The Hospes Palacio de los Patos is a spectacular juxtaposition of a beautifully restored 19th-century mansion and bold 21st-century architecture. Once the home of the Dutch consul, the main building has been immaculately restored to reflect the elegant grandeur of the original, with its grand, polished marble central staircase leading to a serene and lofty atrium with painted ceilings and beautifully rendered cornices. The lobby area blends the two worlds -- an exquisitely carved wooden ceiling stretches above two clinically white reception desks surrounded by Moorish tiling and a contemporary take on traditional seating. A subterranean maze of corridors links the New Wing -- created by Catalan design guru Xavier Claramunt -- with its alabaster-white, minimalist, and relentlessly 21st-century chic interiors. The whole property has been declared a Cultural Heritage Site, and is surrounded by lush gardens with Arabian fountains.

The hotel is situated on the busy Calle Recogidas, on the western edge of Granada's Albaicin District and a mile west of the Alhambra. It's about five minutes' walk to the city's commercial and main retail area, while Granada Cathedral is 10 minutes away on foot. Granada train station is 10 minutes by car, and the nearest airport is Federico Garcia Lorca Airport, a 20-minute drive.

The hotel's 40 spacious rooms are roughly split between Deluxe, in the mansion building, and Dreamers, in the New Wing annex. Deluxe rooms blend contemporary interior design with original features, such as mosaic floors, tall wooden shutters, and ornate cornices, while Dreamers are out-and-out 21st century chic where glass, alabaster, and hardwood floors meet wispy muslin drapery. Beds are topped with Egyptian cotton and in-room tech includes iPod docks, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs with DVD players and satellite channels. Bathrooms are uber-modern and beautifully finished with quirky lighting and marble cladding.

The hotel's subterranean Bodyna Spa provides facial and massage treatments, and sauna and steam baths, and the small thermal pool whose roof is the glass bottom of a garden fountain is a really nice touch. Los Patos Restaurant provides indoor and alfresco dining in the lush terraced gardens. There is an elegant library and business center in the old mansion building. Wi-Fi is free and available throughout the property.