No rooms available in Seville on 5/25, why?

Many things but on the 25th there's the Copa del Rey(King's Cup) soccer final.

thanks! I was curious, I thought maybe there was some kind of festival we could enjoy.

Given the choice, I'm a book-only-a-few-days-ahead person, but here's a good example of a situation that is a really serious problem for a last-minute person like me. I might have discovered this problem on 5/21--quite probably while sitting in a hotel room in Cordoba! By planning ahead you learned you had an issue and had plenty of time to figure out an acceptable solution.

Sporting events and major concerts never seem to show up when I look for lists of holidays and festivals online (duh). I've even missed some major religious festivities--I assume due to carelessness. There's nothing like being separated from the train/bus station by a mini running-of-the-bulls when it's time to head out of town!

No problem OP. On my first visit to Spain, I ended my vacation in Seville and had made all the train and hotel reservations except for Seville. As I'm not religious and I went in April, I was wondering why there were only a few hotel rooms left and only junior suites and up in the hotels that I liked. It turns out I was there during the first few days of Semana Santa. Like you, I thought of staying somewhere else but as my parents and friends said, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Ending up staying the in junior suite with patio(of course it rained every day), 7 jet shower and bedroom plus sitting room. It turned out to be totally worth it staying where I did and actually seeing some of the processions and floats/icons up close.

April is also Feria time in Seville so you might be experiencing all three reasons.

Feria is two weeks after Easter, so it will be the second week in May, thus not affecting the OP's dates.

Thanks for your replies,
I think it's great to have some unplanned time to be able to do things you weren't aware of. I was so shocked when I started seeing only $600+ rooms and so many sold out hotels that I got super nervous. So I guess the lesson I learned is to book ahead well in advance for major cities. I saw another post about a soccer championship in Madrid on 6/1, which we just missed, as we're leaving there on the 5/31. Some of these championships/tournaments are impossible to foresee. Again, thank you all for your input

Regarding Futbol (Soccer) in Spain, it's just another part of our living breathing culture and history, no different from a Feria or Semana Santa. As an American tourist in Spain, one has to look out for:

1. Copa del Rey Final - usually held in Madrid, but this year en Sevilla on May 25

2. El Clasico - Barça vs Real Madrid

3. Derbys - the two city teams facing each other

4. Champions League Final - the most important tournament in Europe, this year held in Madrid on June 1, this will be the biggest game of the year.

From a tourist perspective, one can see these events as obstacles, or as opportunities to engage and interact with local culture.

Being in Spain when a soccer team wins a big game is both a blessing and curse. One night in Barcelona, we had a long day sightseeing and I had just gone to sleep at the hotel around 10:30 or so when all of the sudden I hear car horns, people on the street yelling and screaming. Look out on the street, people in cars were hanging out waving Catalan flags, giving high fives to pedestrians and police. Annoyed, I had to resort to searching Twitter until I found out that they were celebrating Barcelona FC winning against a German club. Watching all the commotion, I had to laugh with just how seriously the Spanish take the game because it was wild! The next day we met a Google employee on the Metro who attended the match and said the atmosphere at the stadium was amazing.

I don't think Americans realize just how seriously the Spanish take soccer. It's just fun to sit back and enjoy. And unlike American teams winning, the city wasn't vandalized.

As Chani said, Feria in Sevilla this year starts on May 7 (I believe).

heather, it’s not just Spain that lives and breathes soccer. Italy, France, Germany, England... and more i am sure do. We were in Sorrento 1996 for the World Cup, and it was unreal. Same in Paris in 2010.
A lot of fun though.

If you are still stuck, consider spending one night (just take a small bag and leave the rest of your stuff in storage at your Sevilla hotel) in Jerez, Cadiz or Cordoba. All are worthwhile (Cordoba is best) and an hour or less by train from Sevilla.

Thanks Chani

I did get a hotel in Cordoba right away, but didn't think about leaving the bulk of the luggage at the hotel for the night. That makes it a lot easier!

Glad to help. And I'm glad you're staying overnight in Cordoba, my favorite Spanish city. Palacio de Viana (beautiful patios), Casa de Sefarad (Jewish museum - best with their guided tour), the TI sells a very good evening walking tour, lots of back streets to explore on your own, and of course La Mezquita!!