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At a Glance
The location alone made Helen Berger an easy choice on my first trip to Valencia, but it was the intimate boutique feel and pretty midcentury modern details that really won me over. Now, after three stays, it has become my go-to hotel option whenever I am in town. The price is right, rooms are loaded with amenities, and the look and feel are in tune with the city’s current design renaissance.
The Rooms
We usually book a double room with balcony and always find it enough for a couple to unpack their bags comfortably and rest after a full day. And speaking about resting, this really is one of the most relaxing hotel rooms I have ever stayed in. Standard accommodations are tiny but chic, with warm parquet floors, plush velvet curtains, and high-quality materials & fixtures throughout. The modern, marble-clad bathrooms boast rain showers and hair dryers, and there’s even a pillow menu to help ensure a good night’s sleep.
If you need more room, consider booking one of their two lovely penthouses which have separate living areas and magnificent outdoor terraces complete with lounge seating for soaking up the sun. We stayed in one for two nights back in April, and I am sure it would have been amazing if the rain had not intervened. I did appreciate the extra space, premium CLARINS toiletries, and vertical steam iron, though, and I believe the slight price increase is totally worth it even if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Stays start at €150/night for a double room in low season.
Food & Drink
Once you’ve settled in, make sure to swing by the lobby bar/restaurant for a well-deserved welcome cocktail. Open all day long, this contemporary space makes for the perfect setting to start or end your day. Though it welcomes both guests and the public, it’s classy and inviting, with just the right amount of liveliness to keep things interesting. They serve local classics with a modern twist (think: Iberian ham croquettes, Russian salad with anchovy mayonnaise, or coca (Catalan-style pizza) with apple ratatouille and tuna belly) and also offer a fix-priced daily menu which includes a tasting of starters, a main course of your choice, dessert, coffee, and a drink.
Breakfast is around 12 euros and lets you mix and match from a hearty selection of toasts, bowls, pastries, and smoothies, but I was fine just paying for a croissant and an espresso separately.
Service & Amenities
There’s no spa or gym on-site, but you have a beautiful city at your doorstep to explore as you please. Accommodations, on the other side, have all the mod cons you would expect from a 4-star boutique hotel, from flat-screen TVs and hair straighteners to tea and coffee-making facilities. Service is not bad, but not great either.
Standout Detail
Besides its proximity to many of the city’s top attractions, the hotel’s standout feature is its carefully curated design, with tasteful modern midcentury touches throughout.
The Vibe
A chic friend’s house in a boutique hotel’s body. The mix of rich rosewood furnishings, jewel-toned velvet fabrics, and architecture books scattered throughout gives the hotel a warm and tasteful residential feel.
The Area
You’re right in the nerve center of Valencia. Step out from the hotel, and you’ll be surrounded by Ciutat Vella’s bustling tapas bars, boutiques, and restaurants. The city’s 600-year-old university is right next door, and the must-visit Mercado Central is less than a 10-minute stroll away. Other cultural gems in the area include Museo del Patriarca, Plaza de la Reina, Museo Palacio de Marqués de Dos Aguas, and Museo de Nacional de Cerámica.
Who Is It For
Style-savvy couples who value aesthetics more than square footage, business trippers, and first-timers to Valencia who want to step out of the hotel straight into the city’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic center.
👍 HIGHS
- Central location in Ciutat Vella, close to Valencia’s key attractions
- Chic, contemporary design with eye-catching midcentury modern touches
- Classy restaurant in the lobby
👎 LOWS
- Standard rooms are quite small (16 m2)
- No onsite parking
- The elevator takes ages to get up and down
- Though not exactly a dealbreaker, hearing the cleaning personnel talking and clattering in the hallways at 8 am wasn’t pleasant
Best Alternative
If you want to stay within the same price range, Cosmo Hotel & Bar is a great alternative. Just a 3-min walk from Valencia’s Mercado Central, it boasts chic, whitewashed rooms and a cool, modern eatery serving delicious agua de Valencia and paella of the day, alongside international favorites like pad thai and seabass ceviche.
