the hard rock hotel : puerto banus : marbella

the hard rock hotel : puerto banus : marbella

Well, this was definitely a new one for us. The Hard Rock Hotel. In Puerto Banus. Not really our usual less-is-more. More, more-is-more-and-the-brasher-the-better…

So, it begs the question – why? Why on earth did we chose to stay somewhere, so at odds with what we normally like? Well, we only needed a one night stay and it had to be somewhere near Malaga as we were meeting friends. And then staying in Malaga, so we felt we had the opportunity to do a night somewhere different, and up popped the Hard Rock Hotel. Maybe I’d been buoyed up by the purchase of my cowboy boots, but I just thought it was a great opportunity to stay somewhere a bit on the daft side. I honestly thought it would be tacky-and-amusing-in-an-ironic-kind-of-way, but it wasn’t at all. It was actually really quite nice! Maybe it was the time of year – beginning of December – that meant that there was very little pouting, Instagram posing or flexing of muscles around the pool. The pool was open, but only a few hardy guests lounged around the side of it, reading or scrolling through phones. It was quite busy, but nowhere near the levels of madness I’d expect to see in the summer.

To be fair, the communal areas were kind of what I was expecting. Lots of memorabilia, including glass display cases with the costumes of famous rock stars and music legends. I’m guessing they were the real deal, but I couldn’t swear to this. In the middle of reception, a circular seating area provided a bit of stage, and sure enough, we did experience a singer giving a live performance. He wasn’t bad at all, given that he was signing to a queue of people at 11am in the morning, checking out, but it did make for a pretty bizarre exit. We checked in and out at the “normal” reception, where cool, groovy young staff, headphoned and microphoned up – maybe even wearing roller boots behind the desk (I wouldn’t have been surprised) – tried to persuade us to download the app, wear the wristbands and generally just get into the Hard Rock spirit of things. This was all sadly a bit lost on us, as we can’t stand being forced to be jolly and join in – we’ll do it in our time, at our own pace, IF we want to, thank you very much. Across the way was the VIP reception area, with a few people sitting behind the glass partitions. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, they were not celebs. Maybe just people who’d taken advantage of the whole shebang being a lot less expensive in the winter. I did wonder if they also got the wristband treatment, too…

So, the room. The most important part of the stay. We booked a superior double room, as the price was so good. Even a suite was affordable but it seemed a bit excessive to book a massive suite for just one night, so superior double it was. The hotel is huge, and we found this out to our cost, when we finally located our room, which was at the furthest end of a very, very, very long corridor with lots of twists and turns. Great for keeping up the steps, but not so great when you’re breaking in a new pair of boots.

The room was actually really stylish, with good furnishings, cool accessorising, great lighting (once you’d worked out the workings) and funky artwork. There was plenty of storage, with built in wardrobes, with additional bedding and pillows, and internal lighting – always a good feature, I think. Big, fluffy robes were provided, which were really comfy. The bathroom was a good size, with an excellent shower and again, big, fluffy bath sheets. Bath sheets – big tick. However, the star of the show was the bed, which was huge, with a super, super comfortable mattress and the most wonderful white bedding. I’d have booked another night just to get another sleep in that bed!

The exterior of the hotel, I should imagine in the summer, would be lovely, with lots of lounging and pool areas and bars. However, on a grey day in December, it didn’t tempt us – although one or two hardy souls were on the loungers. But because of the time of year, the hotel did have an “out of season” feel, which was great in one respect as we got a much better room than we would probably normally have gone for, at an excellent price, and it definitely wasn’t party central. Unfortunately, fewer guests obviously also meant that not all restaurants were open and so we were limited to what seemed to be a Mexican themed restaurant, as all others appeared to be closed. Or, very empty. We couldn’t complain about the staff, who were exceptionally lovely, but the food was just a bit disappointing. Perhaps we don’t know enough about Mexican cuisine to appreciate what was on offer, but the meal we had definitely wouldn’t be included on the dining highlights of Andalucia list…

All in all, we had a thoroughly enjoyable time at the Marbella (although located in Puerto Banus) Hard Rock Hotel – and it seemed a fitting venue to crack out the new white leather cowboy boots…

a whole new renovation

a whole new renovation

When we decided to sell our house in Istria and move to Spain, we initially didn’t look at future renovation projects. We thought that we wanted somewhere we would move in, and tinker around the edges, putting our stamp on the property. But, the more that we looked online, the more we were being drawn to projects. We saw lots of ready-to-go houses, but most were pretty soulless and most were recently built – the kind of houses you see a lot of when A Place in the Sun films in southern Spain. Many were discounted immediately, as well as the areas. We’re not averse to living somewhere that has lots of nationalities living there too, but we definitely didn’t want an enclave of British ex-pats. As a result, we started to find ourselves drawn to Andalucia, and especially the south west. Here, we started to find old houses, town houses, which really piqued our interest and we earmarked a number to view, when we travelled out over the summer.

The first house we viewed was in the beautiful pueblo blanco of Medina Sidonia. It was actually a fairly new house, but constructed in the style of a townhouse, and so ticked many of our boxes. Over three floors, with quirky features, we did like it a lot, but ultimately the outdoor space wasn’t enough, and to either side, there was land, which definitely looked ripe for additional houses to be built on.

So, our next viewing was in the pueblo blanco of Jimena de la Frontera, not too far from the coast, but far enough away to feel like an authentic Spanish town. We had about five houses to view but the first was a rather grand looking townhouse, for an amazing price. Originally, we had discounted this house, because the estate agent’s website stated it was “Sold”. However, I contacted the agent, and said if anything similar became available to let me know – and in a moment of serendipity, he told me that it was about to go back up for sale. Almost as if it was meant to be…

As soon as I walked through the door, I knew this was our home. Perhaps because we had viewed it online so many times, it felt so familiar. Walking through it, only made the belonging grow, and by the time we had seen everything, I knew this was the one. I didn’t want to see any of the other properties before we had had a chance to discuss this house and so we postponed them. A relatively quick chat confirmed what we were both thinking – call off the search. This had to be our house. And, two days later our offer was accepted!

Fast forward three months, and she is ours. Documents all signed, deeds transferred into our names and paid for. That dream of buying a house in Spain that we could more or less move straight into, hasn’t quite materialised, but I do think we now have our dream home. Initial plans are now being drawn up for the internal renovation and we expect that over the winter – when we will be living elsewhere – work will begin on the really dirty demolition work. The house is in a bit of a state at the moment, because it has been unloved and neglected, but not for long.

This is our starting point, and as daunting as it feels currently, we think we have found ourselves a gem of builder, who will work with us on this new, and super exciting, renovation project.

autumnal food : spinach & sweet potato bake

autumnal food : spinach & sweet potato bake

Now that the clocks have gone back, it’s time to break out the autumnal recipes. We’ve had a wonderful summer of tapas and salads and fresh fish  – light food, which doesn’t leave you feeling too full – but now that the candles are out, and throws are appearing on the sofa, it’s time for heartier, but still healthy – meals. We’re now living in Andalucia and the onset of autumn hasn’t been quite as much a shock, as it used to be back in the UK, and even in Istria. Days here are still very warm in the sunshine – although today we have rain – and even though the clocks have gone back an hour, the sun doesn’t set until well after 7pm. But, when it is dark, and the sun has gone, there’s definitely more of a chill in their air. And, as much as we’d rather have spring and summer, I think our years of having to embrace this time of year, have made us welcome certain aspects of autumn and winter. Like changes in what we eat.

It’s been a while since we enjoyed this very simple Spinach and Sweet Potato Bake. We used to make it a lot back in our West Didsbury kitchen, especially at this time  year, because it is all the colours of autumn, in one tray. The original recipe has been long lost, so we’ve improvised over the years – possibly one of two ingredients may have been forgotten, as it always seemed more complicated and more of a lengthy process, but I think we’ve now nailed a really easy, full of goodness, super tasty, quick and easy dish. If you fancy giving it a go, here’s what we do…

what you’ll need

  • Bag of fresh spinach
  • A couple of large sweet potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
  • 2/3 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and finely sliced, diced or crushed
  • Medium sized carton of fresh single cream
  • 3/4 fresh chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (or chilli flakes, if you don’t have fresh)
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste

what you’ll need to do

  • Heat the cream in a small pan, with the garlic and chillies – don’t leave to boil;
  • Lightly oil an ovenproof dish and begin layering the ingredients;
  • Layer of sweet potato, layer of fresh spinach, a pouring of the heated cream mixture, salt & pepper to taste;
  • Sprinkle over a layer of grated or sliced parmesan cheese;
  • Repeat the layers of sweet potato, spinach and cream, until all ingredients have been used;
  • Finish with a layer of parmesan to achieve a cheesy crust.

We had a small amount of strong, blue cheese which needed to be used, so this was sprinkled across the top for a bit of an extra kick. Cook for about 40 minutes, in an oven which has been heated to 180°C. Once cooked, leave to rest for about ten minutes, then serve. This works well with a really simple salad or fresh, crusty bread. Perfect for the onset of autumn.

 

macana : sanlúcar de barrameda

macana : sanlúcar de barrameda

Eating out in our new temporary home of Sanlucar de Barrameda seems to be very easy. With many options, in what The Guardian called, Spain’s new capital of gastronomy, we do seem to be very spoiled for choice. We’re still to get stuck into really exploring the food scene here – we’ve only been here a couple of weeks (but have extended our stay to the end of January, so plenty of upcoming opportunities) and we are still delighting in the fact that we are close to excellent supermarkets, full of the freshest of produce and we have a fabulous, full size, fully equipped kitchen, so cooing in, is a pleasure again.

However, not too far from our apartment, we came across Pizzeria Macana, which is takeaway only, but had just amazing reviews.

“An experience full of flavor from the first bite to the edges. A very pleasant dough, you can taste each ingredient. It feels like the ingredients are of quality. The speed with which I was served was excellent. You can see the effort and passion, you can see it in the details.”

“A great discovery! Thin dough, well made, crispy on the edges and with super tasty and top quality ingredients! Very clean and modern staff and premises. Without a doubt they are in the top three pizzerias in Sanlucar.”

“The best pizza I have ever tried without any doubt! I came expressly from Seville to spend the day in Sanlúcar and to try the pizzas that people talk so much about.”

And, as over the past seven years, in Istria, we’ve had to travel a fair distance to get decent pizzas, we just had to investigate Macana, less than 100 metres from our current temporary home. Especially as someone had actually travelled over 100kms from Seville to get one of these pizzas! We were immediately impressed by the branding and the design of the takeaway – nothing cheap or off-the-peg here, which we knew was a good sign. The interior was also scrupulously clean – another good sign, showing attention to detail and a clear signal that this is NOT just a fast food joint. The stylish counter, which opened up into a big kitchen, meant that you could also see your food being handled and prepared. I can honestly say that this place is restaurant standard, with the advantage that you either collect or have your food delivered, to the comfort of  your own home. Which is sometimes a really nice thing to do, especially when your opportunities to have superb takeaways pizzas have been very limited.

So, the pizzas. What did we think of these? Well, we firstly quite surprised by the prices – all at €19.90 – which did seem a bit hefty, but we quickly realised that the pizzas were huge, and you could order an individual slice, half a pizza or a whole one, and this meant you could mix it up, by the slice, or the half and the price reduced accordingly. A perfect way to do it if a few of you were getting together for a pizza night. But we decided that we wanted a bit of spice, and so opted for the full size La Jalapeña, with tomatoes, mozzarella, mushrooms, black olives, pepperoni and chopped jalapeñas. With a portion of what seem to be the very famous fries. These comes with a variety of toppings, but I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to me fries, so we chose the ones with four separate, fresh salsas, in individual pots – perfect for a couple with one who loves salsas, and the other who doesn’t like them.

Happily, the reviews were right. Our pizza was huge – although with a fab thin crust and just the right amount of toppings (so not overloaded, especially on the cheese front) – we weren’t stuffed at the end, even with the addition of the fries. All of the ingredients were super fresh and ridiculously tasty. Especially the pepperoni, which was incredibly good quality and with a smoky flavour. Although it was the spiciest pizza on the menu, it wasn’t fiery. It was superbly seasoned and exceptionally tasty. A real Saturday nigh treat – and even more so, because we only had to go around the corner to get it. Looking forward to our next Macana Pizza Night already…

when the airbnb experience goes well…

when the airbnb experience goes well…

We’ve been on the road now, for over three months, having sold up in Istria and waiting to complete on our dream Andalucian townhouse. We’ve stayed in a variety of hotels and apartments along the way, and are onto our third Airbnb stay. The first was for the month of August, and we did struggle to find anywhere suitable, at a reasonable(ish) price in the height of summer. We stayed in the very Spanish town of Algodonales, in a three story house, which sounds lovely – and it was – but there was no air-con, so it was largely quite uncomfortable. Next up was a renovated apartment in beautiful Medina Sidonia, which was much better – larger, cooler, better equipped and more of a home, than a holiday let. We liked this place sufficiently to extend our stay by a few days, but by the end we were ready to move on.

And now, we think we’ve hit the Airbnb jackpot. Perhaps because the season is ending, it may be a little easier to get better accommodation, but this apartment in the westerly town of Sanlucar de Barrameda is pretty exceptional, so far. Close to the beach, so great for bracing autumnal walks, it’s in a small modern block – possibly not what we’ve have seen ourselves choosing, but it had the real benefit of a parking space in an underground garage, which leads directly up to the apartment. Honestly, after weeks and weeks of on street parking, sometimes in the narrowest of streets in historic centres, this feature is worth the fee we paid, on its own. Our weather has changed and we’ve had some real downpours recently, so being able to return with shopping, park up securely and just walk up the stairs, is an absolute treat.

But what’s made this particular Airbnb stand out is the fact that the owner is someone who wants to provide guests with a really wonderful experience. It is decorated, furnished and accessorised to a very high standard, with top notch amenities. As well as two good sized bedrooms and a large bathroom with a walk-in shower, we have an open plan living/dining room and super equipped kitchen, as well as a small, but very cute courtyard, with houses the washing machine and dryer, as well as giving additional exterior dining space. In the kitchen, we have a full size oven, four ring halogen hob, full size fridge and freezer, microwave and wine fridge, as well as a breakfast bar, providing a natural division in the open place space. Everything seems new and very well kept and maintained. The living room has a huge, super comfy L-shaped sofa, for which we are eternally grateful, having had to live with fairly cheap IKEA sofas and chairs in the last two apartments. Wi-fi is strong and stable – although to be fair, this seems the norm in Spain, but again after our erratic Istrian internet, we are so happy to have normal service resumed.

So, a little tour of home for the next couple of months – we did initially rent for one month, but as soon as we realised how good this place is, we immediately booked to mid-December, with the possibility of extending further.

I don’t think that anywhere that we rent is ever going to compare to our own home, but with most of what we own still in storage in Istria, this apartment is making us feel surprisingly “at home”. Because we will be here for a good few weeks, we have added a few new things of our own. We’ve bought some rugs and cushions and now that the weather has cooled down a little, we’ve invested in new bedding, as again, all of ours in storage. A couple of lamps and some candles have added greatly to the ambience, and it’s fair to say we feel very settled. It helps that Sanlucar de Barrameda is in a good location – between Cadiz and Seville, on the western coast of Andalucia, and only twenty minutes from Jerez de la Frontera, giving us access to real big city amenities. Sanlucar is a small city – very Spanish – and we are yet to investigate the historic centre, but what we have seen so far, we have loved. Especially the proximity and number of bodegas!

But for us, the best part of this experience, has been our interaction with the owner of the apartment. She communicated well with us prior to us arriving, and on arrival she met us at the apartment, having travelled over from Malaga. Great relationships were immediately established, with a thorough introduction to everything at our disposal and the instruction that if we were to be in need of anything, we should contact our host straight away. Although, we hadn’t anticipated just how soon we’d be contacting her, because unfortunately, on the Friday night (the day we had arrived), from about midnight, the electricty tripped a number of times. We only knew this, in the middle of the night, because the much needed bedroom fan kept going off. Although we could switch the electricity back on, we felt that we needed to let our host know, and so with apologies, we advised her of the situation. We were delighted with the speed and efficiency of her response on the Saturday morning – an electrician was arranged who came out and checked everything over and obviously did whatever was needed to be done, as we’ve had no issues since. You hear so many horror stories about Airbnbs and hosts, that we feel mightily relieved to have found this apartment, and this host – and we look forward to making ourselves even more at home, as the summer gives way to autumn and the evenings start to draw in.

We are thoroughly enjoying getting into a routine again, and having the space and facilities to be able to do normal things, like cooking regular evening meals, watching TV (we did have the foresight to pack one of our televisions and our magic TV box, which gives us access to UK programmes, Netflix etc), listening to music and actually getting stuck back into design work. And, hopefully, we’ll have this place as our temporary home until we get the keys to the real new home…

ronda : andalucia : 2024

ronda : andalucia : 2024

It’s over ten years since we lasted visited Ronda, and that was a flying visit, as we were en route to Seville for Semana Santa. But it imprinted such a memory that we always said we’d return for a longer visit, and in August we did just that. The summer of 2024 has been one of getting to know Andalucia, which we hope, very soon, we will call our new permanent home. We’d driven around Ronda a few times, in order to get to places we were staying, but when we pitched up in a rented apartment in Algodonales for a month, this seemed the perfect opportunity to revisit the city we had very fond memories of. Especially it was only just over half an hour away.

We booked two nights in Hotel Catalonia Ronda, part of the Catalonia Hotel group, which we found out afterwards. The location could not have been better – almost directly opposite the famous bullring, on the corner of Carrera Espinel, which is a beautiful boulevard, packed full of fabulous bars, restaurants and shops, and less than two minutes walk from the Puento Nuevo and Ronda gorge. The hotel also has private parking (right next to the bullring) – always a bonus in a historical city centre – but the biggest bonus is that hotel will take they keys and park for it for you. The reason this is great, is that often these car parks can be quite a squeeze, and with a roofbox and a large(ish) car, we’d rather leave the parking to someone familiar with the layout. Anyway, great to have car safely stowed away for two days.

Our room was large and more than adequate for a two night stay. Not exceptional, but this wasn’t an issue, as the view over the Ronda rooftops was beautiful – and the facilities in the hotel were pretty exceptional. Most notably being the wrap around roof terrace, with a view directly into the bullring, as well across to the gorge and the town, campo and mountains beyond, and the pool on a level above this terrace.

We arrived in Ronda over a very, very hot and stifling weekend, so exploring in the intense heat of the day was pretty much ruled out. However, we did feel, that with a very comfy roof terrace, and umbrellas to keep us in the shade, we could sit back and explore with our eyes, and indulge in a couple of G&Ts. Which we did. Although we kept it to a couple, as we’d have quickly run out of money otherwise. Pricey, to say the least…

Sunday was as hot as Saturday, so whilst we did get out and about, we punctuated it with a stop at the Parador restaurant and a fabulous spread of tapas, overlooking the gorge. It definitely didn’t seem like ten years since our last visit, as pretty much everything was unchanged. Which I loved as it showed that they city hasn’t needed to introduce new show-stoppers to encourage tourists – it just seems to tick along very nicely with what’s always been there and its natural crowd pullers. The terrace of the Parador hotel gives a great view of the Puente Nuevo and the stomach churning drop down into the gorge, because it is slightly raised – meaning that you can good photos, without fighting through selfie sticks. (I hadn’t realised these were still a thing, but apparently they seem to be).

We had expected our meal to be exorbitant, but were just glad of the shade and so decided that whatever it cost, at least we’d have had a view. But, we were very pleasantly surprised – as with many places in Spain, rip-off culture just doesn’t exist – and we had a fabulous meal, costing round about the same as the bar bill on the hotel roof terrace.

After a much needed siesta, we ventured out again, to explore, although not getting much further than the area around the bullring and the Puente Nuevo. This tiny part of Ronda – which is much, much bigger than we realised – is so pretty and with limited time, it’s probably where you’d want to focus your sight-seeing. Early evening, for obvious reasons in mid-August, is also a much more pleasant time to be out and about. If you have a head for heights, walk past the bullring, and through a blossom lined avenue, and you’ll get to see the gorge from the other side, as well as the cave house settlements, which now look largely abandoned, far below. It’s a breathtaking spot to catch the sunset, too.

In Spain, as in Italy, food plays a huge part in our travels, and Ronda was no exception. As well as the Parador, we read about a restaurant, just around the corner from our hotel on Carerra Espinel, called Toro Tapas, which had excellent online reviews. It was super busy when we arrived and we were lucky to be able to get an outdoor table – although the restaurants indoors, is air-conditioned and looked to have a fabulous roof terrace. The thing about the food here, was that it just didn’t look the best, and so I think my photos don’t really tell the full story. It was excellent – and although most tapas dishes, here in Andalucia, seem to be served with a portion of fries, the actual tapa dish is usually always very tasty.

We’re definitely getting our quota of tapas now that we are finally in Spain, so for our second night, we decided to investigate Restaurant Jerez, located opposite the Bullring of the Royal Cavalry of Ronda, to give it its full name. The restaurant’s website says that it “…combines authentic Rondenian traditions with generations of experience in high quality service in an ideal location to savor the gastronomy of our land…Our menu fuses traditional Andalusian cusine with modern innovation…” so we were keen to investigate, and we enjoyed another delicious meal of croquettes, stuffed mushrooms, cheeses, filled pasta and pistachio sauce and sea bass on a bed of vegetables, followed by a shared dessert, to round off our Ronda food journey.

The house we are in the process of buying is located in the white town of Jimena de la Frontera, only 65kms from Ronda, so we are very excited that weekend trips away like this, will become the norm, to this beautiful city and that we’ll be able to get to know it a whole lot better. Our two days this summer was just lovely, and enough to once again make us realise just how lucky we are going be, when we call this part of Spain, home

hotel tugasa castillo de castellar : castellar de la frontera : andalucia

hotel tugasa castillo de castellar : castellar de la frontera : andalucia

Our roadtrip around Andalucia has introduced us to some incredible places, and definitely places we probably wouldn’t have otherwise discovered, if we hadn’t been “in between homes”. One such place which will stay in our memories for a very long time, is a hotel in an 11th century castle, in Castellar de la Frontera. We wanted to have a night somewhere remote, and away from it all, with a restaurant so the decision making about dinner was out of our hands, and we could just relax. And this is exactly what we found. Although not so remote, that we couldn’t see the imposing Rock of Gibraltar in the distance…

Hotel Tugasa Castillo de Castellar has a real privileged hillside setting in a Medieval walled enclosure, set around an ancient fortress in the Andalusian countryside. It really is an authentic Spanish castle, surrounded by the wonderful scenery of the Alcornocales Nature Park, and sitting high over a well-preserved village of characteristic, whitewashed houses, giving it a peaceful atmosphere in which you can really relax. The small car park is situated under the castle, and it’s necessary to do the last 300 metres or so on foot. (Although I think if you are laden with luggage, the hotel will assist). It’s worth noting that the access road is a cobbled one, which is quite steep and winding, and so if mobility is an issue it might be worth phoning ahead to see what assistance is available. However, there are plenty of stopping points, where you can catch your breath – and the views are stupendous!

This is not a Disney-fied hotel, made to look medieval – it is the real deal. Restored very sympathetically, original features are in abundance. The wooden furniture feels authentic – in other settings, I’d probably think it was a bit old fashioned and uncomfortable looking, but in this castle setting, it was perfect. Thick, thick stone walls, huge wooden doors, tiny windows (obviously with defence being the first thing in mind, when the castle was constructed) and beautiful original tiled and mosaiced floors were all present. The phrase “stepping back into history” is a bit overused, but this really, really was stepping back into the past.

Somehow, and we’re not sure how, we managed to be allocated the “Turret Room”, and this was a real treat. I thought we had booked a double room, which it was – but a whole lot more too. Being the turret room, it was located right at the top of the castle, so again, anyone with real mobility issues, just be aware if you ever find yourself here. There is a lift, but it only goes to the first floor, so the rest of the way is winding corridors and stairs – but it’s worth effort when you get there. The actual bedroom itself, was huge, with a wrought iron four poster bed and a large bathroom. But leading off from the bedroom, was another corridor, and further stairs which opened out into a large room area, and then up further to another large bedroom and second bathroom. And, it didn’t end there. Up another set of stairs and you are on your own roof terrace, right at the top of the turret, with the most astonishing views across to the mountains and down to the Bay of Cadiz, and overlooking the beautiful Guadarranque reservoir.

Dinner is served in the hotel restaurant, although it’s not served actually IN the hotel. One of the whitewashed houses in the very, very pretty village which lies at just outside the entrance to the castle, is the restaurant. This enables you to really experience the village, rather than staying in the castle – as spectacular as that would be, it was lovely to explore and to realise that lots of the beautiful houses are actually accommodation, too. However, this village has been renovated and restored so well, that it really feels like an authentic Andalucian pueblo blanco. There really isn’t a hint of over-tourism or over commercialisation. It really reminded me of the albergo diffuso concept in Italy – a form of hotel where guest rooms are spread out in various buildings within a small town or community, generally of historical significance. The concept was launched in Italy in the early 1980s as a means of reviving small, historic Italian villages and town centres off the usual tourist track. The term is translated into English as “dispersed hotel”, “scattered hotel” or “virtual hotel”. It has to conform to the following conditions, which is how this castle concept seems to operate –

  • Run directly by an individual owner and providing normal hotel services;
  • Rooms distributed in existing converted buildings in historic centres;
  • Central reception area with food available;
  • Part of a genuine community so that guests can be part of local life.

Dinner was amazing – and sadly, so good that I failed to take many photos as we were too busy enjoying the meal. However, my fish main course, with black rice and asparagus was pretty stand out and I managed to capture this before devouring it…

The village itself is absolutely picture-perfect and I am so glad, on our short stay, we were forced to leave the hotel, because might otherwise not have seen it. It’s pretty much everything you’d expect of an Andalucian village – white houses, tiled roofs, tumbling plants, colourful flowers, cobbled streets. Just gorgeous.

We had a one night stay at the castle, and it probably was just the right length of stay. Unless you are going to head out and hike in the surrounding countryside, an evening of relaxing on your terrace and then going out for dinner, with a wander around the village, is probably all you’ll need to do, especially if you just want a night of peace, quiet and calm. Leaving the hotel, we took the opportunity to savour the views on the way back down and to appreciate the remote location. A very special place, which we are delighted to have found.

ático 73, victoria : medina sidonia : andalucia

ático 73, victoria : medina sidonia : andalucia

Situated in the southern Andalucian town of Medina Sidonia, Ático 73, Victoria, is advertised as an adults-only hotel. Although we’re not averse to staying in places which are child friendly, it’s nice sometimes to know that peace and quiet are probably most definitely going to be the order of the day. Advertised as a hotel, it’s more of an elegant, renovated, traditional-style Andalucian townhouse, with an impressively large entrance room, an internal courtyard and several large rooms, suites and an apartment, all on the first and upper floors. Each space is said to have its own unique touch and although there are communal areas, everywhere feels very private and we certainly felt that we experienced complete relaxation.

It is clear that this hotel aims to provide an escape from the daily hustle and bustle of life. Although it’s located on a quiet street in the pueblo blanco of Medina Sidonia, it’s once you step through the doors, that you feel a sense of calm washing over you. There is no reception and check-in is done online, so all you need are the codes to enter and access your room. Sometimes, it is good to be greeted by someone, but sometimes it’s also good to feel that you are entering your own home, rather than a hotel. And that is exactly what this felt like.

Polished microcement, concrete, rattan furnishings, jute rugs, rough textured walls, soft lighting, natural tones,pristine white walls, wooden floors, marble columns, and stone archways  – all executed perfectly. My favourite kinds of decor and accessorising.

The hotel has a lovely rooftop to relish the views, across the rooftops of the pueblo blanco and down across to the city of Cadiz and the beautiful coastline – a fabulous place to also take in the very dramatic sunsets.

We stayed in a small apartment – larger than a studio, and perfect for the two nights we’d booked. With a small, well appointed kitchen area, which seemed very new and well equipped, to a lounge/sleeping area, with a sofa and a very comfortable bed and quite a large separate bathroom, with a good sized walk-in shower.

The townhouse is located close to Plaza de Espana, so it’s only a short walk to a decent amount of bars and restaurants. Median Sidonia has a lovely feel to it – even in the height of the summer, it still felt a little bit “undiscovered”, as it wasn’t thronged with tourists. In fact, we liked it so much, we decided to have an extended stay for here for a month, in a different, larger apartment, while we wait for the legal process to trundle along and the purchase of our town house to complete. It’s been a great few weeks, getting to know this pretty town, which is perfectly located – half an hour to the beaches around Cadiz and an hour to the main resorts on the Costa del Sol. So glad that we’ve been investigating places we might otherwise not have known about, such as Medina, and spend time as tourists and locals.

la guardia apartments : tarifa : andalucia

la guardia apartments : tarifa : andalucia

When we booked a four night stay recently in Tarifa, La Guardia apartments seemed a pretty perfect choice. Self-catering, right in the centre of the old town, in the middle of all of the action, contemporary and stylish judging by the photographs, and although not the cheapest option, did seem like a pretty good deal for the facilities on offer. So, we arrived, on a hot, hot Sunday, full of expectation for a relaxing stay in our concrete effect apartment…

(Photographs : Booking.com)

The apartments are let by what seems to be an anonymous management company, and this really only came to light after we had checked in. Communications prior to check-in had not led me believe we’d be dealing with a faceless company, but I did find one of their emails quite surprising, when I was advised, that under no circumstances, could we check-in before 5pm. Seemed a bit stern and inflexible, but we just went along with it. Self-check-in was OK – easy enough and sometimes we do like not to have to do small talk, but things started to go a little awry when we just could not get the air-con to operate. The wall mounted unit is clearly visible in the bottom left photo, above, and as we’d received no indication that anything was wrong with it, we continued to try and get it to turn on, as it was very, very warm in the apartment. Which, by the way, on first impressions was a lovely as the photos above suggested…

After about ten minutes, it was apparent that we were either doing something wrong or the aircon was just not going to play ball, and so I messaged “Paloma”, who had sent me lots of messages, including frequent reminders of the €80 cleaning fee. I’ll come back to this one later…

Whilst waiting for a reply, we decided to have a glass of wine. Not a huge issue, but there was only one wine glass – another message was sent to Paloma, asking if she could arrange for another glass. When you book an apartment for two people, for four nights, a second wine glass seems quite an obvious thing to expect, I think. Anyway, Paloma arrived and also brought a box of six new wine glasses. With seven glasses, we were now well set up and thanked her for bringing them to us. So, onto the aircon, as we asked her to show us what we might be doing wrong.

Oh, we weren’t doing anything wrong. “It is broken…” Sorry, Paloma, what was that you just said? In an apartment, where the outside temperature was in the high thirties, there is no aircon? And, in the flurry of emails and WhatsApps you had sent me, you didn’t think to mention this? Or arrange for us to be allocated an apartment where the aircon was working? According to Paloma, she couldn’t have alerted us to the broken aircon system, because it had just happened and although they had tried, they could not get an engineer to come out and fix it, because the necessary parts could not be located…

So, this made us scratch our heads. If it had just happened, how had they had already contacted an engineer? Who had alerted them to the fact that the aircon wasn’t working, as don’t forget, we couldn’t check-in in a minute before 5pm? How did said engineer know which parts were needed if no-one had been out to see it? And why weren’t we alerted to the fact it wasn’t working? Oh, and don’t let’s now forget it’s now about 5.30pm on a HOT Sunday afternoon in Tarifa, when all self-respecting aircon engineers will probably be at the beach, with family or having a beer. Come on, Paloma, you’re going to have to try a little harder than this!

And, to her credit, she did. She remembered that under the sink, in the bathroom area, was a mobile aircon unit and pulled it out for us, and stuck the plastic pipe into the beautiful concrete effect sink, so that the condensation could drip away. Hmmm…what about when we used the sink? You know, to wash our hands or brush our teeth? Oh, that’s not a problem, said Paloma, you can also wedge the white pipe out through the window. And yes, this had obviously been done before, by many guests, as the wedge shape of the open window, was very clear in the plastic pipe.

Aside from the ridiculous set up, we did question why a mobile air con unit, which had clearly been used A LOT, was ready and waiting for us – Paloma was not sure why. We went a bit back and forth with the whole situation, and as this mobile unit was very noisy and wasn’t reducing the temperature any, I asked that we be moved to another apartment, given that it was fairly uncomfortable and we didn’t feel that this particular one was fit for purpose. She didn’t think any other apartments were available but would go off and check with management. From our window we could see into another apartment, which by almost 7pm on a Sunday evening, still had no guests in it, and to be doubly sure, I checked on booking.com. And there we had it – an apartment which was available. So, we felt all would be resolved quickly and we’d be moved.

Not quite so, though. Paloma informed me by Whats App, that they had no availability. All apartments were booked. NO, they’re not, I told her. I’m looking into an empty apartment (although I did understand that guests could be checking into it later), but I’m also looking at at least one, available apartment, online. Can we not just move there and providing the air con is working, we’ll just then get on with our break? Leave it with me, she said, I need to check with management. More hanging around, but she finally came back and said yes, they had found an available alternative after all, but not until tomorrow, and could I just please cancel my original booking and re-book the new one? Oh, and I know you have booked for four nights, but when you move to the new apartment we can only accommodate you for two nights, not three, so you’ll have find somewhere else for the Thursday night. OK, not the best scenario as I had booked and paid for four nights – in total €520.52, so by my calculations €130.05 per night – meaning I would expect a refund of €130.05 for the fourth night. I think by this point Paloma, was keen to get on with her evening and not have to deal with me any more, so she conceded that the original apartment, was, as I said, “not fit for purpose” and that it should not have been let out, and we should have been informed and that other arrangements should have been in place. Unfortunately, this was all verbal – but at least she had agreed, if only to get rid of me. We would be able to move at 11am the next morning – *no sooner*! – and so we went out for the evening, and cooled down. Only to return and have a pretty sleepless night, due to the heat and the noise of the mobile air con unit.

Next morning we were up bright and early, eager to leave but also to make sure that the apartment was left in PRISTINE condition, as we did not want to fall foul of this piece of information, which we received when we booked, and which was reiterated in subsequent messages :

A damage deposit of EUR 80 is required on arrival. This will be collected by credit card. You should be reimbursed within 7 days of check-out. Your deposit will be refunded in full via credit card, subject to an inspection of the property.

Moving to the new apartment was smooth and it was a pretty cool apartment, both in terms of decor and temperature. The air con was working! Similar in style, but more natural in terms of styling and colour and with a comfortable dining table and chairs, much better suited to a self catering apartment. And, to add our increasing feeling of satisfaction, an email from booking.com popped into my inbox, with the subject “Refund”. Paloma had come good…

But the refund was for €51.66, significantly less than my calculation of one night, which I worked out to be €130.05! And, because of the issues we’d had the previous evening, and my growing feeling that this management company was not entirely guest focused, there was NO way I was going to let this go. So, back onto Paloma. To say she wasn’t overly delighted to hear from me, is something of an understatement. She was taking no responsibility whatsoever, for any of this, especially the refund – which I understood completely, as she was not management (as she kept reminding me) and so asked to speak to someone from management. Absolutely not. She simply could not do this. Guests are not allowed to speak to management, and in any event, the refund that had been issued, was it. Nothing more would be issued, even though she could not explain why the company were effectively keeping €78.39. Things, for me, took a bit of a turn, when out of curiosity I checked booking.com again, and there, right in front of me, was the apartment we had vacated not an hour earlier, back online for anyone to book and about €30 more than we had paid for the equivalent of one night. I was FURIOUS! Not only were they trying to retain some of my money, but if rented, the company would actually profit from letting out an apartment which I was pretty sure would still be unfit for purpose, with defective aircon.

So, to cut a long story short, I spent most of the rest of the early afternoon onto booking.com, explaining the whole situation. Multiple times on hold. Multiple times retelling the same experience. Eventually, I was advised that they would contact the company and could I stay on hold? Fifty minutes later and I was reconnected. They had been unable to speak to anyone from management – now, there was a surprise – but Paloma had admitted that things were not acceptable and that the additional refund could be made and should be in my account within seven days, but that I should call back tomorrow just to confirm that all was being processed. Hold on, but I thought Paloma couldn’t make decisions like this…

Next morning, back onto booking.com and even though they confirmed that they had all notes on my case file, I have to explain the whole thing again. And they have to call Paloma again, to confirm that refund will be generated. And I have to hold again – only for forty minutes this time though. And at the end of the call, could I please call booking.com again tomorrow, to confirm that all is being processed…

Luckily, and I have no idea who made this happen, just before I was about to call booking.com, I received a notification from my bank. Yep, the sum of €78.39 had just been paid. The shortfall! Hurrah.

So, we had one afternoon left in La Guarida apartment in Tarifa, rather than the four days of relaxation we had originally expected. Looking back, I think it could all been have dealt with so much better. Rather than bringing a box of six wine glasses, when the requested one would have sufficed, perhaps a bit more thought could have gone into addressing the issue of defective aircon, which made the stay on night one, very, very uncomfortable. The dishonesty though, both in terms of not being truthful about the problem and then the pathetic attempt to not return the full refund initially, for one night, is what infuriated me the most. Lesson learned though – book somewhere with a largely faceless company, and you’ll get a much poorer service. They think they will have nothing to lose, and probably on most occasions, they won’t as I think most people, on holiday, might give up and think they’ll deal with it on their return, and then don’t, because it’s happened. It’s over. But I won’t give up, when I know that something is fundamentally wrong and I am right. And that’s why I’d urge anyone looking to book a stay in Tarifa, don’t be fooled by the nice photographs and write-ups of this place. It’s not about guest experience – it’s about all fur coat and no knickers. Scratch the surface and the contemporary interiors aren’t all that. The decor isn’t as high end, as the photos might suggest. It’s all done to look high end. A bit like the €80 cleaning fee they blocked on my card (not taken though, as there was NO way we were going to give them the opportunity), it’s all about the money.

Avoid La Guarida. They don’t appear to like guests. Especially those with a legitimate complaint.

And, btw, we did find a FAB place to stay on the Thursday. A room in a turret in a medieval castle, high up in the mountains, no less. With air con!

hostal aljibe : archidona : andalucia

hostal aljibe : archidona : andalucia

Sometimes, you find somewhere to stay, that is just so exceptionally beautiful, you spend your whole stay, drinking in the interiors, the exterior, the accessories and accessorisation, and just well, the whole thing. On our roadtrip across Spain, we’ve been so lucky to stay in some pretty special places, but one which really stands out in the memory, is a renovated townhouse in Archidona, in Andalucia.

Archidona is a pretty pueblo blanco, with its centre crammed with typical Andalucian houses – white exterior, huge front doors, shuttered windows and small balconies. Hostal Aljibe is, from the outside, one such typical townhouse. However, once you enter the front doors, you know this place is something very, very special. Bought by the Belgian owners a few years ago, it was a complete wreck. We love a renovation project, but I don’t know how their nerves coped with this one! We saw photos of the before and during, and we wouldn’t even have considered this as a project, as it looked so beyond saving. Thankfully, Frank and Sabrina didn’t think the same way, and although, as they told us, the renovation process was pretty horrendous and arduous and fraught with never ending delays and bureaucracy, they persevered and now have a boutique townhouse hotel which is out of this world.

I could wax lyrical about this gorgeous townhouse for a long time, but I think the photographs we took will do it a whole lot more justice…

Our room was a suite on the first floor, with a large seating/living room area, with a small sofa, desk and chair and fridge and the most beautiful tiled floor. This space opened up into the bedroom – a very large room, with floor to ceiling shuttered windows looking down into the street below – and a well designed walk in shower and separate toilet. (The toilet in our room didn’t have a door, but because of its position – tucked away in a corner – this wasn’t an issue for us). The suite had a feeling of real spaciousness, because of the windows and the height of the ceilings, as well as the calming, neutral tones and textures used throughout. The attention to detail in terms of decor, styling and accessorising is off the scale. Everything has been thoughtfully and carefully considered, curated and positioned. No details are left to chance and absolutely no corners are cut.

The ground floor is separated into a reception area, a small lounge and a large open plan kitchen area (where breakfasts are prepared) and a communal dining area, which leads out onto the most exquisite terrace and up to the wow factor pool area.

I particularly liked all of the light and lampshades, throughout the small hotel. All unique and individual macrame shades. And I liked then even more when the owner told me she just could not source what she was envisioning for her hotel – and so via online tutorials, learned how to make these herself! They are really amazing feats of creativity – and absolute labours of love, as the large ones can takes up to three weeks to make! The effect of them, in the spaces where the are housed, is simply beautiful…

This hotel is flawless. From the thick sage green pool towels, rolled up and tied with ribbon in wicker baskets, for guests to use, to the simple but stylish cutlery at breakfast. Which is exactly as you’d imagine – faultless. Deliciously home made and in abundance, served to a background of Spanish classical music. Special mention given to the bed and the linen – utterly exquisite. And even more so, when we asked about it and were told it was from Zara Home. Guess what our visitors are going to sleeping on…

After we left, we obviously left a review for Hostal Aljibe. We do this for all places we stay at as we think a review provides information for other people who may be interested in the property, and also a bit of feedback for owners. Most people never bother to reply, and we never expect them to, as they are busy and we’ve provided the feedback. However, this reply from Frank and Sabrina really sums up them and their whole philosophy. A gem of a find in Archidona, which we will return to…

Dear Helen,

Where do we even begin to thank you for such an exquisite and detailed review of Hostal Aljibe? We are beyond thrilled to hear that you found our boutique hotel to be the most perfect place you’ve stayed in. It brings us immense joy to know that you appreciated the renovation and restoration efforts we put into every corner of our hotel. Your kind words about the natural tones, handcrafted chandeliers, and attention to detail mean the world to us.

We are delighted that you enjoyed our breakfast. We always strive to provide a memorable culinary experience for our guests, and it’s wonderful to hear that we succeeded. The courtyard and pool area are indeed some of our favorite spots, and we’re glad you found them as beautiful and tranquil as we do.

Frank and I are truly touched by your kind words. We strive to make every guest feel special and cared for, and it’s heartwarming to know that our efforts resonated with you. Your recognition of the peacefulness, tranquility, and calm we aim to create is deeply appreciated.

We are so happy that your visit to Archidona and your stay with us left such a positive impression. Knowing that you plan to return is the highest compliment we could receive. We look forward to welcoming you back for another perfect stay.

Warm regards,
Frank & Sabrina, Hostal Aljibe