In the know

Our favourite rooms: If, like Forster, you’re after a room with a view, book a bijou boudoir in the Tower (no bath, though). The Castle rooms are the exposed-stonework real deal, with hand-made floor tiles from Marrakech, patchwork-hide rugs and dramatic views, to be enjoyed from cushioned window seats in some rooms. Stained glass windows draped in Indian silk, a Victorian bathtub and antique Tibetan rugs lend opulence to the palatial Suite Pere Margarit by Dutch designer Menno Kroon. Look out for the fabulous whale-tail shelf.
Packing tips: Bring dancing shoes and something red and frilly – the bar hosts live music performances. Relic hunters should pack their most elastic plastic to flex, in anticipation of the area’s pottery and collectibles. Remember a jumper for cooler nights.
Also: On selected Friday nights, a local dancer performs a fabulous fusion of ballet and flamenco in the bar.

Girona hotels: Castell d'Empordà, need to know

Current offers

Smith card offer: A mystery olive oil gift and a bottle of cava.

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Castell d'Empordà

Empordà, Spain[view map]

Style: Catalan castle cool
Setting: Costa Brava countryside

Sandwiched splendidly between the Pyrenees peaks and the Costa Brava’s cliffs and coves, mediaeval Castell d’Empordà is a Catalan ruin that has been transformed into a luxury boutique hotel. East of Girona, in the Catalan countryside, this romantic retreat includes rooms in the castle – once home to an explorer who sailed with Christopher Columbus – and is fittingly strewn with exotic treasures from across the globe.

Need to know

Rooms: 38, including nine suites.
Rates: €135–€390 a night (depending on room type) including buffet breakfast and excluding seven per cent tax.
Check-out: 12pm; earliest check-in, 2pm.
Facilities: Gardens, library including DVDs, bar. In rooms: flatscreen TV, DVD player and minibar.
Poolside: There’s a turquoise-tiled, heated outdoor pool in the gardens, overlooking the green-gold scenery.
Hotel closed: 30 November 2009 to 5 March 2010.
Also: Smoking is allowed in some bedrooms and in the hotel’s communal areas.

Food & drink

Hotel restaurant: A dramatic bull’s-head sculpture on the wall keeps watch over proceedings in the sensual gothic restaurant. Black silk drapes lie sleekly against the rough, nougat-coloured stone walls, glossy jet chandeliers drip from the ceilings and tabletop candles flicker amid the dark expanse. In summer, floor-to-ceiling glass doors open up onto the terrace and in winter, the fire crackles and muted jazz provides a relaxed background. Offerings are Spanish with global influences – be sure to try the signature tuna sashimi dish.
Dress code: Channel flamenco-glam for evening, light and layered during daylight hours.
Top table: Sit out on the terrace – enjoy a lazy lunch in the shade by day and admire the twinkling lights from distant towns by night.
Last orders: 11pm for dinner; the bar is open noon until midnight. Grab breakfast between 8am to 10.30am; lunch from 1pm to 3.30pm; and dinner from 8pm.
Room service: There’s no room service but the restaurant is sure to cater to your culinary needs.
Hotel bar: The Cava Del Drac, housed in the old wine cellar, is a suitably historic and dramatic drinking den. Sit among the vaulted stone ceilings on low, slouchy sofas in neutral shades and admire the decor, inspired by a ’50s Parisian jazz bar. Small, curved tables sparkle with tea lights and a relaxed soundtrack of laid-back lounge music will fill any gaps in conversation. Leave no alcove unturned; there is a bounty of books on art, wine, history and so forth to enjoy with a glass of tempranillo.

Also worth knowing

Children: Little Smiths are welcome, with cots provided free, extra beds for €40 a night and babysitting with a nanny (€20–€25 an hour, book three days in advance).

Smith Members offer

A mystery olive oil gift and a bottle of cava.

If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).

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Smith travel team

If you'd prefer to talk to someone, or don't want to book online, call our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.