We visit Villa Magalean Hotel & Spa: the best boutique hotel in Hondarribia
We visit Villa Magalean Hotel & Spa: the best boutique hotel in Hondarribia
At the foot of Mount Jaizkibel, in the heart of Hondarribia, Villa Magalean can be found. The name makes reference to its privileged location (Magalean means “in the lap” in Basque), but also to how guests staying there feel; the fact of the matter is that this luxury hotel is a true paradise that wraps guests up in its lap and pampers them in all respects.
The original villa, in Neo-Basque style, was rebuilt in 2017 by interior designer Iñaki Biurrun, who turned it into a four-star boutique hotel with only eight rooms, a restaurant, and a spa. That remodel respected the original architecture of the 1950s, such as the carved beams, the wrought iron balconies, stone finishings around windows, Andalusian-style tiles, crown moldings, friezes, and the parquet and old-style flooring. The interior underwent an Art Deco redesign, introducing exquisite decorative elements from the Basque Country and Europe: lamps by Lladró, fine, quality fabrics selected in England and Italy (wool, linen, and velvet), contemporary furnishings from the Netherlands and Belgium, porcelain from Limoges, and stained-glass windows from the French Basque Country.
The eight rooms at Villa Magalean are all different from each other, although they each have a balcony or terrace. There are five double rooms and three suites: a Junior Suite, a Grand Suite and a Family Master Suite. Their names remind visitors of the charms of Hondarribia and Gipuzkoa: La Marina, the fishermen’s neighborhood; Guadalupe, the shrine that protects the city from high; Getaria, the fishing village that was the birthplace of Juan Sebastián Elcano; Pasajes, a picturesque seaside village admired by Víctor Hugo; Jaizkibel, the mountain protecting Hondarribia; Baluarte de la Reina, the name of the old city walls; Belharra, the giant wave of Saint-Jean-de-Luz; and Peñas de Aia, a natural park in Gipuzkoa. The areas of rest for the guests are rounded off by a reading room known as Albertine, which owes its nickname to the former owner of the original villa and commemorates, in turn, the well-known French heroin and intellectual. This place –where one can encounter history, culture, images, and letters– is home to works of Basque, Spanish, French, and Anglo-Saxon literature.
The Henriette Spa, named in memory of the first female beautician of Hondarribia, is one of the main attractions at Villa Magalean. The Spa’s alliance with Cinq Mondes invites guests to be swept away by ancient rituals and massages that transport them to Thailand, Morocco, China, Polynesia, Japan, and India by means of aromas, plants, oils, balms, and music. The spa has a sauna, a hammam where cleansing rituals are performed, an exfoliation area, and a hydro-massage shower featuring aromatherapy and phototherapy. The experience culminates at the infusion bar, where there is a selection of infusions and teas without theine.
The Mahasti restaurant deserves its own mention. Open to all who wish to enjoy signature dishes made with seasonal ingredients, Mahasti extols the region’s gastronomic wealth and helps to make Villa Magalean a gastronomic hotel. In a quiet, select environment, the Argentine chef Juan Carlos Ferrando and the Basque Markel Ramiro offer up food that features the product, creativity, freshness, and know-how as the main protagonists in their kitchen. A meticulous wine selection by Didier Miqueu, the hotel’s owner and wine expert, allows visitors to choose from the best French and Spanish labels, as well as a few other surprises.
Mahasti is the icing on the cake for the complete experience of Villa Magalean, a unique place to rest and be taken away by ancient rituals while enjoying top-notch gourmet food.
Villa Magalean Hotel & Spa
Calle Nafarroa Behera 2, Hondarribia.
Tel.: + 34 943 56 91 30
