New Samay Hostel
The rooftop-patio social hostel on Avenida Menéndez Pelayo, 6 minutes from the Alcázar
New Samay is a 2,004-review social hostel on Avenida Menéndez Pelayo, a 6-minute walk from the Alcázar with a wrap-around rooftop that hosts the in-house bar programme. Pod dorms with decent AC, a courtyard patio for pre-tapas drinks, and a bar-crawl programme three nights a week run by staff who know the Alfalfa circuit cold.
New Samay occupies a restored 19th-century palacete on Avenida Menéndez Pelayo, the broad boulevard that marks the eastern edge of the Old Town. It's an interesting location: five minutes less touristy than Santa Cruz but two stops on the tram from Plaza Nueva, so you get Old Town convenience without the Santa Cruz tour-group throngs. Calle Santa María la Blanca — one of Seville's best tapas streets — is three minutes walk.
The ground floor is a wide courtyard patio with bougainvillea, stone arches, and a bar that opens 19:00-00:30. This is where the social programme starts: the in-house bar crawl (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 20 EUR, 4 bars around Alfalfa plus a late-night club entry) meets at the patio at 21:30. On non-crawl nights the patio functions as a low-pressure drinking space where solo travellers naturally pool at the communal tables.
The rooftop is smaller than La Banda Rooftop's but higher — 4 floors up with clear sight of the Giralda and the Alcázar gardens at sunset. It opens 19:00 and closes at 23:00 (noise ordinance on Menéndez Pelayo). Beer 2.50, wine 3 EUR, no cocktail programme.
Dorms are 4, 6, and 8 beds with wooden pods, curtains, USB outlets, and individual reading lights. Thick mattresses (praised in reviews), and genuinely quiet air conditioning — a real differentiator in August. The shared kitchen is small — two induction hobs, one oven — so if cooking is central to your stay, Triana Backpackers across the river is a better booking. There's also a guest lounge with board games, which draws a small crowd during siesta hours.
Staff are multilingual (ES, EN, FR, PT) and run a morning walking tour at 10:30 (tip-based) plus a Sunday paella afternoon (15 EUR, 20 seats, sign-up at reception). Private doubles and triples are good value at 68-95 EUR — better than comparable Old Town guest houses.
- 01Wrap-around courtyard patio with bougainvillea and a proper bar, 19:00-00:30
- 02Pod dorms with notably quiet AC — real differentiator in the August heat
- 03Staff-run bar crawl Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday 21:30, 20 EUR including club entry
- 04Sunday paella afternoon for 15 EUR — the in-house social highlight of the week
- 056 min to Alcázar, 3 min to Santa María la Blanca tapas street, 2 min to San Bernardo tram
- Rating 8.8 from 2,004 reviews — one of Seville's most consistent mid-size hostels
- Pod dorms with thick mattresses, AC, USB outlets, reading lights
- Wrap-around courtyard bar open 19:00-00:30, separate rooftop 19:00-23:00
- In-house bar crawl 3 nights a week (Tue/Thu/Sat) plus Sunday paella
- Private double/triple rooms 68-95 EUR — better than nearby guesthouses
“Everything was a dream — the staff was the nicest, spacious rooms with pod curtains, and the Sunday paella afternoon was the social peak of my whole Spain trip.”
“The location is great, walking distance to all the tour spots, cafes and Alcázar. Rooftop sunset views to the Giralda are worth planning your evening around.”
“Third time I've stayed here in the last few years and I'll book again. The courtyard patio is the reason. Low-pressure drinks, easy to meet people without a programme.”
- Real Alcázar (Puerta del León)6 min walk
- Santa María la Blanca tapas street3 min walk
- Seville Cathedral10 min walk
- San Bernardo tram stop (to Plaza Nueva)5 min walk
- Casa de Pilatos palace7 min walk
- Prado de San Sebastián bus station8 min walk
