Posada dos Orillas
in Trujillo

View from the room

Question: What do you get when you take a 16th century house in one of Spain's most captivating and legendary old town, then renovate it from the top down to suit the most sophisticated of 21st century tastes? Answer, Posada Dos Orillas, a fine new establishment in Trujillo.

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El Corregidor
ln Almagro

Deer medallions

In summer, meals at El Corregidor are served in an outdoor courtyard located amidst climbing vines and wooden window frames; on cooler days, diners are seated in an upstairs area covered by a glass ceiling in reds, yellows and greens.... For a main dish, we enjoyed deer medallions that were pink in the center and almost pâté-like in tender consistency. We drank a bottle of Quercus 1999 (La Mancha) which was redolent with cherry and black currant.

Casa del Rector
in Almagro

Great details such as copper bath fixtures
make Casa del Rector stand out

Hidden behind a thick wooden door on a quiet street in elegant Almagro is the appealing Casa del Rector, a hotel restored from a 17th century house with an imaginative blend of modern and antiquarian decorative styles.

Posada San Jose
in Cuenca

Original touches abound

Tucked away on the Calle Julian Romero, one block off the Calle San Pedro and just off the Plaza Mayor in the famous Spanish city of Cuenca, the charming Posada San Jose is a world away.

Hotel La Bienvenida
near Badajoz

Rooms boast fine art at La Bienvenida

Looking down the long outer corridor that runs the length of the hotel La Bienvenida from front to rear, you get the feeling of being transplanted to a pastoral Spanish street of some previous century--but one that is given over entirely to the pleasure of the guests.

RUSTICAE
Small Hotels with Character

As the tastes of leisure travelers worldwide grow increasingly sophisticated, the trend is away from the anonymous (and even cold!) hotels of yesteryear towards charm hotels that offer that special touch. Leading the advance in this movement is Rusticae, an affiliated network of 85 Spanish hotels. Read the review

Hotel Los Linajes
in Segovia

View from the room

When it comes to staying in any of Europe's historical heritage cities, location is everything. Get too close to the action, and the motors and horns will keep you awake at night. Stray too far from the center and you'll find yourself tired out before you've even gotten to your first attraction of the day. But Hotel Los Linajes is special: it is both in and out of the city. Read the review

Casa Palacio
in Ucles

Attractive modern rooms at Casa Palacio

Lying on the town square of the small village of Ucles, Casa Palacio features an extensive and unusually deep underground cave system, which contains seating areas for those seeking to escape summer heat. Inside the hotel, elements of stone, adobe and wood are combined to create languid and elegant lodging spaces.

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Can Boix de Peramola
in Catalonia

Baked kid from the kitchen of
Joan Pallares

Can Boix is a luxury resort that is superbly situated at the mouth of a gorgeous red-rock mountain canyon in the Alt Urgell region of Catalonia. Guests come here for the tranquility, for the luxury facilities (tennis court, sauna, swimming pool), and for the renowed meals served at the hotel's restaurant.

Las Nubes
Near Guadalajara

Las Nubes
Superbly located

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words but in this case, a thousand words might be better than the picture, because a camera lens can hardly absorb the full expanse of sun-drenched vistas seen from Casa Las Nubes. Below lie fields--rectangles of pale and dark greens and light and dense yellows where cultivation is underway, and shades of brown where the fields are lying fallow. The River Tajo divides the region like a bright turquoise ribbon. Read the review

Posada de Esquiladores
in San Esteban del Valle

An attractive salon at ground level

Those seeking to escape the crowds of Spain's capital, Madrid, and reach fresher pastures can head northwest into the mountains where, in the small village of San Esteban del Valle (800 meters altitude), they'll find Posada de Esquiladores, an elegant charm hotel with a fine restaurant.

Finca Buen Vino
near Aracena

Buen Vino surrounded by acres of green

Set in the midst of an Andalusian nature reserve is Finca Buen Vino, a unique outpost of English culture and society. In summer, life is largely lived out on the cool blue veranda, or beside a nicely designed pool that is reached along a trellised walk and is perched over a precipice to yield fine views of the hills beyond. Jeannie Chesterton draws upon local ingredients like sherry, pork, and wild mushrooms to create exceptional dishes.

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Can Xiquet
near Gerona

The restaurant at Can Xiquet

If you're seeking calm, relaxation, healthy equestrian activity, good cuisine, and personal attention at a prime pastoral location, look no further than Can Xiquet. Located on a hilly outcrop at the end of a quiet country road, the views are pastoral and expansive--extending, in one distant corner, to the Mediterranea Sea itself.

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Casa Bermeja
in Valdeverdeja

A place of flowers and sun

Casa Bermeja was restored to yield a kind of oasis, conjured up by expanses of red tiled deck, a glittering blue swimming pool, vines of red and white roses, and darting birds.

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Casa Palacio de Garcinarro
in Huete

Original patio

Staying at Casa Palacio de Garcinarro in Huete, on the journey between Madrid and Cuenca, is like being transported back through history. The 1-meter thick walls, the recessed stone seating areas, tile floors and high ceilings just might have something to do with it.

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Cognoscenti Magazine: Because Life is Short

Our articles are meticulously researched and offer our discerning opinion. We hope you find them of value.