Weekly hotels top five of five - Spain

(AFP PHOTO LLUIS GENE.)

This week music fans can attend the annual Rock in Rio Madrid festival, which has previously attracted 290,000 visitors and will welcome artists such as Rage Against the Machine, Cypress Hill, Shakira, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Bon Jovi, and Metallica.

Since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Spain has proved an increasingly popular location for such cultural events and is now the second most visited country in the world after France, according to UN World Tourism Organization figures.

From the Costa Brava to the archipelagoes such as the Balearics, sun-lovers flock to the country's miles of coastline, while its cities are indisputable capitals of culture - 13 Spanish cities have been declared World Heritage Cities by UNESCO.

Barcelona

Last year 4.9 million people visited Barcelona, making it Spain's top tourist city. Hotel Montecarlo, situated right on the city's legendary La Rambla, was the most popular hotel.

1 Hotel Montecarlo Barcelona
2 Casa Camper Hotel Barcelona
3 Hotel 1898
4 Hostal Hostemplo
5 Hesperia Ramblas

Average price of top five $223/€181

Madrid

Madrid is Spain's capital, but it plays second fiddle when it comes to tourism - it attracted 3.4 million in 2008, over one million fewer than Barcelona. Nevertheless, TripAdvisor reviewers raved about the city, rating the Best Western Atlantico above the boutique Hotel Preciados.

1 Best Western Atlantico
2 Hotel Preciados
3 Gran Melia Fenix
4 Hotel Room Mate Laura
5 Adler Hotel

Average price of top five $244/€199

Valencia

Valencia's position on the Costa del Azahar makes it a popular arrival point for sunseeking tourists, with the Hotel Las Arenas Balneario Resort in top place - travelers praised its "superb beach location" and "incredible spa."

1 Hotel Las Arenas Balneario Resort
2 Sorolla Palace
3 Vincci Lys
4 The Westin Valencia
5 Hospes Palau de la Mar Hotel

Average price of top five $211/€172

Seville

The Alminar Hotel was the most popular destination in Seville, with visitors praising the friendly staff and central location in the heart of the city.

1 Alminar Hotel
2 Apartamentos Murillo
3 Hotel Amadeus
4 Hacienda de San Rafael
5 El Rey Moro Hotel Boutique

Average price of top five $166/€135

Bilbao

Bilbao, which hosts the Guggenheim Museum and Spanish Fine Art Museum, has undergone an urban renewal of late. Travelers praised the Gran Hotel Domine, which offers views over the Guggenheim.

1 Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao
2 Hesperia Bilbao
3 Melia Bilbao
4 Hotel Miro
5 Silken Indautxu Hotel

Average price of top five $137/€112

Data is taken from millions of independent reviews and rankings surveyed at TripAdvisor taken on June 3, 2010.

Website: http://www.tripadvisor.com