Mas de Torrent

Style

Pop princesses’ pad

Setting

Mountains and the Med

Sometimes, all you need is a sun-baked siesta – where you wake to the cooling breeze of early evening, a new ‘it will turn to tan’ line, and a still-snoring companion. Mas de Torrent, from Relais & Chateaux, is just the place: the pace is slow, the farmhouse is tranquilo and the surroundings are seductively sleepy (enough to lure pop princesses away from the limelight, it seems – Kylie, Shakira and Streisand have all stayed here). The tennis courts, bikes to rent, yoga space or gym could entice movement – and the promise of copious Catalan cuisine at the restaurant – but, in typical Spanish fashion, there’s no rush. Sit back, one of mixologist Manel Vehí's cocktails in hand, and soak it all in.

Facilities

Rooms

38 red-tiled rooms, including 34 suites – some of which have private pools.

Checkout

Noon; earliest check-in, 3pm.

More Details

Rates include an afternoon-tea-esque three-tiered breakfast of artisan cheeses, cold meats and local farm yogurts. You can also order à la carte dishes spanning buckwheat pancakes, avocado and poached eggs, or ham and cheese omelettes.

Also

As Torrent is tucked away enough for global chart-toppers, don’t be surprised to see low-caps and oversized sunglasses skulking around the pool: you could even don some yourself, to add to the mystery.

Hotel Closed

The hotel is closed throughout January and February every year.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Free parking, laundry service, WiFi, outdoor pool, indoor lap pool, sauna and hammam, Techo-gym equipment, hydrotherapy pools. In rooms: tea- and coffee-making facilities, hairdryer, bluetooth speakers, WiFi, bathrobes and slippers, Finca Serena toiletries

Our Favourite Rooms

Dawn-to-dusk sun worshippers will love room seven in the masia – its huge balcony catches the sunrise in the morning and sunset in the evening. The garden suites are particularly private, set away from the main building with their own pool, making them ideal for honeymooners or seclusion-seekers.

Poolside

Two pools grace the grounds of Mas de Torrent: one nestled in the gardens, bordered by palm trees and parasols; and an adults-only lap pool in the spa. Both pools are open from 7am.

Spa

The spacious MasSpa features a hammam, sauna and Techo-gym equipment. Dip back and forth between the 14- and 38-degree hydrotherapy pools, activating circulation and relaxing muscles as you go. Or to really let go of inhibitions, book a Natura Bissé treatment – you’ll drift back to your room with perfectly pedicured toes and tension-free triceps. You can also book a couples room and an orange- and lavender- infused massage for a boost of romance.

Packing Tips

Pack something pedal-able to make use of the free bikes (and e-bikes, if the rolling Spanish hills look a bit much); comfortable shoes are a must for mooching around mediaeval villages.

Also

Space in the spa is reserved for yoga, pilates and meditation – there’s no need to bring your own mat. Private tennis and paddle lessons are available to minimise tennis-elbow type injuries.

Children

Children’s menus are available at both of the restaurants; extra beds and cots can be added to larger rooms.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Nab a terrace table for a vista of glowing green landscape, especially in the height of summer.

Dress Code

You could go full-flamenco or fuss-free here: the food is fine dining but the atmosphere is relaxed (much like the hotel itself, infact).

Hotel Restaurant

Restaurant Mas de Torrent serves Catalan cuisine, using only the finest local produce. Star dishes include the turbot with suquet and the baby squid, but the croquettes and cannelloni are equally tasty. We loved the Iberico chargrilled pork – smokey as can be – and the elevated version of typical Gironan pastry Xuixo. You can choose from terrace-top tables with views over Empordà, or cosy enclaves by the well-stocked wine cellar.

Hotel Bar

Bar Glicinias feels something of a juxtaposition to the neutral tones and breezy rooms throughout Mas de Torrent – it’s dark and sultry, inducing late nights spent putting the world to rights over bottles of local wine. Many guests start their evenings here with a cocktail curated by the hotel's mixologist. The ‘Sherry Rich’ is a Glicinias go-to, and certainly lives up to its name with the very best of ingredients: Veuve Clicquot Rich, Campari, Pedro Ximénez and strawberries. Others might feel more inclined to the Green Vibes Detox mocktail – a concoction of lemon Kombucha, pear juice, kale and agave nectar that will have tomorrow-you thanking last night-you.

Last Orders

A leisurely breakfast is served 8–11am in the poolside restaurant, and lunch 1–3.30pm. Dinner kicks off at 8pm, giving you more than enough time for that aftersun-aroma holiday moment. At night, call for la cuenta by 10.30pm.

Room Service

Room service is not just available, but encouraged: the expansive menu ideal for those wishing to be more discreet. Order fresh asparagus salad, Iberian ham, reams of Catalan cheese or braised artichokes, finished with a lemon pie and delicate white wine.

Planes

Girona-Costa Brava airport is a 45-minute drive from the hotel: contact the hotel directly to book transfers.

Trains

You can arrive into Girona by train from Paris or Barcelona (www.raileurope.co.uk) and the station is a 50-minute drive from Mas de Torrent.

Automobiles

It’s worth having wheels in Empordá – if only for reaching the Brava beaches and tapas bars – and the hotel has free parking on-site. Roadtrippers might arrive from Girona (50 minutes), Barcelona (two hours), or further afield: France is surprisingly close – the old town of Perpignan and its gothic palace are just across the border.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Empordà’s patchwork of terracotta roofs, pine-tree topped hills and icing-sugar white casas can easily be explored by bike or car. Head to nearby mediaeval towns (Begur is beautiful, as is Esclanyà), glistening coves washed with the waves of the Mediterranean, and idyllic fishing villages such as Sa Tuna (an apt name, if ever we’ve heard one): all give a taste of life in Costa Brava. Drives between villages are punctuated only by rice fields, fruit orchards, forests and farmland – you’re never too far from an olive tree or a vineyard here.

There are plenty of great beaches, too, so pick from our favourites: Cala S'eixugador’s bay of blues and greens; S'Agaró for its beach-hut backdrop; or Illa Roja’s transparent waters and red-tinted rock view. Those with an ocean-exploring agenda can hire a motor boat from Tamariu, and set sail for Pedrosa cove, where you can moor up and swim ashore to a tiny restaurant selling prawns and omelettes. Good snorkelling can be found here, as well as further north – the underwater life around Marquesa comes recommended.

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. .