Going to Spain for the 1st time. I have 2 questions:

1. Prices for hostals and apartments in the same area seem to be pretty close, while apartments offer more amenities (TV, fridge, m/wave, etc) and more space. Is there a catch ?

2. I am surprised how hard it is to find an accommodation in Seville for April 6-9: basic hostals charge e90 and more for a triple room, apartments are all booked. Do you have any suggestions ?

Thanks a lot!

-Eugene

Check Hostal Roma ; a little beauty in Seville, brand new with elevator; plus they have another place nearby. Run a search here and see what the site has.

JA

April is a VERY DIFFICULT time to find lodgings in Sevilla because it's the month of Semana Santa (Holy Week) and SEVILLA IS THE PLACE TO BE during Semana Santa. wow.. What memories I have standing alongside the Cathedral ALL Thursday night of Semana Santa watching procession after procession until sunrise. Wow.. What an experience. It was FREEZING that night (you could see your breath!) but it's a memory I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Regarding your question, I don't think there's any "catch" because "hostales" are hostales and apartments are generally owned/rented by individuals. These really can be a better deal if you want more space and a kitchen or kitchenette.

Have you yet done a SEARCH on, say, http://www.Google.com , with keywords SEVILLA +apartamento ? Might be worth a try. I'm sure there are many many many apartments available for rent but most will charge more than "hostales" because it's Apil - the month of Semana Santa.

Sevilla is a place worth visiting for sure. DO IT. Don't miss it.

Saludos, MadridMan

P.S.: You can find a pretty complete list of "hostales" and their descriptions @ http://www.SpainHostels.com/links/Andalucia/Sevilla/Sevilla/

Good luck! Please tell us how you did in order to help future travelers. Thanks!

Today, I left Sevilla for Madrid (sigh). We stayed in a fabulous apartment minutes from the cathedral in El Arenal. Absolutely charming & less expensive than any of the hotels I could find. Look on www.sevilla5.com , if you are staying for 3 nights or more, you can get a great apartment for the same money. The one we stayed in were in the apartment section under ´personal style´and are on Arfe. (the street)
We had a fabulous time.
Hope that helps!