Hospedería Palacio de Casafuerte

Hospedería Palacio de Casafuerte occupies a former noble palace in the centre of Zarratón, a small village in Rioja Alta surrounded by vineyards and cereal fields, a few kilometres from Haro. The Lombillo-Vozmediano family restored it while preserving its original fabric: the ashlar stone façade, the family coats of arms, the high ceilings, and the period walls, floors and tiles.

Shared spaces include a lounge, the breakfast room, a bar and café, the restaurant, a garden and a terrace. The house is entirely non-smoking and has a lift, one room adapted for guests with reduced mobility and free private parking. Haro is about ten minutes away by car, Logroño about thirty-five.

The house is run directly by the Lombillo-Vozmediano family, who oversaw its restoration, with a small number of rooms and a personal style of service. Reception can advise on wineries to visit, walking and cycling routes and how to plan days out in La Rioja; laundry service and luggage storage are available.

The property is entirely non-smoking, with a designated outdoor smoking area. Private parking is free and included in the stay.

There are three room types: the Double, with a double bed or two single beds, the Superior Double and the Suite. Furnishings are traditional, with four-poster beds in some rooms, original beams and floors set alongside renovated bathrooms, some with a separate bath and shower.

All rooms have a private bathroom, air conditioning and heating, flat-screen satellite TV, minibar, safe and free Wi-Fi; most have a private balcony. Breakfast and parking are always included in the rate.

The palace restaurant serves traditional Rioja cooking based on seasonal produce, with a wine list drawn from the Rioja appellation. Breakfast, included in the stay, is served in its own room with artisan products and home baking; the bar and café is open during the day for snacks and drinks.

The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays: that evening, dinner is best arranged in Haro, about ten minutes away, or in the nearby villages. Booking a table in advance is recommended, especially at weekends.

Zarratón lies in Rioja Alta, between Haro and Santo Domingo de la Calzada, in a landscape of vineyards and hills looking towards the Sierra de la Demanda. Haro, the region's wine capital, is about ten minutes away: its Barrio de la Estación brings together several of Rioja's historic bodegas, which can be visited by appointment. The Vía Verde greenway passes close to the village and is well suited to walks and bike rides.

Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a stop on the Camino de Santiago with its cathedral, is about twenty minutes away; Briones, one of Spain's most beautiful villages, about fifteen; the monasteries of Yuso and Suso at San Millán de la Cogolla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about forty. Logroño is about thirty-five minutes away and Vitoria-Gasteiz airport about fifty.