Imagine hanging out on your private balcony overlooking the Sierra Nevada mountain range on one side and an ancient Arab city and fortress on the other as the sunsets. This is what we had in our two bedroom apartment in Granada.
With every vacation rental we have, I turn further and further away from the idea of staying in hotels. The very thought of being crammed in one room with two beds, TV, a small fridge, a desk, and one bathroom with two kids makes me cringe.
Our trip to Spain allows us to spend anywhere between four nights up to two weeks in each city. Having a home away from home makes all the difference in the world. The fact that we can chill out in various areas of the apartment without being on top of one another and getting into each other’s hair can literally make or break a trip.
I love the fact that when we come home from a day of exploring, the kids can plop down on a cozy couch and veg out in front of TV to unwind. And for me to be able to fiddle around in a full-stocked kitchen preparing food for dinner or some snacks, is fantastic. And the best part, we all don’t have to be piled into one room to sleep.
I can’t imagine traveling any other way anymore.
Finding a Vacation Rental in Granada with Roomarama
Searching for the best apartment was easy. Roomarama has it perfectly categorized and with a little bit of researching, I knew immediately that we needed to be in the heart of the city’s center.
I like to consider myself an over-preparer which usually means I reserved our Granada Center apartment way, way in advance giving me plenty of time to send a million and a half questions to the owner. Joao, the owner, was amazing. He responded to every question I ever had. Even put me on WhatsApp so I can have quick access to him.
When we arrived he was there waiting for us, helping us with everything.
There are many differences between staying in a hotel and an apartment, most work against hotels. However, one main one is that you have access to someone helping you to get around the new city. Joao had this taken care of. There were tons of maps and everything you need to know in the apartment. He had a very detailed list with addresses for most necessities. And if we needed info on how to get to other places, he was just a quick text away.
Also, I requested a late checkout, which we couldn’t do because he had other people coming in, however, we were able to leave our bags (which is really all we needed) in super-secure storage, and he was back just in time to retrieve them for us and help us with a taxi.
Staying in Granada Center Trumps All Other Spots
Now that we’ve explored Granada inside and out, I can honestly say that staying in the center, where we were, is the best bet. If you stay in El Albaicin, which is one of the MOST beautiful areas I have ever visited, you’ll love everything about this ancient Arab neighborhood. However, it’s not very convenient for necessities such as supermarkets, shops that aren’t souvenirs, and even tapa bars and restaurants, and cafés.
And also getting around to other parts of the city makes it quite difficult.
Where we stayed we were less than a ten-minute walk from El Abaicin, Sacromonte, and Alhambra – yes they are uphill walking, so if you prefer buses they were less than five minutes from our house.
Not to mention the more modern, business center part of Granada.
Inside Our Apartment in Granada
Our apartment is in a four-story walk-up building. And we were on the fourth floor. As I have mentioned to my son, the top floor is the best. And in this case, I was so right. We were the only apartment with a private balcony off the apartment and a private rooftop terrace that you can access only through the apartment.
We had a lovely kitchen, full stocked with everything you can possibly imagine. Even my husband – who never ever cooks – was in there.
The living room. This was my kids favorite spot.
My favorite was the balcony off the kitchen looking out onto Plaza Santo Domingo. I spent hours here.
Where we slept. Super comfortable, full of pillows and fluffy comforters.
Here’s another awesome view from our place.
Video Fun
I can’t even imagine a better spot. And working with Roomarama (this was my first time using them) was so easy and the staff, I worked with Hannah Lee for some questions, she was always super quick to respond and helpful.
