Marqués de Riscal, La Rioja

MARQUÉS DE RISCAL: A STUNNING GEHRY-DESIGNED HOTEL

A roof line of shimmering ribbons of pink, gold and silver titanium, the hotel Marqués de Riscal in the northern Spanish town of Elciego echoes the Gehry Associates trademark architecture found in the Guggenheim Bilbao and Bridge of Life building in Panama. The hotel was originally conceived as a twenty-first-century wine chateau in the Rioja Alavesa grape-growing region. It has been transformed into Frank O. Gehry’s only hotel project to date. Vinos de los Herederos de Marqués de Riscal is recognized as a pioneer in winemaking and the hotel is a futuristic beacon rising above the classical stone architecture of the town and the surrounding vineyards to highlight the growth in fortunes of the Rioja wine region as a whole. The main Gehry-designed hotel has forty-three rooms and is stunning in every respect, both externally and internally, with designer furniture and hi-tech gadgets. There are also a number of more traditional, utilitarian rooms in an annex, connected to Hotel Marqués de Riscal by a bridge, where the spa and pool are located. Although the annex rooms have views of the vineyard and artistic furnishings, they lack the outrageous charm of the main building. There are two restaurants in the hotel; “1860” and the more formal Marqués de Riscal restaurant which is closed on Mondays. While there have been mixed reviews for the more formal restaurant, the executive chef is the Michelinstarred Francis Paniego, so an average meal is unlikely and the wines will most certainly be exceptional. The spa itself is worthy of mention for it provides wine therapy treatments using products made from grape extracts, created exclusively by Caudalíe Vinothérapie. It has received many awards for the treatments and venue. Now you can see, drink and be beautified with Rioja grapes. Managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts brand, “The Luxury Collection” Hotel Marqués de Riscal may appear a little out of the way, but is well worth the detour to take in the stunning design and wine-themed spa.

Hotel Marqués de Riscal
Calle Torrea, 1
Elciego 01340
Spain
+34 (0)945 180880
reservations.marquesderiscal@luxurycollection.com
www.luxurycollection.com

Rooms and rates
Forty-three rooms and suites. From €300 for a grand deluxe room in low season to €850 in high season, exclusive of VAT but including breakfast. Suites are from €350 to €1,095 with the luxurious Gehry suite in addition.

Location
Elciego is about 112 km (70 miles) south of the city of Bilbao.