Hotel La Fuente de la Higuera

Hip, relaxed and stylish, this is one of the brightest stars in the Andalucian hotel firmament, a 'small-is-beautiful' hideaway in the hills near Ronda

You cut up through ancient olive groves to a beguiling wysteria-clad facade, enter a high atrium-topped lobby - and instinctively you breathe more deeply. After all those look-alike Andalucian hotels, here is a truly mellow symphony of architecture and décor by Dutch owner-decorator Tina Piek.

So out goes rustico style and in comes handsome hardwood furniture, unusual art and exotic objets. Terracotta tiles make way for floors of Indonesian sandstone and white planks, and instead of clichéd prints of Ronda you get an eclectic mix of paintings and sculpture, both contemporary and classical. You get a lot of space for your Euros in Fuente’s 11 rooms and suites, all decorated with cool, uncluttered panache. The 'Fig-tree Fountain' teases all f5 of your senses: scents of rosemary, honeysuckle and lavender; top-notch cuisine on a terrace above rolling hills; finest cotton bedlinen against your skin; over 1000 CDs from Pom and Tina's flamenco, jazz, rock and blues collection; nights set under myriad stars.

Highs

• Magical summer-night dinners: fresh produce, aromatic gardens, glorious vistas
• Despite being so close to Ronda, it's a real hideaway; returning here after sightseeing with the hoi polloi is a breath of fresh air
• Staff are extremely caring, but don't intrude on the laid-back atmosphere
• The newer The Lodge Ronda (formerly Rise Lodge) is perfect for groups, hidden in 22 acres of grounds with panoramic views over the Sierra de las Nieves, a large pool and yoga room

Lows

• Rather surpisingly for a hotel of this size, there is no guest sitting room, though most of the rooms have a private living room
• No TVs in the bedrooms, but you get a CD player with a selection of great sounds
• Expect a few wasps at your breakfast table in late summer
• The unusual ground floor layout, with a kitchen between the reception and the lobby, means you glimpse the inner workings of the hotel