Hotel & Spa Arzuaga

The property is beautiful, and both the wine and Taller restaurant were first class. We had a wonderful time. I think the hotel gets marked down for its five-star rating, and that’s fair, but it’s still a great place. Highly recommend.

The place has a beautiful garden and sits between a busy road and a vineyard. There are weekend dinner options, but call the hotel before booking the Michelin restaurant to check its terms, since changes may not be allowed. The rooms look glamorous, though the air conditioning didn’t keep room 156 comfortable during my stay. It was uncomfortably hot. They left a complimentary small bottle of wine, but I’d have preferred mineral water, especially since minibar water costs 5 euros for 250 ml. Service was acceptable, with no special extras. Some staff wouldn’t let us walk around the property with our glasses of wine. For a five-star hotel, the experience felt more like three-star. The pool was another letdown, with a 25 euro charge per person to use it. Given all that, I’d look at other places to stay.

The spa has a good circuit, vineyard views, relaxing surroundings, and several treatments to choose from. The hotel is also a handy central base for visiting wineries and trying local restaurants with country-style game cooking. There are multiple Michelin-starred restaurants within a 30-minute drive.

The staff were welcoming and helpful, and everything was well organised and worth the price. We booked a full two-day package with the spa, two restaurants, one of them Michelin-starred, and a bodega visit. The hotel and rooms are very nice. I’d recommend it for a relaxing countryside trip with good wine and food.