Santa María Briones: this is the new trendy hotel located in a sixteenth-century manor house
Santa María Briones: this is the new trendy hotel located in a sixteenth-century manor house
In the beautiful medieval town of Briones, located in one of the most important wine-producing areas of La Rioja Alta, Santa María Briones has just opened its doors. This is a high-end boutique hotel built in a sixteenth-century manor house of great historical value, located very close to the town walls and tower, whose spectacular views have the Ebro River’s meanders as a backdrop.
Santa María Briones has 16 spacious rooms of different categories: Standard, Superior, Deluxe, and Junior Suite, in addition to the large Berones room, built on two levels. The rooms are equipped with home automation technology and offer views of the vineyards located at the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria Mountain Range, as well as the Ebro River, the medieval town of Briones, and its defensive wall – also integrated into the establishment’s inner courtyard.
“Allegar” (a term that, in local jargon, means “to clean one’s plate”) is the name of the restaurant and the wine bar at the hotel. Their culinary offer is the brainchild of Juan Cuesta, a native of Logroño who trained in restaurants such as El Portal de Echaurren alongside Francis Paniego, as well as Martín Berasategui’s MB in Tenerife. His culinary delights reinterpret the Riojan recipe book based on ingredients of utmost quality from local growers and producers, treated with great care and a refined technique. The marinated partridge salad, the cream of cod with rosemary mushrooms, and the kid goat sweetbread with Riojan pepper are just a small sample of the exquisite dishes included on the menu. The restaurant also has a private area located in an old wine press where grapes were stomped – ideal for group meals.
During the building’s renovation works, the original house “calado” or “wine cellar” was recovered, a very important element associated with the culture of wine in La Rioja: “calados” are small caves excavated in the rock that were used in the past to make, store, and age wine and which are currently used for informal meals. The hotel’s “calado” cellar, in addition to being one of the best preserved in the area, is the ideal place to taste a typical menu featuring ingredients from La Rioja. Above the “calado” is La Habladilla, another private area equipped with all the necessary technology for professional meetings. The common areas are topped off with a spacious sitting room with a fireplace, a library with an old medieval cistern, a cafeteria, a gym with a terrace, and a private parking area with chargers for Tesla cars and other electric vehicles.
The recovery project for this manor house was carried out by architect Ignacio Quemada (responsible in the La Rioja Alta region for the Campo Viejo Winery and the Institute of Grapevine and Wine Sciences) and by the Isabel López Vilalta & Asociados interior design studio who, respecting the original elements of the building and based on the use and combination of light with fine materials of natural origin such as stone and wood, have managed to create spaces with an intimate atmosphere that invite you to disconnect and enjoy the deep-rooted wine culture.
Santa María Briones
Calle Concepción 37, Briones.
Tel.: +34 941 991 599
