suite on the ground floor (Rm 2).. an immense room with high ceilings overlooking the courtyard. Our family also had a room on the top floor with a beautiful circular window looking over the side street. We were glad to be staying in the centre of town so we could explore the city/shops. It was a short taxi ride to the Al Hambra. Decoration of the rooms was modern and chic. Wish they included luggage racks which are useful, even if they don't fit in with the modern decor. Front of house staff were helpful, although sometimes hard to catch.

This is a hotel you like or you don't and I absolutely adored it! It is situated in a magnificent ancient villa and the interior design is trendy with a twist. Upon arrival at the hotel we immediately had the pleasant surprise that we received a free upgrade to a suite since we were on our honeymoon and this suite was absolutely amazing! Beautifully decorated and incredibly spacious (in comparison with the other 5* hotels we stayed at during this trip). We slept very well but it is absolutely true that the room is kind of noisy: the hotel is situated in the city center and as it is an ancient building, it is not very well isolated. This didn't bother us at all and was largely compensated by the extreme friendly staff, the excellent breakfast and the beauty of the city of Granada. Palacio de los Patos is a hotel I would absolutely recommend if you plan to visit Granada.

When we entered the vicinity of Granada we hadn’t bargained on how commercialised, urban and ugly the outskirts are. We had a (wrong and under researched) idea of somewhere far lovelier. The difficulty was that on arrival at the hotel – which is on the edge of the new and old town – the impression hadn’t lifted so initial feelings were pretty mixed.

The frontage isn’t 5 star . It does have some parking bays sealed off for guests so valet parking is recommended if you are driving. Odd gates you have to buzz into and a strange fake swan pond at the front don’t make the hotel the most welcoming we have encountered. On entering it is a strange mix of old and new which somehow doesn’t quite work.

We had booked a junior suite in the old palace but on early arrival were offered an upgrade to a full suite – i.e. completely separate living room and bedroom. Having been on a cruise for 10 days this was appreciated. It is however a relatively characterless space in the basement with very modern fixtures so no sense of being somewhere historic.

Once we ventured out however we found that we were indeed on the edge of the better looking (much) part of the city and settled down to enjoy our two day stay very much.

From then on in the hotel redeemed itself entirely. All staff were charming. The room service service (!) was simply brilliant – super fast, super friendly and exactly what we needed after cruise ship food. The breakfast was one of the best European offerings we have ever encountered with delicious fresh pastries, breads and a generous array of fruits, meats, cheeses etc. brilliantly presented.

So the message is that first impressions are not universally correct.