Hotel Boutique Casa Cacao Girona
"Why book? Some stay overnight purely for the breakfast. After all, this is the hotel sibling of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca. There’s also a cacao workshop next door—visible (but not smell-able) via a curious glass wall in the lobby—as well as top quality non-edibles, such as all-suite bedrooms and a garden-inspired roof terrace. Set the scene Many guests also have a reservation for El Celler de Can Roca, the lucky buggers. What a way to do the slumber phase in between your evening eating and your morning eating. Other overnighters are here for the charms of Girona herself. Whether your goal is stomach-first or sights-first, the terrace is the place to be. It feels unexpectedly vast compared to the size of the hotel, and it boasts some of the best views of Girona’s colorful riverside apartment buildings and the Old Town. Since opening, the terrace has earned a cult following among locals, too, with plenty of residents popping up for a sceney brunch. The backstory It’s another tasty story in the Roca family tree. This time, it was the winning recipe of pastry chef Jordi Roca and his sister-in-law Anna Payet (the wife of oldest brother, Joan). Their vision was to create a place to stay where quality food ran throughout its DNA. So, alongside 15 bedrooms, the building houses a chocolate atelier, and has a café-bar across the street. The rooms The 15 suites are a study in less-is-more. Apart from when it comes to their dimensions, that is—they actually feel huge, particularly the bathrooms. You’ll find several coffee tables, a sofa, and plenty of space to put (explode) your suitcase. It all feels very relaxing and soothing; the Headspace app in bedroom form. Food is never far away—there are namesake Casa Cacao chocolates on the bedside tables, for instance. Food and drink Brunch and dinner are available, but breakfast is The Dish. Created by Joan Roca, El Celler’s head chef, staff refer to it as a ‘gastronomic breakfast’—which in layperson’s terms means you will not go hungry. There are four courses: yoghurt and fresh fruit, cured meats, a poached egg fried in breadcrumbs like a croquette (devilishly good), and a cake-stand full of chocolately good stuff (yes, it’s cake for breakfast, and we’re here for it). It all arrives with a big bottle of fresh orange juice, a hot chocolate made from Jordi Roca’s 75% cocoa, and as many coffees as you need to mentally prepare yourself for a day’s street-pounding. Or more eating. That’s Girona for you. The neighborhood/area The location is blissfully quiet; you’re hidden down a side street that pops back out into civilization just before the river. Go over and you’ll cross the threshold of the Old Town. Stay this side, and you’re a five-minute wander from Rocambolesc. You might be thinking, Roca… what? Again, this is Girona, and most wonderful things have the Roca name in them. Rocambolesc is the zany offshoot brand by Jordi Roca, El Celler’s genius-brained dessert chef, and his wife Ale Rivas, also an El Celler alumnus. Their project began as a soft-serve ice cream shop, then a candy store, and in summer 2023 they opened their first savory outpost called a bikineria. It sells bikinis, but not the type you’re thinking of. Rather, Catalan bikinis—which are in fact grilled cheese sandwiches, often with ham. There you have it. To find all three shops, head to the corner of Carrer de Santa Clara and Carrer de les Hortes—then smile, relive your childhood, and eat some more. The service Slick, up-to-speed and very polite. Happy to book cabs when needed; equally happy to bring about a seamless outdoor table change when enormous wasps suddenly decided to join for breakfast. Eco effort Some green accessories in the bathrooms, such as bamboo toothbrushes, but it was a shame to see single-use Natura Bissé toiletries rather than refillable bottles. Accessibility One room is fully accessible and adapted, as is the terrace. Anything left to mention? A tiny hotel with a show-stopping terrace and Catalan culinary gods at the helm—what’s not to love here? Our only niggle was a personal one—we ate so much the night before, that we almost didn’t want four whole courses of breakfast. Sorry guys, next time we’ll eat harder." - Gemma Askham
