I was one of the first guests at Hotel Palacio de los Ángeles. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Rioja luxury hotel.
With its large concentration of historic wineries, the town of Haro has long been considered the wine capital of Spain’s Rioja region. Travelers who want to sample Rioja’s famous reds now have a new luxury hotel option in Haro with the opening of Hotel Palacio de los Ángeles.
Honoring history + modern touches
Located in a former 18th-century Baroque palace, the new hotel honors the region’s rich history while adding contemporary style and modern touches to the fully refreshed property. I was among a group of travel journalists welcomed into Hotel Palacio de los Ángeles as its first guests. We were all naturally excited about the first look we were getting, but the residents of Haro proved just as interested in getting a peek at the new hotel as we were.
I don’t think anyone came away disappointed at the transformation. The meticulous restoration preserved the palace’s original stonework and soaring spaces while incorporating a contemporary interior design accented by wood, stone, and soothing natural hues. Seating areas spread throughout the main floor are set up for gathering over a cup of coffee or glass of Gran Reserva.
After a long day of sightseeing and wine sipping, the hotel’s 38 guest rooms and suites offer ideal conditions for a peaceful respite. I stayed in one of the hotel’s “Privilege” rooms, with an inviting seating area, views of the town, and an incredibly comfortable four-poster bed.
A wood-clad wall of cabinets and wardrobes proved both functional and aesthetically appealing. Gold fixtures, vessel sinks, and sleek mirrors brought a modern vibe to the bathroom, which included amenities like a Rowenta hair dryer that has forever ruined all other hair dryers for me.
An annex building houses 10 residences accommodating up to six guests, designed for extended stays or family getaways. Each residence includes a kitchen, living area, and dining space, and guests have access to all the hotel’s amenities.
Those include a lovely outdoor terrace, seasonal heated pool, and on-site spa. The hotel’s culinary program is overseen by the esteemed Echapresto brothers, owners of Venta Moncalvillo in the small village of Daroca de Rioja, which has been awarded two Michelin stars. Ignacio and Carlos Echapresto bring their passion for local ingredients and wines to the hotel’s Ventilla Wine Bar and Ventilla Restaurant.
The wine bar offers a more casual atmosphere for enjoying local vintages (the hotel’s underground cellar houses the world’s largest collection of Rioja wines), accompanied by charcuterie boards, cheeses, and other regional fare. The restaurant serves seasonal menus of classic Rioja cuisine spotlighting local staples like lamb, cod, sardines, and cured meats.
Beyond the hotel
Hotel Palacio de los Ángeles sits in a prime location for exploring Haro’s rich culinary and oenological history on foot. Just steps away from the hotel are must-visit spots like Bodegas Manzanos (the oldest winery in Haro) and Terete Restaurante, a neighborhood staple since 1877 that draws in diners for its signature vegetable stew, wood-fired roast lamb, and house-made wines.
Stroll from the town square over the Tirón River and you’ll soon find yourself in Barrio de la Estación (or the Station District), the world’s largest concentration of century-old wineries. Vine cultivation and wine making in Haro date back to Roman times, and the city’s underground caves have long offered optimal temperature and humidity conditions for preserving wines. But the region became a modern wine powerhouse in the late 1800s, when the French arrived in town and set up shop near the train station.
In the late 19th century, an aphid-like insect pest called phylloxera devastated the vineyards of Bordeaux. The Haro region had similar soils and climate conditions, so French winemakers came to town to produce wines and send them back to Bordeaux by train. When a solution to the phylloxera problem was developed and conditions in France improved, they returned home, but not before teaching Rioja winemakers techniques like aging in French oak barrels.
Barrio de la Estación is home to renowned longtime wineries like Bodegas Muga, Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE), and Gómez Cruzado. A stay at Hotel Palacio de los Ángeles should include time to explore the district either on your own or through an exclusive wine experience arranged by the hotel, which could be guided by renowned sommelier Carlos Echapresto when he’s available. The hotel can also arrange a visit to Venta Moncalvillo for a truly unforgettable dining experience.
Haro also makes for a convenient jumping off point for exploring the northwest corner of the Rioja region. Head to the Ollauri winery district to visit historic wineries like Conde de Los Andes as well as newer spots like Bodegas Beronia, one of the most sustainable wineries in Europe.
Near the scenic village of Briones, the Museum Vivanco of Wine Culture offers what its founders call “a true tribute to wine” supported by the family’s impressive collection of wine-related artifacts and artworks from around the world. Follow up a visit with a glass (or two) of the family’s own vintages in a truly spectacular setting with sweeping views of the area.
The perfect pairing? A Barcelona stay at its sister property
Hotel Palacio de Los Ángeles is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and is overseen by Majestic Hotel Management, a luxury hotel management company whose portfolio also includes the historic Majestic Hotel & Spa in Barcelona, where I stayed while passing through the vibrant capital of Catalunya.
Also a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the Majestic Hotel & Spa dates from 1918. Housed in a neoclassical building in Barcelona’s Eixample district, the hotel leans into a more traditional vibe, with guest rooms and suites done up in soft creams and tans and luxe marble bathrooms.
The hotel has hosted luminaries like Ernest Hemingway and Josephine Baker, and its central location makes it easy to visit Gaudi masterpieces like La Pedrera-Casa Milà, boutiques and luxury shops, and restaurants like JOK and Colmado Múrria for meals you will remember. There’s also a lot to admire within the hotel itself, where more than 1,000 works of art are displayed throughout the property. (Guided tours are offered by reservation.)
The hotel’s spa includes four treatment rooms and a hydro-massage pool. And its Restaurant SOLC offers farm-to-table Mediterranean cuisine and an award-winning Sunday brunch, featuring Iberian cured meats and cheeses, fresh seafood, and an enticing dessert buffet.
My favorite spot at the hotel? The rooftop restaurant and bar La Dolce Vitae, where you can linger over a cup of coffee or glass of wine while taking in sweeping views of city landmarks like Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Familia.
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About the author: Beth Luberecki is a travel and lifestyle journalist whose bylines include Forbes Vetted, and Luxury Vacationist sister sites FamilyVacationist and TourScoop. For this story, she traveled to Spain to review Hotel Palacio de los Ángeles, get ideas of other things to do in Rioja, and how to make the most of a Barcelona stopover. Everything you read in this story comes from her first-hand experiences as a professional traveler who got an exclusive sneak peek at this newly reinvented property.
