Mr & Mrs Smith

Castell d'Empordà

Empordà, Spain

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 Double rooms from $191.33 (€145), excluding tax at 8 per cent.
• More details Rates include buffet breakfast.
• 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.
• Check-out 12pm; earliest check-in, 2pm.
• 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). More...
• Hotel closed 30 November 2009 to 5 March 2010.
• Also Smoking is allowed in some bedrooms and in the hotel’s communal areas. A three-night minimum stay is required between 16 July and 11 September.

Food and drink at Castell d'Empordà

• 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

• Weddings This property is suitable for weddings. More...

Castell d'Empordà c/ Castell d'Empordà s/n, Empordà, 17115