The Best Luxury Hotels in La Rioja, Spain

Some La Rioja hotels go big on nostalgia, but Hotel Marqués de Riscal is a joyous celebration of everything modern. Describing itself as a “21st-century château,” the hotel was designed by Frank Gehry – viewed from afar, it resembles an abstract art sculpture melting organically into the landscape. Rooms are luxurious – indoor spaces flow into outdoor spaces through eccentric, angular windows. There’s a chic spa and celeb-chef restaurant, and the vineyards of Elciego roll out from the doorstep like a carpet.

Set behind a stone-columned façade in the village of Ezcaray, this dignified retreat calls out to gourmands with two top-class restaurants. El Portal has been fêted with two Michelin stars for the inspiring tasting menus of chef Francis Paniego, while Echaurren Tradición delves deep into traditional La Rioja cuisine. Almost a side serving to the stunning food, rooms have a Nordic blend of simplicity and style with natural wood tones, swatches of colour and partitions making zones out of the living spaces.

The name says it all at this sleek former palace, facing onto the Ebro River. The original building – a stone-built charmer from the 16th-century – has been extended with straight-edged elements in glass and steel. It’s an eye-catching blend of the ancient and modern; wood-filled rooms enjoy sublime views of the river and a green swathe of vineyards. Meanwhile, the interior design is refined rather than ostentatious – think lots of natural wood and unbleached linen, reflecting the colours of the old building.

Celebrated for its robust, spirited reds, the Bodega Puelles vineyard would be worth a visit just for its wines, but intimate accommodation in a tower-topped mansion set amongst the grapevines is the clincher. Part of the family home, rooms are gently informal, with rustic fabrics and vineyard views through large windows, and tastings and tours are part of the package. A hidden-from-prying-eyes pool and spa and spirit-calming walks through the vineyards only add to the air of private seclusion.

The village of Villabuena de Álava, or Eskuernaga in Basque, has almost as many wineries as inhabitants, but Hotel Viura transforms the wine village experience. An eccentric assembly of modernist cubes, like a Picasso painting executed in three dimensions, the hotel offers ultra-modern luxury, tucked into a stone square beside the village church. Rooms blend designer furnishings, outsized artworks and urban materials such as aged metal and polished concrete. It’s a stylish whole, and a relaxing bistro and house winery complete the list of La Rioja essentials.

The owners of this elegantly updated stone-walled palacio in the wine village of Samaniego understand the importance of light. Perforated walls, scattered lamps, skylights and picture windows fill the bedrooms with brightness, and the combination of tactile fabrics and objets d’art make the place feel like the home of a retired museum curator. A fine-dining restaurant plus a stylish terrace and pool in the walled garden complete the sense of escape.