Torre del Marqués Hotel Spa & Winery
Tranquilo tower
Roamers’ rural Aragon
It doesn’t get much more off-grid than the Torre del Marqués Hotel Spa & Winery, a restored 18th-century farmhouse in the remote forested peaks and valleys of Spain’s north-eastern Matarraña region, lost somewhere between the Sistema Ibérico’s rugged ranges to the west and the sun-soaked Costas in the east. It’s a modern building, but beamed ceilings and exposed stonework hint at the region’s past (think Don Quixote meets Hans Christian Andersen). And if it’s switched-off solitude you crave, you’ll find it here – a place to wile away hours by the lawn-lined pool, and where views across vineyards and olive groves inspire wine- and oil-tasting trips with local artisans. Or, perhaps less strenuously, a vigorous pummelling in the spa.
Facilities
Rooms
There are 18 rooms spread across three floors, including two suites.
Checkout
12noon. Earliest check-in, 3pm, but this is flexible at an extra cost.
More Details
Rates don't usually include a continental a la carte breakfast.
Also
Budding Patrick Moore types, rejoice. The skies get so dark out here that you’ll have no problem picking out Orion and the Milky Way. Night owls can count shooting stars from the terrace.
Free Internet Access
Pool
On-Site Restaurant
Room Service
Spa
At the Hotel
Spa with Turkish bath, sauna, indoor pool and massage-treatment area. Outdoor pool (April-October). Restaurant and bar. Free WiFi. In rooms: Nespresso coffee machines.
Our Favourite Rooms
Pale woods, exposed stonework and muted tones lend a naturally rustic feel to the hotel’s 18 rooms. All include luxury touches like Nespresso coffee machines, as well as, of course, those fantastic views. Deluxe suites up the ante with views over the mountains and the only sound to interrupt your reverie is the ice clinking in your Negroni.
Poolside
Gaze across olive groves from the terraces of what purports to be the Matarraña region’s largest outdoor heated pool; it’s open May-September. The indoor spa pool operates year-round.
Spa
The hotel’s muted, natural tones extend to the spa, where you can treat yourself to a back and neck rub, or go the full monty with a comprehensive 90-minute all-over body massage, after which the sauna – with its lush landscape views – may be all you’re fit for.
Packing Tips
There’s an old-time feel about this hotel that lends itself well to slower and more analogue pursuits. Leave the Kindle at home and pack a couple of paperbacks instead. There’s surely never been a better opportunity to get around to finishing Don Quixote. You’ll also want a good pair of walking boots for exploring and a packet of Alka-Seltzer just in case the wine-tasting gets out of hand.
Children
Interconnecting rooms are available for families, but the hotel’s rural location means nearby activities to entertain the kids are limited.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
You might imagine yourself on another planet altogether as the sun sets over a near-alien landscape of olive groves, pine forest and the magnificent massifs beyond. Window tables naturally guarantee the finest views in the house.
Dress Code
Add a little Spanish glamour to the muted surroundings.
Hotel Restaurant
It should come as little surprise, given Torre del Marqués sits among 130 hectares of olive groves, almond-tree orchards and vineyards, that much of the menu pays tribute to the flavours found within. Head chef Eduardo takes a ‘zero-kilometre’ approach to his creations, bringing garden-fresh creations to the table every day. Chief among these is his take on the local ternasco de Aragón – meltingly tender Ternasco lamb, slow-cooked for 16 hours and served with earthy purple potatoes, sugar-sweet shallots and zingy green mustard foam. Just try not to fill up on too much fresh bread and silky olive oils beforehand. Wash down your feast with wines from neighbourhood vintners so local you’ve probably nodded hello to them on your morning constitutional. Inside the restaurant, expect muted stonework and rustic pale woods. Though it seems likely you’ll spend more time gazing outside than in: the awe-inspiring limestone outcrops of the Ports de Beseit massif can be seen through the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
Hotel Bar
The cooling stone walls of the lobby bar make it a great place to take refuge from the midday sun. While you're here, it'd be rude not to peruse the wine list featuring fiery local Garnachas and Tempranillos.
Last Orders
Breakfast is served 8am-10.30am; lunch from 1pm until 3pm; dinner starts at 8pm and finishes up at 10.30pm. The all-day lobby bar is open 11am-11pm.
Planes
Zaragoza and Reus international airports are both a two hours’ drive from the hotel.
Automobiles
The hotel’s remote rural location means you’re likely going to need wheels. Take the opportunity to pair your countryside escape with a stay in one of Spain’s celebrated coastal cities. It’s about three hours’ drive from both Barcelona (to the north) and Valencia (to the south), cruising along Balearic bluffs and into mountainous Matarraña. There’s free parking and an electric-car charger at the hotel, to boot.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Drag your newly becalmed self away from poolside loungers and steamy saunas for five minutes, and you’ll find plenty more gentle pursuits to be enjoyed in this most laidback of locations. Finca Mas de Llucia offers a wine-tours and tasting experience sipping its finest organic reds and whites against a dizzying mountain backdrop; prices start from €45. After all, if you’re not sampling Spanish wines when surrounded by far-as-the-eye-can-see vineyards, then when? If the vino doesn’t get you well-oiled, the award-winning extra-virgin at Mas de Flandi surely will.
Crowding along the banks of the Matarraña River, the medieval town of Valderrobres is chock-full of Gothic and Renaissance edifices, jostling for space through narrow winding streets that lead to the unmissable crenellated castle complex.
Horse riding, zip-lining, canyoning and truffle-hunting can also be organised by the hotel’s concierge, and undoubtedly make for more riveting postcard material than the usual ‘weather good, wish you were here’.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
