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t seems Burgos’s moment in the international travel spotlight has arrived — named one of the top places to visit in 2013 by the New York Times, designated Spain’s culinary capital the same year, site of a major new museum that quickly became one of the most visited in Spain, and now here comes the AC Burgos, a sleek modern hotel to match the city’s growing profile.

Readers who’ve done their homework will know that those two letters, “AC,” signify an outpost of one of Spain’s more design-forward hotel mini-chains, with sister properties in Madrid and Barcelona that draw an A-list crowd. A few years ago it would have been hard to imagine an AC hotel opening in this northern city of 200,000, just up the way from the Gothic cathedral that for years was Burgos’s main draw. So if this AC is a little soberer, a little more business-oriented than the others, it can be forgiven. It’s still a gleaming world of sharp lines, metallic surfaces and bold contemporary art, only here the rooms are fitted with genuinely workable business desks and the bar is the sort of place where you’d sooner strike a deal than take a date.

The quiet, comfortable, highly functional rooms make it easy to get some work done by day — or just to work off any bags under the eyes — while a location in the middle of town means it’s just as easy to head out into the streets at quittin’ time. The city is home to some outstanding, traditional tapas bars, perfect venues for a long warmup before a night out. As in any proper Spanish city, the nightlife doesn’t really begin until 10 or 11 PM, plenty of time to load up on the region’s famous cheeses and rich black pudding.

The city’s historic charms, too, are right at your feet. From the hotel, you can walk through the narrow streets of the ancient Castilian city, home to more medieval churches than you can shake a scepter at. It’s also an ancient trade-route and a major stopping point on the famous Camino de Santiago — reminders that Burgos isn’t so new to the party after all.

How to get there:
AC Hotel Burgos is located 8.8 km from Burgos Airport.