Why book?
Sitting just off the city’s main square, Only You Valencia is a lively alternative to your usual big box hotels—think music en vivo at breakfast on the weekends, a flower shop that fills half the lobby with orchids and lilies—attracting a young crowd of Spaniards and international travelers alike.
Set the scene
Part of Valencia’s charm lies in its size. As a visitor, you can easily soak up the best of the old town on foot. The fact that Only You is just a block from the city’s central square, in the heart of this area, means that your home base is a North Star of sorts for 20 or 30-something Valencianos with Troye Sivan haircuts, who can be seen huddled on the couches at Only You over cocktails, and Euro travelers of all ages who appreciate the fact that you can get a more-than-decent paella in the hotel restaurant on the ninth floor (and either see the adjoining clubby sushi spot, Salvaje, as a perk—or at least don’t mind the sound that spills into the lobby at night).
The backstory
Only You is part of the Palladium Hotel Group, which holds a number of hotels in Spain. Most, like the Only You chain, are reminiscent of Virgin hotels (but make it Spanish), with DJs, Instagrammable modern design, and activations that draw a crowd. There are also beach clubs in Ibiza; Hard Rocks; and a number of slinky adults-only properties. Only You is one of the brands designed for a younger audience—whether that’s actually those in their late 20s or 30s, or those young at heart. The Only You Valencia, opened in 2021, sits in an iconic location in the city, where the previous hotel was a bit of a landmark, known as a popular wedding destination, but in need of a refresh by the time Only You arrived and did a complete renovation. (For this reason, you’ll notice local wedding after-parties regularly take place in the hotel’s event spaces; or, when, say, a wedding spills out of a nearby church, as it did one day I was there, everyone in their traditional shawls and fans in hand totters over to Only You for cocktails).
The rooms
The vibe is young, new, and modern—with Art Deco nods. Think deep turquoise-painted wooden wainscotting; subtle marble and gold accents; bright white walls and big windows; velvet sofas. In some areas, this takes on a moodier tone, like in the lobby and landing for each floor, but the rooms are on the bright side (always a wise choice). Balconies off the rooms are a nice reminder that yes, you are in Spain, and you should enjoy a glass of wine while people watching from on high.
Food and drink
The restaurants at Only You clearly have spent time on setting a vibe, and appealing to a visual internet-era audience. Enough so that I doubted if the food would actually be good—the two have a habit of being mutually exclusive in many hotels, unfortunately—but I was pleasantly surprised when each meal hit. This really came in handy as my partner was running the Valencia marathon—when we needed an effortless meal in the building, we didn’t feel as though we’d sacrificed a chance at great Spanish food. The ninth floor restaurant, at night, turns out a surprisingly good (and massive) paella, offered in a few forms, plus modern takes on Spanish taberna classics like ensalada rusa (here, the dish uses avocado as its base, topped with tasty olive oil-coated tuna) and croquetas that are perfectly crunchy on the outside and creamy inside. Though a breakfast buffet usually makes me feel a bit guilty (what are they doing with all that leftover food?), that didn’t stop me from loading up on pan com tomate, eggs to order, fresh Valencia orange juice, cappucinos made fresh, and even jamón that, on a Monday morning, was being sliced right before our eyes from the jamonera.
The spa
There’s a gym in the building, though no spa. If you visit during certain weekends, like the Valencia marathon, they tend to bring people in. The physiotherapist doing massages that weekend was fantastic; I loved that, as a couple made up of one runner and one cheerleader (me), we could still do a couples massage with a PT-designed massage for one, and a relaxing experience for the other. (This might be one of the best hotels to stay at during the Valencia marathon, while we’re on the topic—in addition to services like the above, they had pro trainers come in for talks throughout the weekend, and opened breakfast extra early on the day of the race so everyone could get a hot meal in. You’re also walking or biking distance to the starting line.)
The neighborhood/area
This is where you want to be in Valencia—walking distance from both cool new restaurants and no-frills tabernas slinging delicious tapas, amazing architecture, and historic buildings but also cool boutiques. And if you’re arriving by train, it’s even walking distance from the station. Valenbisi’s all throughout the neighborhood make it easy to reach destinations that are slighter further afoot, like the beach and Calatrava-designed City of Arts and Sciences.
The service
The vibe of the staff is very friendly—almost like they’re trying to see if you can forget that they are in fact the front desk or concierge and accept that they’re just friendly hosts at your disposal. Part of that stems from the lobby design, in which there is no traditional check-in desk—a row of screens and employees just line the back side of the lobby bar. They’ll set you up with bike rentals, or recommendations of restaurants, and they’re delightfully laid-back. We wanted to try Hundred Burgers (which has a burger that’s been dubbed the best in the world, though I can’t say for certain by whom), but couldn’t get a reservation; they were happy for us to take over some lobby tables with takeout once we scored a pick-up time. I also came to relish seeing everyone during breakfast service—such friendly faces at the coffee bar and egg stations.
Accessibility
There are elevators to access every floor, though the main entrance has stairs and no ramp at first glance. Ask in advance how they can accommodate your needs.
Anything left to mention?
The hotel clearly invests in being “fun.” Candy bowls scattered throughout the lobby. A DJ late-Friday in the restaurant. Live violinists at breakfast. Expert espresso martinis whipped up during brunch (at no extra charge). Lean in.
Plaça de Rodrigo Botet, 5, Ciutat Vella, València, 46002
Spain
https://valencia.slvj.es/
963 98 10 00