Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada

This warm, inviting, hotel feels more like a private home where every detail has been looked after by the most thoughtful, caring, staff. All of the rooms are scattered in different 17th century mansions, all with courtyards and bougainvillea and fountains. But, it is the wonderful staff who make this hotel so special. We were so well looked after and cared for, and we can’t wait to return. Ana and Santiago were both so warm and inviting, and we’ll return just to see them! The room, the pool, the spa… everything was just perfect. Thank you for the most amazing visit and such perfect memories!

We had the most amazing experience in this town and hotel. What a great place! The hotel was amazing and the room service was impeccable. The restaurants were all amazing too.

This was our first trip to SMA - we absolutely loved the town. It is so charming. It reminds me of Milan - big walls concealing beautiful interiors and lush courtyards. There are lots of shops with high quality locally made artisanal goods (metal working, weaving, textiles, ceramics etc). There are A LOT of boutique hotels in SMA. In terms of five star luxury, it seems the top 3 are: Rosewood, Live Aqua and Belmond. Rosewood is the most impressive physically - it’s more recently built and it’s enormous. It also has the best pool area. Live Aqua is a bit slick and flashy but still overall tastefully done. What we loved about the Belmond is that it is in the heart of the city. It consists of a collection of buildings: one houses reception, main restaurant, spa and gym. Casa Limon houses most of the guest rooms, the pool and Tunki, the rooftop bar. Casa Caballo houses more guest rooms. One downside of Casa Caballo is that there is a newly opened bar immediately behind it. The noise (ie music) was kept low on week nights but it got louder on weekends. Because it’s built into the fabric of the city, the belmond has a very charming and authentic feel. The belmond also stands out in service. Their staff are the friendliest and most helpful. Santiago checked us in and was v helpful. Ana recommended that we check out the local plant fair at a local park. She also moved us to a quieter room when we said we could hear the bar even through the sound locks provided on the room doors (thank you!). All of the staff were very helpful. The food at the main restaurant is excellent but it’s not very good at the rooftop bar. The bar has an excellent view of the church (fun fact- everyone says they have the best view of the church- and they are all correct. There are lots of great vantage points of this beautiful landmark). The Rosewood is impressive but it felt more impersonal. It also felt more ‘American’ but not in a good way. However, as I mentioned, it is impressive and if you want a really luxurious stay it’s probably a good choice. The service felt more impersonal than at the belmond, though.

I can't say enough great things about this property and location. First rate service is what you pay for and first rate service is what you receive from everyone.

This is a beautiful hotel. There was a very warm welcome from the staff on arrival and during our stay. We had a beautiful room which was very clean, had a huge comfortable bed and was very quiet, in the building with the pool which is opposite the reception building which offered breakfast. There was a lovely breakfast and the restaurant area above the pool offered really tasty food coupled with a stunning view of the city. The pool was warm to swim in during December. There is a short walk into the beautiful town which makes the location ideal. No car needed. I would stay here again in a heartbeat!