Hotel Viura
Near Laguardia, Basque Country, Spain
Super-cool design hotel bang in the middle of a lovely village, and surrounded by Rioja wine fields
Viura is gorgeous, simple as that. Its cool design, helpful staff
and unbeatable position in the pretty village of Villabuena de
Alava all elate. It may look like a stack of half-toppled boxes
from the outside, but its light-filled interiors reveal nothing but
order and charm. Cool, contemporary elegance flows throughout. Come
for a small slice of heaven and some good red wine.
Step inside and you find the whole building is cut into the side of
a rock. You immediately acknowledge that you’re standing in a
profoundly beautiful space. The cause for this has a surprising
source - the polished concrete blocks from which the hotel is
built. They appear like textured geological strata, adding a sense
of remarkable calm. There are walls of glass, too, to bring the
village inside. As for the 33 rooms and suites, well,
they pack a punch, and if you occasionally like to splash out on
more expensive rooms, this is a great place to do it; Viura's are
huge and open onto private terraces. Elsewhere is a sail-shaded
terrace outside the bar, a beautiful sitting room with the daily
papers, and an excellent restaurant for modern
rustic food.
Reviewed by Tom Bell
Last updated 22 May 2012
Highs
- The Rioja wine region is a beautiful place for a relaxing holiday: borrow bikes from the hotel and explore vineyards and pretty hilltop towns, and take day trips to Bilbao and Pamplona
- The design of this lovely hotel is hard to beat, and the contrast between the old village and the sparkling modern building works brilliantly
- Bedrooms are simply stunning; some have terraces, others fantastic village views, and all have gorgeous bathrooms with robes and potions
- We loved the communal roof terrace, which looks out over Villabuena de Alava's 16th-century church
- The cute village swimming pool lies directly below the hotel - it’s a great place to relax and meet the locals (open July and August)
Lows
- You’re out in the country, so you’ll need a car to get here
- Word has spread - if you want a room at the weekends, you’ll need to book early
- If you don’t eat here, you’ll have to drive as there isn’t a restaurant in the village
The juxtaposition of old and new works precisely because it is so dramatic...
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