We had long planned to visit the spectacular City of Arts & Sciences in Valencia and had a convenient opportunity over Christmas 2012.
The Holiday Inn Express was just a few minutes walk away and was a great deal more luxurious than we had hoped for. Not only an extremely convenient location but an excellent inclusive breakfast and plenty of free street parking in the immediate vicinity. By booking well ahead, we got an amazing rate too!
Between the hotel and the "city" is an enormous shopping mall with plenty of restaurants to choose from. We also found it quite pleasant to take an evening walk into the centre of Valencia along a spacious linear park that runs right across the city (about 30 minutes.)
As to the main attraction. The Oceanografic is superb and we spent almost a whole day there. The Hemispheric is just a fancy cinema but pretty spectacular all the same. The Science Museum was a touch disappointing despite the amazing building. However the whole park is certainly worth a visit and it's best to allow a couple of days if you don't want to feel exhausted!