Happy Hoteling in Spain: Winter '25 Edition
The 236 most special hotels in Spain, updated and better than ever.
Hoy, estamos en España and I’m excited. This upgrade has been in the works for quite some time, and I’m thrilled to finally share today. Now, really and truly, the Spain Hotel List is about as robust as it can get. A curated encyclopedia of all the most special places to stay (and have your bed made for you), across the country. Dare I say…it’s very good? I dared, because I think it is. 236 hotels made the cut.
I’ve loved the big rain that we’ve had in San Francisco the past few days. One of the things I’ll miss most are my skylights. I have always felt warmest (in all dictionary definitions) with a loud pitter-patter and wind snarling against my building. Also, I’ve been obsessed with a show for the first time in a long time – Paradise on Hulu. I can’t wait for it to be next week, and I haven’t felt that way about television for so long. Thank you to Cate Kulcsar, who is a great follow on both TikTok and Instagram.
My friends are coming over this weekend to “shop” everything I’m parting with. Weirdly, I’ve found it easy to say goodbye to a whole lot of stuff. I have so much stuff! Except for books. I have a really hard time parting with those, even the paperback fiction that’s easily and affordably replaceable. My vintage magazine collection is a puzzle I’ve yet to crack. In many ways, they’re some of my most prized possessions. But also, I’ve always used them – for inspiration and reference and they’ve lived on surfaced surfaces that have seen years of gardening and they’re sure as hell not in good enough condition to ever be collector’s items. But I love them, so they’ll probably make it to storage and maybe even some to Italy from the get-go.
Also, I’m in full-throttle excitement mode. Yes nervous and overwhelmed, but less and less.
saved my tush and suggested a route that made my visa process much less stressful – I am so grateful. This goes without saying but if you don’t subscribe to Yolo Journal already and to Yolanda’s new Substack , it’s the must of all the musts.Sunday’s edition will be all the requested itineraries from the past few weeks. There’s a chance it won’t make it up until next Wendesday, if I’m unable to finish in time. I don’t want to sacrifice Sunday with my friends, it will be our last of just hanging and the end of a friendship era in a lot of ways. Whenever it goes live, it will be as soon as possible, and it will be good – that I promise.
You rock, thank you so much for being here and for your support.
35 New Hotel Additions
The original Spain Hotel List went live just over a year ago, January 24, 2024, and it’s been time to update it and big time. This has been months in the making – constant adding, culling, vetting, gut-checking. Only the Special made the cut, as always. 235 hotels in total, including others that I’ve mentioned here or there in the months in between.
The hotels are all around the country. Luxury hotels to affordable agroturismos. The Balearic Islands get their usual preferential treatment, as they’re what you request most from me in Spain. But we have new additions all around the coast, in the cities, and way up close in the middle of nowhere.
Below, I’ve added all the additions to the OG Spain Hotel List, so you can reference the whole country on a single list. They have also been added to the Google Map available to Founding Members.
In a constant effort to give as much context as feels right, there’s an explanation for each hotel. The why for their place on the list. Because the vast majority out there do do not make it!
A lot of these were found deep in map searches in specific towns or by going down rabbit holes of Spanish interior designers and tastemakers I follow and where they stay (and often, don’t tag). I’m proud of it, and boy do I have so many trips to Spain to plan.
For anyone new here, welcome, I’m thrilled to have you and I’d love to share a bit about these big hotel lists. Firstly, this is a list of hotels that are not just a place to rest your head. Truthfully, this isn’t your place if that’s typically what you seek. While this is entirely a curation of my eye and personal taste, it’s not done without knowing the broader landscape and vast variety of traveling styles. There is no one size fits all solution to choosing a hotel and how to travel. So, I consciously add hotels that I know are set apart from the pack and are Special in their own right, even if they’re not the most suited to my personal preferences. This is to be a comprehensive curation (intentional oxymoron) of hotels, this case in Spain, a guide for trip planning for all sorts of Good People with Good Taste.
I hope you enjoy. There’s a lot of gems.
Spain
Casa Formentera, Formentera – It’s allllll about the location right on the beach, and it’s cool in general, very bohemian and laid-back and very Formentera.
Hotel Los Jardines de Palerm, Ibiza – Cool to the core, and very well-located. Intimate but cozy, minimal but soulful.