Best 5-star hotels in Spain
Spain has been synonymous with sun, sea and sangria, yet there is a far more sophisticated side to this cultured country that can be appreciated by the discerning luxury explorer.
Spain's delicious cuisine seduces with picancy, flavour and freshness, and can be found everywhere from rustic tapas bars to Michelin-starred showstoppers. As well as giving the world the likes of Velázquez, Picasso and Miro, the great cities of Madrid and Barcelona have some of the best art galleries you will ever visit. Spain is also blessed with an incredibly diverse natural beauty, with rugged mountains in the south, an unfathomably green north and beautifully colourful landscapes in the Balearic Islands, such as Mallorca and Ibiza.
We have a real soft spot for Mallorca, where we have three hotel gems: Belmond La Residencia in the charminng town of Deià, Gran Hotel Son Net in the Tramuntana mountains and Son Julia near Palma. Most recently we have visited Sant Francesc Hotel Singular near the cathederal in central Palma and absolutely loved it. Watch out for the review, which is coming soon.
In Spain's great cities we recommend the glorious Ritz Madrid having re-opened under Mandarin Oriental management and Gran Hotel La Florida, which sits imperiously above Barcelona. Talking of Barcelona, we had an amazing tapas supper at Paco Meralgo recently. We queued for 20 minutes but then what followed was one of the best foodie experiences of 20San Francesc23. Plate after plate of exquisite tapas, accompanied by a bottle of Domaine Leflaive's Pouilly Fuisse, which was a steal at €55 - cheaper than you can buy it from a wine merchant.
Just outside Spain's capital of gastronomy, San Sebastian, we have fallen on love with Akelarre, Pedro Subijana's stunning 3-star Michelin restaurant-centred luxury hotel, with its modernist architecture making the most of stunning views over the Bay of Biscay. Here you can indulge in exquisite luxury and dip in and out of San Sebastian for a 'pintxos' walking tour, dinner at Arzac or Mugaritz, or any of the 8 restaurants with Michelin stars (3 of them them with 3!).
Spain has been underestimated in so many ways, but if you haven't visited recently, a trip to San Sebastian, Madrid or Barcelona will change those preconceptions forever.