We just got back from a quick trip to Spain. I’ll go into the reason for the trip in a different blog, but we lucked out and stayed at the most darling boutique hotel in Valencia. I wanted to share some of the details with you in case you are day dreaming about trip planning.
Spoiler: We highly recommend it and would totally stay there again!
Getting There
We flew into Barcelona and took a train to Valencia. The trip lasted about 3 1/2 hours and dropped us at the Valencia Estacio del Nord Railway Station. Hotel One Shot Mercat 09 was a quick 5-10 minute walk from the station. We only had our carryons (one roller bag and backpack each) and the surfaces between the station and the hotel were pretty easy to glide luggage across.
The hotel is nestled a block or two off any major streets so you have to wander into the smaller roads/alleys to get to it. It is a renovation of an existing building and manages to integrate a very chic, modern feeling into the hotel while maintaining an architectural consistency with the surrounding area. In fact, the entryway is very unassuming.
The Staff
When we walked in, we were warmly welcomed in Spanish and then English by a lovely woman at the front desk. All the staff we interacted with were able to speak fluently in several languages and were helpful and pleasant. This may seem like a small thing but the number of trips that have been soured by poor experiences with staff are too numerous to count. Whatever they do to hire and train staff – they need to keep doing it. Lovely from start to finish!
The Room
The hotel sits on the corner of Carrer del Músic Peydró and Carrer de la Llanterna. In fact the rooms are so affordable that we upgraded to a junior suite which is actually the corner room pictured above. We had not one, two, or three – but FOUR balconies off the room. We could step out and look down the street!
Left view from balcony (note the cute neighbor!) 
Looking right from the balcony
The inside of the room was well appointed and felt inviting, particularly after 16 hours of travel. The entry to the junior suite had a sitting couch and large wardrobe. This made the suite feel more like an apartment than a hotel room. It hit the perfect balance of cozy and modern.
The room was stunning. Walking through the entry from the hall, the bed was on the right and a large round table with chairs was on the left. The two areas were divided by a low console and television. The console housed some shelves and a mini fridge. This came in quite handy to keep beverages cold. There is a little market just across the street which sells everything you need. The ceiling treatment was stunning and added so much vibrance and texture to the room. The base palette was neutral, mixing clean lines with the exposed brickwork of the original structure.
The ceilings were very tall and the design took full advantage of the height of the room. The bathroom was half hidden behind a wall that separated the sink from the bedroom. If you look at the photo of the sink area, you can see the wall can be accessed from either side. One side led to the water closet (toilet) and the other to the shower. The shower had a great rain head and a handheld shower attachment more common in Europe.
Sink Area 
Water Clost 
Shower
What We Didn’t See
There is an attached restaurant that we were able to access for a continental breakfast. I did not get a photo of the spread but it basically had anything you could want. It was simple and delicious – meats, cheeses, fruit, juices, coffee/tea, pastries, breads, yogurt, cereal, eggs, etc. We did not get to see it as a fully functioning restaurant.
It is worth mentioning that we did not get to avail ourselves of the rooftop pool which closes from November to March. It looks lovely and would definitely be a welcome afternoon respite under the summer Valencia sun.
Things to Consider
These may seem like small things but we really appreciate:
- a room safe that can accommodate two full sized computers. While we find this a fairly rare amenity in the US, our travels abroad have not disappointed
- blackout curtains that keep the morning light out so we can sleep as long and late as we want to
- decent water pressure
- in room mini fridge
- king sized bed (George is extremely tall and there aren’t many hotels that even offer King size beds in Europe)
The sink area was chic and sleek but it lacked counterspace and the lighting could have been better for makeup application purposes. We also noticed that facecloths (washcloths) are simply not provided. As luck would have it, I packed a face cloth I was testing for the blog, but I would have packed a couple if I had known.
We would have loved another wall mount for the hand held shower head or an adjustable slide but that’s looking for things to be picky about.
We laughed about the abundance of light switches. If you were a lighting designer, you would probably love the variety of options. As a mere mortal, a simplified lighting arrangement would be just fine.
The Neighborhood
In Valencia, every block has its own character as much as they all feel similar. These views are from the corner of the hotel. The market ended up being a real boon for us. I love that they have a place to tie up your doggies while you shop! They still had mask requirements for indoor spaces and a lot of the establishments requested that you sanitize your hands as you enter. Luckily for us, there is so much alfresco dining in Valencia. They tend to cater to later dining hours as well, so jet lag or no, you can find a light tapas bite at 10pm or midnight without breaking a sweat. It’s also worth remembering that some shops close down for lunchtime. Those shops open early, close for a couple of hours and then stay open late. The streets are cleaned by small street sweepers regularly.
Market 
Street Shops
It was wonderful to get back into the swing of travel. Though we would have loved to not have the airport and airplane mask mandates, covid rapid tests and additional hassle of completing COVID related passenger locator paperwork, if this is what it takes to get back into the bigger world, we are willing to put up with the hassle.
Next week I’ll tell you why we traveled to Valencia in the first place!
All photos by @mobtowngeorge unless otherwise noted
