Hotels We Like

Simple sophistication

Eighteen months ago, I wrote an article on Been-Seen about the Glencomeragh House Retreat Centre in Ireland, which features poustinia, small cabins used for meditation, around its grounds. It's beautiful in its simplicity – a 19th-century house surrounded by striking modern cubes. So it's great to hear about Consolación, a similar hotel in the relatively undiscovered Matarraña region of Spain.

This time round it's a baroque stone building (close to the Consolacion Hermitage), surrounded by ten 'kubes', wooden blocks built into the landscape. Each is 100m from the main building, in the middle of fragrant herb gardens.

Designed by Camprubi i Santacana Arquitectes, the hotel makes great use of natural materials like wood and stone, as well as sheet metal. The kubes are 36 sqm of minimalist architecture – black slate floors, with bathtubs emerging from them, and suspended chimneys.

Each has a large west-facing window and terrace, with views of pine trees and little else. Like the poustinia in Ireland, they boast total privacy.

The main building holds a kitchen which serves as a constant meeting place, and another outhouse serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Seclusion should always be so stylish. RM

2009 Jun 24 no responses. share this

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