Les Pardines 1819
Pyrenean tease
Hillside above Encamp
Storied Andorran farmstead turned boutique mountain lodge Les Pardines 1819 is the pride and joy of brothers Josep Maria and Jordi, whose great-grandfather settled the farm in (you guessed it) 1819. It’s a heritage that the brothers celebrate in their respectful overhaul of the original buildings, although the result is more romp than celebration. First impressions – the Grandvalira ski area with Pyrenean peaks all around – are handsome. Good looks alone, however, won’t get you far, but dinner with Catalan wine and finessed regional cooking just might. Then it’s up to the bedroom, where moodily lit, barely dressed interiors focus on aged timbers, original stone and polished concrete all begging to be fondled. Less rustic romance; more fifty shades of hay.
Facilities
Rooms
18, including three suites.
Checkout
11am; earliest check-in, 3pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability.
More Details
Rates include buffet breakfast. Over winter and during August, a two-night minimum stay applies.
Also
For guests with limited mobility, there’s a lobby lift to all rooms and the restaurant is at ground level. Very tall guests should avoid second-floor rooms in the eaves.
Hotel Closed
The hotel opens seasonally in winter and summer.
Free Internet Access
Laundry
On-Site Restaurant
Spa
At the Hotel
Restaurant, bar, spa, honesty bar, games room, guest shuttle (winter/August). In rooms: free WiFi, free bottled water, free tea & coffee (suites only), bathrobes and Crocs for the spa.
Our Favourite Rooms
Room two is a superior room in the same building as the three suites and is the only one to have a name (Origen) as the original residence of Jordi and Josep Maria’s great grandfather, Jacint. Its bed sits on a mezzanine that conceals rocks in the foundations that could not be moved. Spacious suites each come with a private terrace. Of the rooms, 15 and 16 are high-ceilinged and generously proportioned, with a mezzanine for up to two children in room 15.
Poolside
A small hydrotherapy pool in the spa is the place to unknot tired muscles, but not large enough for lengths.
Spa
A dimly lit, dark-walled spa off the lobby features two treatment rooms, a sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool with jets. Its diminutive size means it’s best to reserve the space with reception so you can have it to yourselves. It comes with a changing area, toilet and shower.
Packing Tips
Lumberjack luxe: denim, flannel, checks and chunky boots or channel après-ski glamour with layered knits and faux-fur. Befitting the hotel’s Catalan country roots, there’s a laid-back vibe and no need to dress up.
Also
If you’re coy about your ablutions, book with care: some rooms have doorless ensuites (toilet included) and come with showers (show-ers?) that feature a glass wall facing the bedroom.
Children
Welcome, although with little infrastructure for kids, this is a hotel for older children. There’s a family room with a mezzanine that’ll sleep under-10s and interconnecting rooms on the second floor. Baby cots can be provided for tots under two.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Tables beside the floor-to-ceiling windows serve up the best views.
Dress Code
Zero formality required; moody hues and tactile layers will complement your surroundings beautifully.
Hotel Restaurant
The restaurant at Les Pardines 1819 is the star of the show. For starters, there’s its mountain setting, looking out over the pond to the pasture beyond through picture windows and from terrace tables in summer. Chef Oscar Villalba is the creative lead here, working with the hotel owners to put together a proudly Andorran menu that celebrates the land and reflects their shared rustic roots. There’s nothing rustic, however, about the delicate presentation of seasonal dishes such as roasted hare with textures of beetroot, chicken a la catalana and a mountain take on paella. The play of flavour and texture in desserts such as cooked pineapple with rum ice-cream and rice soup with blood-orange cream is the kind of culinary skill that prompts wonder. And don’t let the food eclipse the Catalan wine menu, where even the house bottles, such as Sisquella, a moreish Garnatxa Blanca (white Grenache) blend, set a high bar.
Hotel Bar
Mustard-velvet sofas and armchairs and broadly wicker-shaded ceilings lamps brighten the hotel’s moody basement bar beneath the restaurant, where you can linger over balloon-glass G&Ts, a glass of Catalan wine, bottled local beers or Estrella on draft.
Last Orders
The restaurant is open 1pm–3pm and 8pm–10pm, Wednesday to Saturday (lunch only on Sunday). Breakfast is served 8am–10am daily. The bar pours from 3pm until 7pm.
Room Service
There’s no room service, but an honesty bar in the lobby means you can help yourself to tea and coffee, wine, beer and soft drinks and a selection of snacks.
Planes
The hotel is around a three-hour drive from whichever airport suits your itinerary: Barcelona or Girona from Spain, and Toulouse or Perpignan on the French side.
Automobiles
There’s free parking on site at the hotel and wheels are a practical option if town-hopping around Andorra is on your agenda.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Andorra is a forested province set entirely in the Pyrenees and a stay at Encamp puts you at the heart of this beautiful mountain range. Walking trails from your doorstep can take you to high-altitude huts, onto the range-spanning GR11 or into Unesco-listed national park, the Madriu Perafita Claror Valley. Local road cycling comes courtesy of the Carretera dels Cortals d'Encamp – a heart-pumping climb which has starred in various Vuelta Ciclista mountain stages. And there’s mountain biking at Soldeu Bikepark, too. Accessible from Encamp via a speedy gondola, the Grandvalira ski area brings together 210km of piste for snowboarding and skiing, encompassing Soldeu-El Tarter and Pas de la Casa-Grau Roig. Encamp itself, with its smattering of shops and cafés, is a short drive down the hill from the hotel, and all the restaurants and retail you could ask for are in neighbouring Andorra La Vella, still only 10 minutes away by road.
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. .
