Just back from Spain April 9-19 and would like to add the following comments for future visitors:

SEVILLE: We really liked Hotel Alcantara.
It had a great location in Barrio Santa Cruz, close to Murillo Gardens, the Cathedral and Alcazar. Our triple was spacious, very clean, had a phone, TV, heat and elevator. Inside, it isn't loaded with local character, but it was very comfortable and the location is terrific. Website: http://www.hotelalcantara.net/ . We paid 92 Euros/night the week after Semana Santa for a triple there. The Flamenco show, which is separate but is located in the same building, was excellent. (11 Euros for a one-hour Flamenco show.)

GRANADA: Our experience at Hostal Meridiano (web: http://www.hostalmeridiano.com/ ), recommended on this board, was terrific. The owner spends a great deal of time explaining where to go and how to get to and into the Alhambra (because we had not booked tickets in advance, he called a cab for us at 7 a.m. so that we could get in line early; we got in with no problem.) While he was very helpful, he didn't speak much English. A big boon is the free Internet access there, which made this the #1 hostal for my teen-age daughter, who stayed up into the night catching up with friends. The hostal has an attractive lobby and nicely decorated rooms. Its location -- a few moments from the cathedral -- is very good. Website: http://www.hostalmeridiano.com

MADRID: I read great things about Hostal Lopez on this board, and, we were satisfied with it, though not thrilled. The positives: Clean, large triple (55 Euros) with a nice bathroom and a window onto the street. Loved the time-worn wooden stairs, although trekking up to the third floor with luggage is not so wonderful. It is on a charming street in a great area of Old Madrid close to the Prado. The negatives: The dark dark hallways (there is a light switch in each hall, but until you find it, every time you come or go you are plunged into darkness) and the strange odors in the hallway that result, I suspect, from the restaurant in the building's first floor. The second-floor "lobby" is unimpressive; the rooms are actually nicer than it is. A very helpful English speaking host was a boon, however.

ALPUJARRA: If you rent a car and explore Las Alpujarras area of the Sierra Nevada mountains about an hour out of Granada, I highly recommend the Hotel Berchules. Website: http://www.hotelberchules.com/ . The rooms are lovely with a stunning location. We paid 41 Euros for our double, with a large balcony with a great view. The whole region was spectacular; we particularly enjoyed a three-hour hike into the mountains to the ruins of a Moorish cloth factory. Dinner at the restaurant there was also excellent.