The book that made this hotel possible
In 1829, Washington Irving rented a suite of rooms inside the Alhambra and spent several months writing Tales of the Alhambra — the collection of stories and historical sketches that introduced the Nasrid palace complex to the English-speaking world. The book never went out of print. It is sold in every Granada bookshop today and credited with triggering the first wave of Romantic-era tourism to the city.
Eurostars Washington Irving takes that debt seriously. The hotel's 63 rooms each carry inscribed passages from Irving's original text. The library holds genuine first editions of Tales of the Alhambra — not decorative copies behind glass, but a collection assembled over years. This is a literary hotel with a specific subject, not a hotel that used a famous name as wallpaper.
Location and what it costs
The hotel sits on Paseo del Generalife, the approach road to the Alhambra complex, at 400 metres from the main entrance. You walk up through the shaded avenue of elm trees — the same trees that Irving described — and arrive at the ticket gates without having navigated the city below. The Generalife gardens are at the same elevation; the Nasrid Palaces are the same short walk.
Rates run 140–320€ depending on season, with the recent refurbishment reflected in pricing. For a 5-star property this close to a UNESCO complex in peak season, the 140€ floor is competitive with the Parador de Granada — the only property inside the complex itself — which runs 230–420€. The Eurostars trades proximity for price while staying in the same hilltop zone.
Facilities and atmosphere
The hotel has a swimming pool, sauna, and restaurant. The public rooms have been recently refurbished and reflect the literary theme in their decoration — the library with the Irving first editions is accessible to all guests and sits alongside other Granada-related volumes and maps. The building's hilltop position means the noise of the city below is absent; this part of the Alhambra hill is genuinely quiet after the day visitors leave.
Breakfast has received consistent praise across guest reviews; it is listed as generous rather than the token continental option common at this price point. Staff quality comes up repeatedly in reviews as above expectations for a chain property.
The trade-offs
The Paseo del Generalife address means you are not in the city. The tapas bars, the Cathedral, the Albaicín, the evening life of Granada's historic centre are a 25-minute walk downhill or a short taxi ride. For guests who plan to spend most of their time on the Alhambra hill and want a quiet base, this is an advantage. For guests who want a central city hotel, it is not the right choice.
The Washington Irving literary theme will feel charming to readers of the book and irrelevant to guests who haven't encountered it. The hotel doesn't require any knowledge of Irving to use its facilities, but the identity of the property rewards engagement with the source material. If you're coming to Granada partly for its literary and historical depth, reading Tales of the Alhambra before arriving changes how the hotel reads.
