Hotels in Logrono

The architect Frank Gehry hit a career milestone when he designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.But that wasn't his only important building in Spain. The winery and hotel Marqués de Riscal, Calle Torrea 1 (tel. 94-518-08-80), at Elciego 01340 is a wonder and has many of the architectural characteristics of the Guggenheim Museum. The roof, for example, is constructed from curved plates of titanium suspended at different angles and tinted silver, gold, and rose. The design of the exterior of the hotel is meant to evoke a "grapevine just before the fruit is harvested." The elegant rooms are all about windows; there are even window seats that follow the zigzagging contours of the exterior glass. The architect said he wanted "to make the view part of the room." The hotel is very pricey and it's not in the city itself—it's 26km (16m) northwest of Logroño, and about 129km (80 miles) south of Bilbao, in the heart of the Rioja wine region. A Michelin-starred restaurant is on-site, as is an indoor heated swimming pool, a fitness center, and even a spa offering "wine treatment therapies." Even if you can't afford to stay there, it's worth visiting for its onsite museum, winery, and, of course, the architecture.

Another near-Logrono accommodation, Fábrica de Harinas “La Gloria” (tel. 94-137-30-48), is a small hotel converted from a mill-turned-flour-factory at the north end of the town of San Millán. Opened in 2022, it has sparkling modern decor while retaining the sturdy wooden roof beams of days gone by. It offers just nine gorgeous rooms, with spacious doubles at 65€‒100€ per night; trade up to one of the suites (90€‒130€) to secure a spa bath. Breakfast is included in the rates; there’s a bar and restaurant on-site, free Wi-Fi, and eight horses grazing out the back. A museum next door has been painstakingly restored by Raúl (the hotel owner and great-grandson of the mill founder) and is worth a visit once you’ve done the nearby monasteries.