Valencia keeps topping city-break lists, and if you're plotting a trip, choosing the right base matters — the old town, the Turia Gardens and the centre each offer a completely different stay. Condé Nast Traveller UK's round-up of the city's best hotels includes three worth a closer look.

**Caro Hotel: history under your feet**

On a quiet street in the Ciutat Vella, the five-star Caro feels oddly serene for somewhere so central. The 18th-century building took seven years to renovate before opening in 2012, and what lies beneath is the real story: it sits on a 2nd-century Roman circus. Curved Roman arches frame the Meta Bar — with cornice stones suspended over an impressive gin collection — while 10th-century Moorish lanterns, Gothic tiles and mosaics appear throughout, each with a QR code explaining its provenance. The 26 rooms are all individually named and styled, some incorporating the old Roman walls, and refillable toiletries helped make it Valencia's first five-star hotel with a Sustainability Certificate. Chef Sandra Jorge cooks at Xanglot, where a 12th-century Moorish wall runs through the dining room, and there's a sunlit courtyard with a plunge pool. Rooms from around £150.

**SH Valencia Palace: gardens on the doorstep**

Right on the Turia River Garden — the green ribbon that loops through the city — this 239-room property from Valencian chain Singular Hoteles suits travellers who want space and facilities. A renovation worth more than €10 million began in 2026, starting with event spaces before moving to the rooms; suites come with rainfall showers, Grundig stereos and wood panelling. The covered rooftop pool reopens in May once the weather warms, and downstairs a Scandi-style spa offers massages, saunas and Turkish baths. Dining runs from PRODUCT-O's KM 0, farm-to-table philosophy to Hōchō, a minimalist Japanese restaurant led by chef Nacho Honrubia serving maguro sashimi and saba nigiri. Rooms from around £125.

**Only You Hotel: the stylish social one**

Opened in 2021 on the site of the old Astoria Hotel — a Valencia grand dame since 1959 — and minutes from Plaza del Ayuntamiento, this boutique channels Art Deco with gold-and-charcoal interiors by designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán. A florist scents the lobby, the cocktail bar Trotamundos sits right by check-in, and ground-floor Japanese spot SLVJ turns into a DJ-fuelled party after dark. Up top, El Mirador serves a genuinely inventive breakfast (smoked cod, honeycomb, a dedicated barista bar), and in summer the rooftop's City Lover Sunsets sessions toast the evening to Yazoo's 'Only You' playing, fittingly, on repeat. Rooms from around £135.

**Which one is for you?**

History buffs and couples after a quiet hideaway should pick the Caro; families and spa-lovers will get more from the Palace's gardens-side location and facilities; the Only You suits design fans and anyone who likes their hotel to have a pulse after sunset.

Full round-up via Condé Nast Traveller UK.