Located in the heart of the beautiful old town of Marbella, where purple bougainvillea adorn the traditional whitewashed houses, La Fonda is an oasis where you can relax in the utmost comfort. Behind the walls of La Fonda is a historical jewel that hides the experiences of more than five centuries.
The building that houses La Fonda was once a private residence, later became a church, then a school, before designers Jaime Parladé and Duarte Pinto Coelho transformed it into a luxury hotel in the 1960s. Two decades later, in 1978, La Fonda became the first restaurant inside a hotel in Marbella to receive a Michelin star, which it retained until 1995. It was a meeting place for the international jet-set, intellectuals, artists and aristocrats, which boosted the tourist development of the town. At the end of the last century, La Fonda fell into oblivion, while nature grew behind its doors. The project to restore and recover the architectural splendour of this emblematic building was born as a great dream to give a new life to La Fonda. At the beginning of the archaeological excavations, one of the most extraordinary discoveries in Marbella in recent years was uncovered: the nave of the church of San Sebastián. The three historic buildings that make up La Fonda date from the early 16th century and include the internal courtyards and gardens. The La Fonda teams worked meticulously to preserve the finds, reinforcing ancient walls and arches and restoring the original features uncovered which include 18th century murals and frescoes. Most of the original structure was preserved including the two towers with 360 degree views of Marbella, the grand columns, the magnificent arches and even the beautiful old ficus trees, around which La Fonda has been redesigned. Combining these original features with modern design, sophisticated furnishings, lush greenery and advanced technology, La Fonda is reborn combining past and present, making it one of Marbella’s jewels.
The history of La Fonda Heritage Hotel, as explained on their website. One of the most beautiful places we’ve had the privilege of staying, and located in the heart of the stunning old town of Marbella. Disclaimer – it’s most definitely not a cheap hotel. In fact, it’s the first Relais & Châteaux hotel in Andalucia -a collection of hotels committed to offering highly personalised and authentic experiences, through a curated collection of often family owned, independent properties, united by the principe of the 5Cs – character, charm, calm, courtesy and cuisine. Unlike chain hotels, Relais & Châteaux properties are distinguished by their unique architectural features, local heritage, exquisite regional cuisine, and dedicated, attentive service, creating a “sense of place” for guests. And we actually experienced this when we stayed in La Fonda, courtesy of very generous visiting friends.
Located in the heart of the old town, on Plaza Santo Cristo, the first impression of this hotel is sheer, understated elegance. Everything is absolutely on point. The restoration of the building is absolutely exquisite. The exterior is very traditionally Andalucian – white washed, wrought iron balconies and grilles, heavy doors and shutters, and with lots of greenery in big pots. Obviously, a source of much inspiration for our house. Internally, it is a mix of traditional (in terms of the arches and the high ceilings and the ceramic tiled floors) but very contemporary in style and design, with a big nod to Moorish heritage.
The reception area sits snugly next to the bar/restaurant area, so it’s not the first thing you encounter when you enter the hotel. Instead, the entrance is like a home, with beautiful furnishings – big sofas, cosy chairs, coffee tables, accent lighting, lots of objects which add detail and interest. It’s a hotel which is quiet and peaceful and you feel relaxed as soon as you step inside.
Our room overlooked the courtyard garden to the rear of the hotel – again, exquisite. Full of carefully considered outdoor seating options, huge pots of greenery, different areas for relaxing, drinking, eating. And, like we had in our house in Istria, a luscious green wall.
The room itself was just perfect. A large, comfy bed with crisp, white. monogrammed linen and everything you could ask for to make your stay as relaxing as possible.
I do like a bathroom with white metro tiles, and this en-suite delivered. Our bathroom in West Didsbury was tiled in this way, with black grout – our builder really appreciated this decision – and when we stayed in the hotel, we were deliberating whether we went down this route again, so it was lovely to see them again, in situ. The shower cubicle has black crittal doors – something we had already decided upon for our en-suite, so again, really good to see in situ. Black accents worked well against the pristine white sanitary ware, and the fluffy robes, complimentary slippers and lush toiletries, just added to the feeling of luxury.
A la carte breakfast is served each morning, and as expected, it was first class. Eggs, whichever you wanted them. Hams, cheeses, breads, preserves, coffee, juices – as much as you wanted. The hotel also sells its own olive oil – which I obviously couldn’t resist, as I have a thing for olive oils, especially if bottled beautifully. Which this was. And, it tastes as good as it looks. As well as the hotel restaurant and roof top bar, La Bodega de la Fonda, is a cosy little restaurant, across the square, offering a selection of fresh, local and seasonal products, such as classic Spanish tortilla, croquettes, meatballs in their sauce and Iberian ham with fried eggs. The perfect spot for an informal meal, with fabulous views over the very pretty square.
A hotel that is truly a magical experience…
0 Comments