Our London Editor Lydia Matthews has handpicked her top bucket-list Spanish hotels, both big and small, to visit this summer ...
NOBU Hotel Ibiza Bay
NOBU Hotel Ibiza Bay’s idyllic location offers unparalleled views across the sparkling Talamanca Bay and the fortified old town of Dalt Villa. Slightly removed from the hustle and bustle and with access to Formentera, allows guests to slow down to a new pace and to prioritise their wellbeing - all within easy reach of the White Isle’s renowned nightlife. Nobu’s most popular curated events for guests include from local artisan workshops and complimentary fine wine and vermouth tastings to tapas workshops and Nobu sushi making masterclasses. No stay at Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay is complete without making the most of their renowned onsite gastro offering. Enjoy a visit to the world renowned Nobu Restaurant – where Nobu’s signature Japanese fusion cuisine is perfectly balanced with traditional Balearic products and delicacies.Expect great wellness facilities too, with the Spa, by Six Senses, and Holistic Hike Retreats.
Castell Son Claret, Mallorca
Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and known across Europe as one of Mallorca’s finest hotels, ultra-luxe Castell Son Claret is a beacon of laid-back, Spanish hospitality. Just under half an hour from Palma’s city centre, the hotel is perched within 326 acres of lush Mallorcan countryside at the foot of the majestic La Tramuntana mountains.
Castell Son Claret is a Leading Hotel of the World, with a restaurant that highlights the culinary diversity in Mallorca and a wine list that has been masterfully curated by the sommelier, Sebastian Longo. I often dream about the delicious smell of fresh bread in the bakery that we were able to visit each morning, as well as the tart cocktails made with lemon juice from the estate at the hotel bar where we sipped whilst looking out across the pool and manicured gardens. Real hospitality is when everyone is welcomed with open arms. The level was set very high by the gracious staff at Castell Son Claret where nothing was too much trouble, we were greeted like family.
Casa Bonay, Barcelona
It was when my Catalonian friend said nonchalantly that if I ever headed to Barcelona that I must try the natural wine selection at Bodega Bonay, which maintains more than 250 references, at Casa Bonay that I knew it was my time to go, and this is where I would stay. The side of the city where Casa Bonay is located when it was renovated had not yet positioned itself as a place to visit and stay for tourists and locals and from the beginning, the hotel sought to distance itself from its tourist label by encouraging visits from the local community as well as new visitors to the city.
Casa Bonay, renovated from a breathtaking neoclassical mansion, is a hotel with a glance into the ultra-cool world of Barcelona. With chic groups of locals who have known each other for decades sipping on freshly made cocktails at the Libertine bar followed by a mother-daughter duo regaling their experiences in the city as they chow down on barbequed local produce in the balmy hotel rooftop restaurant, Chiringuito. Each of the stunning 67 rooms in the historic building offer ambient lighting by Barcelona-based designers Santa & Cole, bathroom products from Malin+Goetz, a minibar packed with goodies and the rooms have furniture designed by local designers, each oozing their own unique personality which radiate a sense of history and heritage.
As our London Correspondent, Lydia explores all that makes the capital come to life from coffee shops to wine bars, cabaret shows, city staycations and all things culture.