For a professional need, I had to stay in Valencia, Spain for the whole month of October. Since the client did not provide for reimbursement of expenses, I had to use my points to stay on site. That’s how I chose to stay at the AC Hotel Valencia: perfect location and low points rating confirmed my choice. And the availability was uninterrupted during my stay, allowing me to consider Valencia as my home base. A look back on this long stay which allowed me to discover all the services of the hotel.

We had already presented you,in Valencia, the Westin. This is an alternative that is almost 3 times cheaper and just as well located.

Booking

It was not easy to book in this hotel: it is difficult to find availability in points for 30 consecutive nights, and I had to search for a long time before I could find. Note that this hotel charges a low number of points for each night, the lowest in the Marriott/Starwood system (7500 points, or just over 2000 Starpoints with the old scale). I also took advantage of the 5th free night in points for every 4 nights purchased, for a total of 180,000 points for those 30 nights. Unbeatable.

Arrival

I flew in from Paris in the late afternoon. The hotel is accessible directly from the airport via the line n°5 to its terminus, which connects in 50 minutes to the hotel (including the 10-15 minute walk from the metro station).

The walk is rather pleasant under 25 degrees in this early autumn.

I am welcomed by the receptionist, very friendly, who will carry out the formalities of recording without problem. We joked as he initially confirmed that my reservation was for one night, although he had not seen it correctly.

The property upgraded me to a Deluxe room (same size as the standard rooms, but with a better view) and offers all the benefits upon arrival: free breakfast, $10 dining credit each night and 500 extra points.

Room

My room was located on the 8th floor of the property and has a great view of Valencia, including the buildings of architect Santiago Calatrava Valls.

The bathroom is not very spacious, has a bath, toilet and sink. The green color, while representing the brand, is not necessarily pleasant on these faux marble tones.

The room is well decorated with dark wood throughout, and a small sitting area with a table is even available. However, we regret theabsence of a desk, essential for a long stay.

Smaller closets are available, as well as a safe.

The king bed is very comfortable.

Note that a welcome service was brought to my room for me, a touch that is always appreciated.

To finish, a video tour:

Hotel facilities

Despite its location in a tourist city like Valencia, the property does not have a swimming pool, which is a shame.

The gym, located at the very top of the hotel, is nice but the equipment is insufficient and its size does not allow for any exercise other than cardio.

Restaurants

The property does not have a restaurant as such (except for breakfast).

Catering is done at the bar, located near the lobby, but arranged to accommodate guests at dinner.

The menu is rather interesting, mixing Spanish snacking and real dishes.

I absolutely recommendthe octopus served with mashed potatoes,a killer!

Departure

For the departure formalities,I used the mobile check-out, and received the invoice by e-mail a few hours later. Efficient.

Bottom line

A really nice hotel, but not necessarily suitable for long stays like mine. Note that I had to be away for fairly long periods of time (more than a week), and the property called to check on me, really worried about me. I don’t know if it’s Spanish hospitality, but I found it very professional.