FROGS & BIRDS SINGING ?…read more The wife and I travel often and have stayed in luxury and subpar hotels based on the location and cost, and our current European adventure has had many lodging surprises. After an extensively grueling internet search, we found the Mas Sola Hotel in Northern Spain. The photos of the expansive property looked promising. We arrived at the Mas Sola hotel with an abundance of parking and were expecting luxury but would accept slightly less. We were immediately pleased by the ultra modern mediterranean decor and the well arbored curb appeal. The front desk clerk was friendly and provided the general hotel information and placed that golden room key into my hand and we happily pranced into this georgous room on the second floor overlooking a picturesque manicured pasture with a duck pond surrounded by tall trees wedged up against the pool - that was a long winded sentence. In a distance, there was a light fog floating around green mountains. The bedroom was modern with all the ammenities including a jewelry safe, free internet, flat screen tv (spanish channels only - but we're in Spain, so understandable) and a top class bathroom sporting a bidet, which was a first. One phone call to the front desk, and an extra large mid-firm body pillow and bottled waters were at our door within minutes, things are going great. Took a breather and sat on our private balcony to soak in the views. Hopefully, you can visualize what I observed. We took a stroll of the massive property and noticed a few of the ammenities which are as follows: Massola Restaurant, tennis and pickleball courts, two swimming pools, playground, gym, breakfast chamber, massage room and of course a full liquor bar in the main lobby. Ordered a cold draft beer from the bar and then received a well needed relaxing massage by Carmen who dug deep into my aching muscles. The massage prices range from $45 to $85, which was very reasonable. No available Ubers at this location but the hotel will order a taxi service upon request. There are two towns nearby - Girona and Santa Coloma de Farners with many bars, restaurants and rich history. Spent three nights at the Mas Sola Hotel and since the hotel does not have modern air conditioning, we slept with the patio door open and fell asleep to the sounds of frogs croaking and birds chirping forming a tranquil symphony. Absolutely impressed by the hospitality, the tasty Catalonian-Spanish influenced breakfast buffet every morning and the great accomodations which were a strong five stars all the way.

This hotel in Northern Spain was absolutely beautiful. The…read moredecor was modern Mediterranean and the rooms were spacious. Our room was situated on the second floor with a private balcony overlooking a green pasture with a large duck pond. Because there was no option for cooling air we had to leave the windows open while we slept. It was actually peacefully, relaxing to go to sleep with the sound of frogs croaking and birds chirping. The grounds were enormous with all kinds of activities to enjoy. The five star restaurant was just steps away and we ate there two times during our three day stay celebrating my husband's birthday.

A solid choice for a hotel in this quiet little Medieval town. Tucked in a little corner, away…read morefrom the main streets, making it super quiet and peaceful to relax in. Check in time is 3pm and check out time is 12pm. But if you ask nicely and pretend like you have a heavy backpack and a tiny lady bladder, they just might let you check in an hour early. The concierge, an older man (I didn't get his name), is nice without showing how annoyed he is with tourists (or Asians?) and explains everything to the fullest of his knowledge as well as ours. I like him. The rooms are well decorated and so is the bathroom. Clean and pretty spacious, comparing to some of the other 4 star hotels in Barcelona. They provided all the standard small appliances - fridge, safe, closet and water kettle, along with a few (4 to be exact) teas, instant coffees and all its accessories. They even gave an extra warm blanket in the closet for an extra cold night. How snug. Bathroom accommodation is awesome too! They provide you with everything (except for slippers and bathrobe, not that I need it)- shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, soap, toothbrushes and razor! And got a problem with unpredictable poopie butt? Worry no more, they not only have a tub in the shower but a bidet next to the toilet! Or if you just feel like having some water fountain up your rear.. whichever the case, you're in luck! (Sorry about all the exclamation marks in this review, I'm just excited about how thoughtfully awesome this place is.) Wifi is available and fast. Super needed for being in a foreign country with no roaming services. Their coffee bar, located right next to the lobby, is the best thing ever! At least so far for someone like me who isn't used to the 'lavish' lifestyle, they're just fudgin' awesome. The snack bar is open 24/7, though breakfast is not included, you can just eat the pastries they have here, along with (what looks like) oriental nut mix and candies AND some packets of soda crackers. There's also 9 different teas (I know because I counted, twice) to choose from (if you're not a coffee person) and lots of different kinds of coffee (from a machine of course, of course), all included when you book a room here. I think I may be in love with this hotel. But, as we all know, nothing in this world is perfect, nothing is without its flaws as is this hotel. It's not about the accommodations but their plumbing? The shower worked great but the showerhead didn't. I had to 'shower' with the tub-filler which was fine because I was in the mood to take a bath anyways, just minutes before I decided to shower.. so... maybe the room can read my thoughts? But it did made it a little tough to do the pre-shower before baths but I survived and cleaned. For a 4 Star hotel, they've earned their keep and then some! Superbly highly recommended.

The grounds here are beautiful. Every room gives you a great view of the mountains, as well as the…read moremonastery. Although a little difficult to find at first, it's location actually adds to its appeal. Quiet and secluded. The restaurants serve good food, but the price makes eating there nightly unrealistic. If you are looking for more casual fare it is best to look in the surrounding areas for dining options. Service was quick and efficient in all areas. If you are an English speaker, be forewarned there may be some issues communicating. Although the majority of the staff speak Spanish and French well, English is not spoken by most. Over all a great hotel if you want all of the rich scenery of Spain, without the hustle and bustle of Barcelona.

Overrated. The food is fine but not worth the price. The service was slow on the sunday we ate…read morethere, and not too friendly. The good thing is it's next to Monastir de Sant Benet which is worth a visit.

Vic is an attractive town an hour or so north of Barcelona by train, at the foot of the Pyrenees…read more With a history dating back to Roman times, and some attractive historic buildings, it makes for a good day out from Barcelona. Highlights include the cathedral , a 2nd century Roman temple, a collection of good Modernista houses and public buildings, and the Episcopal Museum, which houses an impressive collection of early mediaeval art. The old town clusters around its large and attractive main square, which holds busy markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The tourist office has the usual array of maps and leaflets, and staff speak some English and French as well as Spanish and Catalan.

We stayed for 1 night in May. Beautiful area to hike. The hostal is more like a basic hotel. Clean…read morerooms with nice views, excellent shower and clean. The bar area and restaurant area have great views as well and the food is good. Nice staff, definitely a recommendation

This hostal came as a surprise to me, as I just had booked me in on pure chance. It is a…read morewonderfully designed, clean place with individual rooms and a super-friendly staff. For 44 EUR a night incl. breakfast it was moderately priced.

Driving through the Pyrenees from Spain we arrived at 2:30 or so - after the normal French lunch…read moretime. A gracious host welcomed us into his restaurant and made his recommendations for our late lunch. We started with ratatouille Maison cuite au four à basse température, sauté de veau et mongettes fraîches, frontage blanc au miel et gâteau au citron maison. The food was absolutely fabulous and the service superb.

I am not sure why yelp blocked two of the only reviews by yelper Tony R. but I found them to be…read moreuseful. Tony R wrote one review in English and another in Spanish so maybe that's the reason his reviews were flagged. I only had breakfast at Els Casals so my review isn't as detail as Tony R. If interested, you should check out the hidden reviews. That said, my review is only for having breakfast organized by Aborigens. First time having breakfast at a one star Michelin restaurant. Els Casals is about an hour and a half drive from Barcelona. It's nice to explore somewhere outside of the city into the countryside. By the time we arrived, the table was set and food ready for us. The ranch actually houses a few guest rooms and a restaurant. The interior is very cozy and rustic and in the middle of the dining area, there's a small cellar where they hung a couple bunches of house cured sausages. Interesting. For breakfast we were served a few different kinds of house cured sausages, bread, spinach and beans, and black truffle omelets! Of course some red wine as well. So luxurious! This was not a typical breakfast and was made especially for the tour. Although, I saw the breakfast the ranch offered to the ranch guests consisted of some cured sausages and cheeses as well, we definitely had something more special. After breakfast, we had the chance to meet the owner and chef Oriol Rovira. He must be the warmest, nicest and funniest Michelin star chef I've ever met, not that I have met many. He was so kind to show us the kitchen and let us smell the bowl of black truffles he has. He also showed us the suckling pig which was only starting to roast in the oven and will take about 4-6 hours. After that, a tour of his sausage work shop where they make everything in-house. Els Casals totally defines the meaning of farm to table cuisine as he pretty much grows everything in his farm and serve the ingredients in his one star restaurant. Totally awesome experience and I would love to go back for dinner one day.