Villa Soro

"In the old days, this former summer house on the outskirts of Gros—an architectural mashup of Surrey Tudor and bourgeois Basque—was a frowzy, fusty kind of place. Following its purchase and re-opening by the Soldevila family of Catalan hoteliers, the Villa (which dates back to 1898) has a new lease of life and the fin-de-siecle ambiance is all part of its charm. The six-month overhaul, under the careful hand of designer Núria Ferrer, combines original elements—such as the carved wooden staircase with smart new furnishings and judiciously chosen modern Basque art (look for the original works by Eduardo Chillida). Bedecked in fine wallpapers and rich fabrics in stripes and tartans, this old lady now has quite a spring in her step." - Paul Richardson

"A 19th-century private estate just outside San Sebastián’s city center, Villa Soro was commissioned by a wealthy businessman as a wedding gift for his daughter; it was designed by the same architect who built the iconic Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra, which towers over the La Concha waterfront at the city center. In contrast to that classic belle epoque building, the villa takes its inspiration from English architecture—complete with peaked roofs and faux-Tudor beaming—that was in vogue at the time, while the manicured gardens were designed by renowned Romantic landscape designer Pierre Ducasse. Now an intimate, 25-room boutique hotel, Villa Soro maintains the same relaxed, cozy atmosphere one might expect to find at a friend’s estate, complete with two elegant drawing rooms outfitted with armchairs that beg to be curled up in with a book. The dark-wood-and-leather bar room (complete with a fireplace, of course) beckons visitors with vermouth and txakoli. Rooms are homey and classically elegant, spread between the main house and the restored carriage house, and they make for a romantic retreat within walking distance of the city’s sights and Michelin-starred restaurants."