Hotel Gran Claustre

Perfectly preserved architecture from the 1700s with an up-to-date twist and a big helping of seductive flavours and colours. The Sisters of the Congregation of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus built this convent in the mid-1700s and whilst their simple tastes have been excellently preserved in the original architecture with its arches, courtyards, balconies, and decorative iron-work, your retreat here will take on a slightly more sensual feel. The rooms have numbers so you can find them easily in the beautiful old structure but they are also constructed around themes of taste, scents and colours with names (and matching décor) such as vanilla, cinnamon, passion red and Prussian blue. In the new building the rooms has a modern decoration and the names are about gemstones.

Each room is unique but many have original wooden beams or Arabesque-style windows, terracotta floor tiles overlaid with beautiful woven rugs. They all emphasize natural colours and calmly-stated beauty. Views look over the old part of the town (but include some modern developments) and the historic Altafulla castle. Downstairs, the seductive themes found in the bedrooms continue into the restaurant’s cooking with an emphasis on sensual, aromatic textures that attract gastronomes from all over the region. You may need to book in advance here, the chef’s creations are extremely well-known and the restaurant itself is small (hidden in the heart of the convent in what was the chapel!) enabling a highly personal and select approach to local cuisine. If you should feel the need to venture out of the convent’s great wooden doors you’ll notice its great location in the heart of the cobble street village of Altafulla.

You might choose to walk the fifteen minutes to the beach (the hotel is located on the Costa Dorada, or Golden Coast), alternatively relax and sip a glass of wine in a street café close to the hotel. The region is famous for its seafood and indulgent lifestyle. Don’t be left out, if you just want some time to relax on the hotel terrace, swim in the pool or be slowly restored to a state of blissful calm in the spa go ahead and do it. You shouldn’t feel guilty because the Gran Claustre is all about indulgence. Treat yourself. You may decide you deserve one of the many massage treatments on offer, perhaps using warm stones to dissolve away those knots, or an olive-oil marmalade, shiatsu treatments, an Ayurvedic massage or, our favourite this one, a chocolate skin wrap! The hotel is legally protected as part of Spain’s artistic historical heritage; it’s unique and so are you!