The legends of Valencia are well known - the Holy Grail, Hannibal, El Cid... But despite its history, and despite being Spain's third largest city, it's as bad as Madrid and Barcelona in terms of interesting places to stay. To be honest, we wondered whether this hotel should make the grade. It has an excellent location, right next to the cathedral and the Turia Gardens, and it is close to Valencia's traditional fruit and vegetable market (one of the few in Spain of this size and quality). We weren't, however, particularly convinced by the communal areas - the atmosphere is definitely 'hotel' rather than 'home'. On the other hand, the bedrooms are good. Exposed brick walls, well-chosen antiques, each slightly different in shape and use of space. The feeling here is small but chic, and you begin to get the impression of how it must have felt as a well-staffed 19thC town house. The restaurant is fairly small, with an intimate feel, so you need to book ahead.