Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia… Spanish cities have always been amongst the coolest travel destinations in Europe.
But forget the chic urban centres for a moment; it’s also a country of gorgeous and wildly differing landscapes. It’s in this stunning setting that you can find many of the finest luxury hotels in Spain. Our five picks of the best rural luxury hotels in Spain are split between two regional powerhouses of tourism: Catalunya and Andalucia. And whether it’s exclusive boltholes in the snow-capped Pyrenees or ancient hermitages on the sun-bleached plains of Seville, there’s one thing that unites them all: oodles of style.
Castell d’Emporda - La Bisbal d’Emporda, Catalunya
It took Margo Vereijken and Albert Diks more than three years to restore the 800-year-old Castell d’Emporda one of the finest small luxury hotels in Spain – and it was certainly worth the wait. 38 rooms are stylishly distributed between the castle itself and a Cristina Gabas designed modern annexe; castle rooms are obviously the most dramatic, but none disappoint.
Fountainhead - Riogordo, Andalucia
Surrounded by the Axarquia’s dramatic mountainous landscape, Fountainhead is the very definition of a rural retreat: the aesthetic is a thoughtful mix of the bright and the modern (with the occasional hat-tip to the area’s Moorish past), while there are just a handful of suites, a small spa, a top-class restaurant and a devoted team on hand at all times
Can Bonastre Wine Resort Terrace Views
Can Bonastre Wine Resort - Masquefa, Catalunya
Can Bonastre Wine Resort manages to strike just the right note between rural seclusion and, at just 35 minutes from Barcelona, accessibility. Boutique in size and style it may be, but that doesn’t come at the expense of proper luxury facilities – not least in a fantastic range of spa treatments and therapies. As the name suggests, wine features pretty heavily in Can Bonastre’s appeal, and the hotel’s two fine dining restaurants showcase vintages from their very own vineyards. It’s all capped off – to absolutely stunning effect – with views across to the mountains of Montserrat.
Palacio San Benito - Cazalla de la Sierra, Andalucia
In keeping with its roots as a 15th-century hermitage, there’s been an almost religious reverence brought to bear on the restoration of Palacio San Benito by Manuel Morales de Jódar. Plain function has simply never been allowed to take precedence over form or to strip out the building’s historical features. The fountain doubles up as a pool, the library is wonderfully overwrought (in the Sevillano style) and the gallery surrounding the central patio looks pretty much as it has for the last 500 years…
La Pleta by Rafael Hotels – Baqueira, Catalunya
Secreted away in the heart of the Pyrenees, and with privileged access to the exclusive ski resort Baqueira Beret, La Pleta by Rafael Hotel is where Spain’s beautiful people winter. Small and unremittingly chic, there’s a couple of great in-house restaurants to choose from, and… not much else. Apart from peace, quiet and wonderful views stretching away in every direction!
Dan from the Spain Travel Deals Blog said,
January 7, 2010 at 7:10 am
Thanks for these hotel recommendations. It’s nice to see some suggestions for places to stay in the less traveled areas. I find that the cities and towns which most tourists skip in Spain often offer the most authentic experiences of the country.
Dan