Great New Finds: Affordable Europe

Seville, Spain

$230

Don’t let the gritty-looking street or imposing double-height wooden doors deter you: Casa Romana Hotel Boutique (15 Calle Trajano; 34/95-491-5170; www.hotelcasaromana.com) is a most welcoming hideaway, from the complimentary glass of Manzanilla that greets you upon check-in to the rooftop solarium and its low-slung chairs. The 19th-century town house’s beige-colored guest rooms may be a little sedate, but bright-red accents and sky-high ceilings brighten the mood, as does the interior courtyard. Only a short walk from the Alcazar, the hotel is also steps from a slew of new restaurants and hip watering holes.

Soller, Mallorca

$230

The newly opened L’Avenida Hotel (9 Avda. de Gran Via; 34/69-923-5239; www.avenida-hotel.com), in the quiet village of Soller, is ratcheting up the style quotient in this mountain town on the northwest coast of Mallorca. Housed in a 19th-century mansion, the first floor of the eight-room hotel has a dramatic mix of zebra-patterned chairs and splashes of purple. Upstairs, rooms are decorated in soothing shades of chocolate brown and slate blue, with canopy beds and pedestal tubs. While the beaches are a 10-minute drive away, the hotel’s lovely pool will make you want to stay all day.

Tarifa, Spain

$151

Tarifa’s low-key but high-octane vibe is palpable at Posada La Sacristía (8 San Donato; 34/95-668-1759; www.lasacristia.net). The lobby’s palm-studded, arcaded patio is perpetually occupied by the sort of tanned adventurous types that you’d expect to find in this kiteboarding and windsurfing capital. The 10 rooms, with burnished-plaster walls and whitewashed beams, are set in the main 17th-century building. And a sumptuous new suite, "La Capilla" is housed in a former convent next door.

Stockholm, Sweden

$198

This design-minded city has added another star player to its roster: the Hotel Hellsten (68 Luntmakargatan; 46-8/661-8600; www.hellsten.se). Set in what was once a 19th-century bordello, the labyrinthine retreat (narrow, winding hallways; sloped ceilings) is a mix of classic and modern Stockholm. The 78 rooms have original dark-wood paneling, some with traditional kakelugnar (porcelain chimneys), but they maintain a sleek Scandinavian look, with austere bed frames and crisp linens. Tossed into the mix is the owner’s collection of rare antiques: African masks, Asian cabinets, and exquisite Persian carpets.