LUX Hotel & Spa Awards 2016

LUX - Hotel & Spa Awards 2016 19 Best Harmonious Getaway - Spain Hospedería Convento de la Parra is situated in the small village of La Parra in south west Spain, southwest of Badajoz, between the Tierra de Barros plains and the dehesa Sierra del Suroeste mountains. It occupies a building that was originally an enclosed convent of the order of Santa Clara, built in 1678 and inhabited by the Claris nuns until 1979. After a careful renovation project, the convent opened as a hotel in July 2000. The hotel was conceived with one main objective in mind: to combine simplicity and comfort and provide the most pleasant stay possible for our guests. The aesthetic of the hotel, presided over by the use of white, relies on the traditional architectural materials found throughout the region: clay, wood, iron and sisal. Each object and each space, has been carefully designed by our in-house team to ensure that the hotel is unique. Throughout the restoration and decoration process, we worked hand in hand with local craftsmen and most of the furniture and decorative objects in the hotel were specifically commissioned. The bedrooms are arranged around a spacious interior patio. Ten of the rooms have retained the original style of the convent and are reminiscent of the cells once occupied by the nuns, whilst in the rest of the building, every room is different, each one an unexpected surprise. Best Harmonious Getaway - Spain Dario Martinez Doblas, the owner of Hospedería Convento de la Parra, an historic boutique hotel in South west Spain, tells us about what makes his establishment unique. HS160073 Company: Hospedería Convento de la Parra Name: Dario Martinez de Azcona Email: dario@ vivedespacio.com Web: www.vivedespacio.com Address: C/ Santa Maria 16 06176 La Parra (Badajoz) Hospedería Convento de la Parra In the cloisters surrounding the patio, there are several daybeds where guests can enjoy life´s simple pleasures: the contemplation of the storks overhead, reading a book or just a good siesta, and in the summer months, the options are extended with the opening of our swimming pool, tucked away within the walls of the old orchard. Throughout the year, guests enjoy the reading room on the upper floor and the open-air south patio, with its relaxing sun loungers on which to sit in the winter sun, and white awnings, which provide shade in the summer. The main theme to our establishment is ‘Vivedespacio’, the English translation meaning ‘Live slow’, which follows the ‘slow life’ philosophy. Obviously this affects the guests’ experience in every sense, from the design of the rooms to the food we serve. As an example of this philosophy, we do not have televisions or radios in our guest rooms. We are really passionate in all that we do, and that is transmitted to the guests, ensuring our clients experience the highest quality service. Secondly, we are located in one of the poorest villages in Spain, therefore we provide people in the area with work opportunities. They return these opportunities with a great deal of commitment and effort, and these factors, plus our passion, make the stay in our hotel for clients a memorable one. Like in other industries, our industry is undergoing a revolution. The new technology, plus the necessity of new experiences demanded by the clients, made us to transform and update our products and services. We are redefining our experiences and the way we interact with our clients, before they arrive, during the stay and when they leave. We know that technology is important today but our philosophy is to change your habits and lifestyle whilst you are staying in the hotel - that is why we provide internet but we do not have any other forms of technology available in guest rooms. The Hospedería Convento de la Parras authenticity is what makes it unique from other establishments. The convent is a traditional convent, the food is made by the ladies of the village with local products and you can watch the storks in their nests on top of the building. Like a good old convent, the outside of the hotel reveals nothing about the treasure you will find inside. Today, the necessity for having time for yourself and taking the time to enjoy the little things in life, is more important than ever. Our guests´ expectations are more or less the same as they were a few years ago. However, our goal is overcoming these expectations. We are very happy for receiving this award. For a small hotel like us, an award like this is a push to keep working hard and to maintain our passion. We are very proud of our hotel, because it maintains our historical patrimony and also gives opportunities to the people of this small village. Thanks again!