Hotel César Lanzarote

The Best Hotels in Spain, From Malaga to Barcelona

"Naming a hotel after Lanzarote’s greatest art and design icon, then building it in his father’s former home, is a bold move. But the latest outpost by the fledgling Numa Signature group (Amagatay and Morvedra Nou in Menorca) is an unapologetic love letter toCésar Manrique, the architect and activist who art-directed Lanzarote with his style of whitewashed volcanic modernism. This isn’t the first Manrique- and nature-inspired design on the island, but it’s the most polished, and a step up for this underrated destination. There are 20 rooms amid an estate of vineyards, newly furrowed olive groves, banana trees, and pineapple plantations. Rooms have views of the ocean, volcanoes, or both, and most have terraces and interior courtyards filled with plants. Interior designer Virginia Nieto leverages the landscape to weave a natural tapestry of lava stone and wood finishes with a white, brown, and green palette. The pool, shaped to resemble a lake, is surrounded by sunloungers ensconced in semi-circular stone dividers, a nod to the walls that protect the vineyards from Atlantic winds. Guests roam among vines that are already yielding wine; soon to follow will be the production of olive oil to accompany chef Zebenzui Ferrera’s seafood specialties, including John Dory with calamari and Canarian red mojo sauce. This is art and nature in an immaculate union: Manrique would surely approve. —David Moralejo" - Lauren Burvill