Farmhouse Hotel & Spa
An architect-converted small luxury hotel of understated elegance and great creativity in Mallorca.
We are located in a region called Teruel. It is one of the least discovered areas in Spain, but only 2.5 hours away from Barcelona.
Consolación
Consolación lies in an exceptionally undisturbed and undiscovered location.
Consolación is the perfect place for a solitary and very personal yet luxurious experience.
Unbelievable tranquillity and excellent food. What more do you need to recharge the batteries?
If you need action and lots of sightseeing during your holiday, this is not the perfect place for you.
How would you describe Consolación in a nutshell?
Consolación is a luxurious, small design hotel that is hidden away in a mostly undiscovered region of Spain, the Matarraña in Teruel which is part of Aragon in northeastern Spain. Its unique spaces, surrounded by amazing nature are something you will want to experience. The hotel has twelve rooms, ten of which are modern wooden Kubes that are set right onto the edge of the bluff. The other two are part of the old hermitage.
What was your inspiration to open a small hotel?
Our inspiration comes from our own travel experiences and from one of the architects, Craig Ellwood. He prefers simplicity and we, therefore, used simple materials like concrete, wood, and glass to create a very geometric design. Tanizaki was another influence as well as the simplicity of Japanese architecture.
What is the atmosphere like at Consolación?
The landscape that Consolación is set into is amazing in the sense that it’s all-natural and authentic. We wanted to use an architecture that creates an experience as if you are living outdoors. Staying at Consolación, and especially in the Kubes, is like being in a very sophisticated tent in the middle of nature.
Please tell us about the history and the renovation.
The land is owned by the town, and the church, which is from the 16th century, belongs to the Bishop of Santa Rosa.
The church has a house attached to it that holds Consolación’s common rooms such as the restaurant, library, kitchen, and dining room. We wanted to make sure that the church, as well as the house, would be well-integrated into the overall project which took us about five years to complete.
What is so special about staying at Consolación?
A lot of time, energy, money, and headache were put into the project and after five years we were truly exhausted. However, we thought out every single detail of the design, the food, etc., which made it an all-together amazing experience. We are very proud of the project and how it has turned out.
Consolación is the perfect place for a solitary and very personal yet luxurious experience. There are writers, for example, who have visited just for the solace of writing. It’s a calm place but also a great place to share with someone, to experience nature together and watch the stars.
Please tell us about the food.
In Consolacion’s kitchen team we feel a true passion for our environment. We are in love with Matarraña, and fascinated by Maestrazgo. That’s why we get all of our supplies from what this area offers. Ecological vegetables from Ráfales, “Ternasco de Teruel” lamb from Torrecilla de Alcañiz, Monroyo truffles, Teruel’s ham, shepherd's cheese from Peñarroya de Tastavins… it’s a never-ending list! That’s how we create our offer, with all respect and humility and in close cooperation with our suppliers. We hope we can communicate all the passion that all of us put in every course.
There are two 50 sqm rooms in the main building. One is Baroque, and more like an old château, and the other is Nordic in design with furniture brought in from Berlin and lamps by Alvar Aalto.
Then we have the 10 individual Kubes that all have fireplaces and big windows overlooking the landscape. In line with the Japanese influence, the bathtubs are built into the floors of the rooms, and the mattresses are down at floor level. The rooms have showers and mini-kitchens with a refrigerator and a kettle. The TVs are into the wardrobe so they are out of sight unless in use.
Two of the Kubes were built so that they could potentially be used as one big space which makes them great for families.
The room is located on the first floor of the house belonging to the Ermita, a building of baroque origins like the church itself. It features 46 sqm of explosive colors and fabrics which take their inspiration from the 19th century. There is a double bedroom with a lounge area with an open fireplace. The Edwardian style wardrobe and two windows with beautiful patio views complement the room. There is also a double shower bathroom.
The room is located on the first floor of the house belonging to the Ermita, a building of baroque origins like the church itself. It features soft tones and original Danish furniture, a double bedroom, an open fireplace and three windows that offer beautiful views over the mountains. Lamps from Alvar Aalto, a desk and a double shower bathroom complete room facilities.
The 10 modernist Kubes are fronted with natural pine and placed on a cliff edge. The access to the kubes is via a natural garden carpeted with rosemary and thyme. They feature three walls and one huge window to indulge the amazing landscape surrounding the hotel. There is a double bed, a sunken bath of luxurious black slate and a chimney suspended in mid air (except Kube 10). Kubes 9 and 10 are the only ones that are attached – they are perfect for a group or family but they can also be completely independent, just linked by a wall.
The restaurant is open year-round and available to everyone, not just for hotel guests. It’s based on the slow food concept with local foods like fruits and vegetables coming from our own garden. The area is very rich in black truffles, which we also serve in the restaurant. We offer a bit more sophistication in our dishes, but we still refer back to traditional recipes.
As far as other services go, we offer soup and juice to guests upon arrival and give them a small homemade cake on departure. We can also arrange excursions like kayaking trips or other local tours.
Many guests spend 90% of their time in the rooms to enjoy the solitude. Others venture out to explore the area. You can go walking, biking, kayaking, hunting for black truffles or mushrooms, or have a picnic. In summer, our guests can relax on the terraces and swim in the pool. We also work with a company that organises trips with 4x4s and there’s an old train line that’s out of service, which has become a bike route between some of the villages in the area. For fans of motorbikes, there are races in Alcañiz, which is also a nice town to visit.
I can recommend visiting Morella, a village nearby, which was declared the nicest village in Spain, as well as Albarracín, a Medieval city with a castle. Another thing not to be missed is touring the Matarraña River.
The region we are in is called Teruel in Aragon and it borders three different regions in Spain. It is one of the most undiscovered areas in Spain, but only 2.5 hours away from Barcelona. The closest village Monroyo is 1.5km from Consolación.
I find it magical that Consolación is so close to cities like Barcelona and Valencia, yet it’s in an exceptionally undisturbed location. The diversity of the region is also quite amazing. The sea is only about 50km away. Towards the sea, you have a small mountain range and Los Monegros which is like a desert.
The area is named after the Matarranya river and has a lot of olive and pine trees. The temperatures vary a good amount from summer to winter, but we do get sun every day of the year.
January in eastern Spain is the best time to see the production of olive oil. Winter can be amazing when everything is covered in snow.
Spring is very nice because all the villages have festivals and processions around Easter. On Easter Monday about 300 locals come to have lunch outside the hotel. We do a mass in the church, something that has been done for the last 100 years, and then we cook lunch for everybody. People hang around until about 9:00 at night.
Summer is amazing if you want to swim and relax by the pool. There are also a lot of local festivals in the villages at that time which can be fun to experience.
Late August and September is grape harvesting time. The days are still long in autumn and the weather is still nice with everything still green but you also have the brilliant colours of the changing leaves decorating the landscape.
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