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Lodgings on the Costa Brava range from the finest hotels to spartan pensions. The better accommodations are usually well situated and have splendid views of the seascape. Many simple hotels provide a perfectly adequate stopover. If you plan to visit during the high season (July and August), be sure to book reservations well in advance at almost any hotel in this area, especially the Costa Brava, which remains one of the most popular summer resort areas in Spain. Many Costa Brava hotels close down in the winter season, between November and March.
Set in a former palace and fusing ancient remnants—including sections of the city’s original medieval walls—with sophisticated, contemporary design, this boutique hotel offers a quiet yet central location to explore the old town. Every room is unique, from wood-beamed duplexes to suites with marvelous ceiling frescoes.
A triumph of design, opened in 2012, this elegant modern hotel is seamlessly wedded to an important historical property: a 14th-century Gothic palace, built on the 12th-century Arabic wall and over the Roman Circus, fragments of which are on show. The marble staircase and coffered wood ceilings are original; the rooms and furnishings, deck-style terraces on the first and second floors, and the lounge-library are all cutting-edge contemporary, as are the splash pool and sundeck. Big, round bathtubs on platforms in the bedrooms may not be to everyone's taste, but they do lend a romantic touch. Sucede, the hotel's well-regarded, innovative restaurant, serves up creative riffs on Mediterranean standards at surprisingly affordable prices.
Opened in 1932 by farmer-turned-entrepreneur Josep Ensesa, the original hotel grew from a cluster of country villas into a sprawling complex of buildings of extraordinary splendor that have attracted celebrity guests from Orson Welles and Ava Gardner to Sean Connery.
Located in Begur’s medieval old town, this eco-friendly boutique hotel embraces the building’s 17th-century architecture while introducing striking modern elements, like a greenhouse-style breakfast room. Each of the eight rooms is individually designed, with marvelous original details such as vaulted brick ceilings.
The first hotel from the three-Michelin-starred Roca Brothers occupies a historic building in the medieval center, where, curiously, the glass-walled lobby looks onto a chocolate workshop. The 15 spacious earth-toned suites feature handcrafted furnishings, and hotel guests can enjoy a “tasting breakfast” of local seasonal products on the rooftop terrace, with fabulous views of old Girona.
Rooms in this 17th-century hermitage attached to a 15th-century watchtower have original vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, and interiors accented with floral prints; the larger doubles and the suite can accommodate extra beds for children.
In a restored 19th-century palace, this boutique hotel looks out at the Porta de La Mar, which marked the entry to the old walled quarter of Valencia. White marble and frosted glass provide a sense of light and quiet elegance, and the urban spa is truly luxurious. Ask for a room facing the interior courtyard. The restaurant, Ampar, serves creative Mediterranean and Valencian cuisine and a sumptuous breakfast (extra charge).
What began as a small hostel in the 1920s is now a sprawling luxury hotel, run by the fourth generation of the same family.
This small, typically Mediterranean bay-side hotel has a quiet location, a 10-minute seafront amble from Cadaqués center. The best rooms have balconies with sea views.
In business for more than 50 years, this hotel on the cove of Es Pianc is just a five-minute walk from Cadaqués's center and is a good option for families, with its dedicated family rooms, pool, and bike and kayak rental.
This stately hotel, set in a 1917 building in a quiet area of the city, features an enormous, lushly planted interior garden surrounded by dining terraces of its three restaurants. A high-end spa with indoor pool is another of its many amenities.
