Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Relais and Chateaux in Spain

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Relais and Chateaux in Spain

I am planning to go to Spain in June. Anybody stayed at Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas, Mas de Torrent or Torre del Remei ? Difficult to judge from the photos, need frist hand feedback please. Thank you

I love this forum. Maybe I get into the detective game too much, but it seems like some of the most fun questions involve figuring out "what is someone really asking?" I'm guessing that you are a sophisticated traveler. Since your internet dommain is in Hong Kong, it's easy to imagine that you are a jet-setter, though that would be silly stereotyping on my part. I realize that there are Europe-bound travelers from Asia from all income classes. Have you ever stayed at Relais and Chateaux before? I have never been to any of the Spain/Portugal R&C properties before, but I have visited several in France. There are no bad ones. And the pictures are not ambiguous at all. Top flight places like this do NOT lie with their pictures. All three of these look gorgeous - - even though Mas de Torrent looks a little more rustic - - and I feel certain that what you see is what you will get. Perhaps you want to know something much more specific about each place. Jasmine, for places this nice, why not simply make a phone call? (or each has an e-mail address). I'm sure they each have lovely brochures they will send you in the mail, and they will most likely answer your pre-booking questions in exquisite detail. I'm sorry I can't provide the first hand experience you seek, regarding any of these stunning hotels. But the management of a place like any one of these will tell you the truth. Just ask. And then be sure you come back here and tell us! Best wishes, Rex

Jasmine, I don't know if this will help but I stayed at a relais hotel in northern Spain last summer,El Castell in La Seu D'Urgell near the Andorran border .I would highly recommend the place as a base for exploring the Pyrenees and not being too touristy.I stayed with my girfriend for 8 days end august and whilst the town itself could be explored in a day,there was enough to do exploring the Cerdanya valley which was very beautifull,a day trip to Andorra ,which is nothing but a giant commercialised tourist trap and a trip to Pugicerda to catch the yellow open deck train into France which was the highlight of our stay.I have stayed in Relais &Chateaux hotels for the last 4 summer vacations in France Italy and Spain and this was one of the best.You need your own transport however and it is a good 3 hours from Barcelona.Top quality food but a little expensive for every evening so we mainly ate in the town.Use a search of this site as there was a hosted forum on northern spain early last year which was very helpfull and your selected hotels were discussed.Happy hunting!Mike

Consider Spain's own Paradores hotels for other options - see http://www.parador.es/ for details.

hi jasmine: My husband and I are leaving for Spain next Monday. We travel a great deal and try to stay at as many rerlais and chateaux as possible. you really can't go wrong, the service, food and rooms are usually wonderful. we are staying in one in Girona on the beach.we have been to relais in france, ireland, scotland, england etc. and they are a fabulous experience. ENJOY.

Jasmine, You won't go wrong at either the Torre del Remei in the Cerdanya or the Mas de Torrent in the Baix Emporda, near the Costa Brava. I've seen both R&C properties, and they're lovely. Mas Torrent is much more elegant than its farmhouse (mas) name implies. A. Lobrano just did a "Black Book" write up about it in March Departures mag. saying the rms in the farmhouse itself were even more attractive than the bungalow rms (his was a Jr. suite on 2nd fl) The F&W reviewer of "El Bulli" (http://www.pathfinder.com/FoodWine/t...es/s803x1.html ) stayed there, and Butterfield & Robinson uses it as lodging for its upscale cycling trips. My March Passport newsletter liked the "superb food, flawless service" in its "1751" restaurant. What I particularly liked about it is the location; only 9 km from the prettiest (IMO), certainly poshest part of the Costa Brava, where the Catalan industrialists have built summer mansions and restored lovely 18th c farmhouses. The area around Aiguablava, Begur, Palafruguell, Pals (a carefully restored medieval village) and the tiny beaches of Calella, Llevant ,Sa Riera-Sa Punta-Sa Tuna are delightful although terribly crowded late July and all of Aug. June is much more pleasant. Karen Brown's description of Mas Torrent (www.karenbrown.com) is quite accurate. The Torre de Remei in Bolvir at the threshhold of the Pyrennes has been well reviewed here. We dined there but like Mike, stayed at El Castell, the other Cerdanya R&C. Torre del Remei is an elegant little Modernist mansion (and like the Mas Torrent, has red symbol for special charm in the Michelin guide), it only has 11 rms, it's run by the renowned Boix family (been in Catalan hotel/restaurant business for yrs.) We chose to stay at El Castell instead because we thought it a better value for our pts. All 3 hotels are enthusiastically reviewed in a recent issue of my Harper's Hideaways newsletter. "Mr. Harper" is usually quite persnickety regarding the lodgings he recommends. He just dropped Hostal de la Gavina in S'Agaro because of the condo-mania surrounding it. Hope this helps you to decide. Maribel

Wow - - impressive posting, Maribel. There's nothing that can compare to actual factual information. Can you please tell more about your Harper's newsletter? Or if more appropriate, write me directly with more info? Thanks, Rex

O.k.,given that there are so many fans of the Relais chain,which one do people think is the best?My vote would go to La Collegita near San Gimignano in Tuscany.I stayed there a couple of years ago and the service,setting and atmosphere was wonderfull.They don't come cheap but do provide an unforgettable holiday.Mike

Hi Rex, About persnickety "Mr. Andrew Harper", (a pseudonym), who seems quite partial to Relais Chateaux properties: He publishes the monthly "Harper's Hideaway Report-A connoisseur's worldwide guide to peaceful and unspoiled places". It's ridiculously expensive for a travel newsletter; I'm even embarrassed to admit the subscription rate. It's the priciest one of the many I subscribe to, but if you're a travel addict... It does give me an inside look at the newest and swishiest hotels/restaurants around the globe and fuels my wanderlust-makes good arm chair travel at least. Plus the reviews are candid and highly opinionated, just like this Forum! (but then this great Forum gives us all a completely FREE inside look!) Subscribers can also submit their critique cards, and their thumbs-up or down on the places reviewed are published as well. It's been around since '79. The December issue is always the award-winning "hideaways of the yr." Just in case anyone is dying to know, the European winners in '99 were The Tresanton (St. Mawes, Cornwall), Mas Torrent (Pals, Costa Brava), The Cromlix House (Near Dunblane, Scotland), Le Sirenuse (yum...Positano) 22 Jermyn St. (London) and the Ritz (Paris), his "hotel of the century". Actually, the issue I enjoy most is his yearly "Britain & Ireland Touring Map & Country House Hotel Guide", which I used to plan a friend's honeymoon in the West Country and Wales last yr. She and her husband adored the places "Mr. Harper" chose for them. So their great enjoyment of their honeymoon more than paid for my subscription. Regards, Maribel

Jasmine, Just found an article in Sunday's London Telegraph about the Quinta das Lagrimas in Coimbra, "A Portuguese Love Affair". Read at: http://www.the-planet.co.uk/et?ac=00...on/planet.html