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The Best Rooftop Bar in Seville Is At The EME Hotel

Where: Alemanes 27, Seville, Spain, 41004

As we said yesterday, rooftop pools and bars are all the rage in Seville at the moment.

But nice as the others can be, there’s one place that stands head and shoulders (or maybe that should be a couple of floors) above the others – the Santo Terraza Bar at the EME Hotel on Calle Alemanes.

For a start, the position is unbeatable – it’s in the cathedral square, facing the Giralda and the north side of the cathedral, with all its balustrades and flying buttresses and other architectural delights.

And they’ve really made the most of it, singling the hotel out from the touristy bars and shops dotted around it, by laying out a red carpet to its entrance.

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Tags: Hotel Pool Scenes / Hotel Pools / Seville Hotels / Hotel Bars / → All Tags

Which Rooftop Pool Should You Go For in Seville?

The pool at the Hotel Doña Maria

As we told you yesterday, we noticed last weekend that the hotel pool scene is really taking off in Seville.

The poor old Alfonso XIII may not have a particularly sexy offering, but some of the rooftop ones are good enough for you to book a room on the basis of the pool.

Perhaps the best known is the pool at the Hotel Doña Maria, just off the cathedral square, which makes for stonking views of the Giralda. The terrace is split into two levels, with the bar and some tables down below, and the pool and a few more tables up some stairs.

Obviously, the views are pretty gorge. But the place seemed a bit tired. The chairs were tatty plastic faux-rattan affairs, the tables were a bit smeary, and the pool, with its lion-head fountain, was a bit too 80s. The staff were nice, though. Rooms start at €83 - the corridors looked dowdy to us, and the lobby was a bit overspun, but a friend has stayed here and says her room was whitewashed and nice.

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Tags: Hotel Pool Scenes / Hotel Pools / Seville Hotels / Starwood Hotels / → All Tags

The Hotel Pool Scene in Seville is Taking Off

Where: San Fernando 2, Seville, Spain, 41004

Yesterday we lamented about the lack of decent WiFi at the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville. Today we’re going to tell you about its pool. Why? Because we noticed this weekend that the pool scene in Seville is really taking off. But as with most hotel trends, the newer and hipper places do it best.

When the Alfonso XIII was built, back in the 19th century, they preferred to stick turrets and stuff on hotel roofs, rather than pools so because of the gorgeous façade of the place, there’s not exactly room to stick a tub up there.

Thus the pool is in the traditional, round-the-back-of-the-hotel position. It's a nice size with a bar nearby and lots of birdies tweeting among the orange groves that surround it. (Tweeting as in the sounds that birds make, not people on Twitter.) As far as a city pool goes, it's a relaxing little haven.

But let’s be honest, pool scenes aren’t about swimming. They’re about swanning around, looking good, and drinking more. And it always looks better on the roof.

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Tags: Hotel Events / Hotel Pool Scenes / Movie Nights / San Diego Hotels / → All Tags

Enjoy a Dive-In Movie With the Likes of Keanu Reeves (Sort-Of)

Where: 1410 Rosecrans St. [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92106

As the countdown until the end of summer ticks away and people try to cram in last-minute outdoor activities, San Diego's The Pearl is just getting started with its Dive-In Theatre, a weekly swim-and-cinema social. Every Tuesday year-round, the hotel screens a flick onto its 10-by-13-foot outdoor screen that overlooks the oyster-shaped pool.

Between 50 and 100 people show up to see the movie of the week at this retro-looking hotel, which avoids the trendy Gaslamp Quarter in favor of the quieter Point Loma area. The Pearl's been holding Dive-In Theatre—its signature event—since the hotel's opening in September 2007. It's free for hotel guests, but everyone else has to buy a drink at the bar to get access to the pool and lounge. The scene invites lingering, with hammocks, dim lights and a few palm trees. If you want to roll like a VIP, the hotel offers two poolside cabanas (though the movie screen is only visible from one of them) that have a $250 food and bevvie minimum. Food is served until 10 p.m., and bar stays open until midnight.

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Tags: Hotel Restaurants / Hotel Pool Scenes / Maxim Bungalows / Jeffrey Chodorow / Dominican Republic Hotels / → All Tags

Maxim Bungalows To Get Hip Social Restaurant

Where: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Whether or not the Maxim Bungalows are really a good place to vacation, the resort will be getting a hip dining scene.

Prolific restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow will open the Social Dominican Republic restaurant at the Cofresi Beach location of the resort on April 15th.

Chef Angel Mejia will oversee Social Dominican Republic along with general manager Sean Mohammed, both formerly at Social Miami at Sagamore in sizzling South Beach. Designer Carlos Oroza of architecture firm Prada Kulich created an intimate setting for Social Dominican Republic, seating 70 guests inside and 40 outside.

The restaurant will serve a daily specialty breakfast buffet as well as a full dinner menu. Some selections served at night include the Basil Cured Atlantic Salmon, served with crème fraiche and the Grilled Caribbean Lobster served with asparagus, brown butter, lime and cashews.

However, what actually interests us more is the special poolside fare Social will serve which includes Frozen Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Lollipops, Mojito Sno-Cones, and Frozen Spiced Grapes with Rum. Yummy.