The Best Hotels and Resorts in Europe and the UK: The Gold List 2024
"Black-and-white photographs of Hacienda de San Rafael show a handsome, solitary farmhouse slipping quietly into oblivion amid rolling fields of cotton and wheat in Andalusia’s agricultural heartland. That was before Kuky Mora-Figueroa inherited it and, with her English husband, Tim Reid, decided to breathe new life and purpose into its 18th-century bones. It was 1992 when the Hacienda first opened its doors as a hotel. Now, three decades on, it has mellowed and matured, blending into gardens of riotous color and scent, and quietly expanding from 11 to 20 rooms to include three thatched casitas and a pool villa. Although Mora-Figueroa and Reid have handed the reins to their two sons, Anthony and Patrick, their imprint still defines the look and feel of the place, with an eclectic assortment of heirlooms and antiques mixed with travel treasures. Old-world, aristocratic, and grand is the first impression on approaching the Hacienda’s distinctive white and yellow façade, but guests are greeted like long-lost friends. The temptation is to stay put, curled up with a book by one of the four pools or snoozing in a shady corner of the garden, but Seville and Jerez are within reach and there’s a multitude of curated experiences on offer, from horseback riding, hiking, and bird-watching—even sherry tasting in the region’s finest bodegas. Few pleasures can match the simplicity of an ice-cold glass of manzanilla sipped beneath the jacaranda tree at the front of the Hacienda, while the sun drops to the horizon. From $379. —Pamela Goodman" - CNT Editors
