"Gonzalo del Rio y Gonzalez-Gordon has waved his magic decorative wand at Casa Alcántara to create a hotel of cool, subtle elegance. This former hunting lodge stands among mature forest on the edge of the family’s vineyards: the palomino grapes for their Tio Pepe sherry are grown here. The delicate, deco-ish façade is evocative of the French Riviera, a feeling heightened by twin cypresses flanking the main entrance and slender washingtonia palms. A team of butlers will be there to greet you, whisk your bags to your room, and pamper you throughout your stay. There is more than a hint of Graham Greene: drinks delivered on a silver tray, silver service at breakfast, eggs poached or scrambled... The decorative style incorporates oil paintings, antiques, frescoes and floors of polished buff limestone. Bedrooms and bathrooms are superb; secreted away in the garden is a spectacular pool whose obsidian finish mirrors the surrounding forest. Highs The cool interiors and shady gardens are a real oasis, especially during the hotter monthsExtraordinarily attentive service from team of butlers whose enthusiasm makes up for their limited EnglishWe enjoyed lounging in the drawing room with our afternoon tea ( it's also a great spot for pre-dinner drinks)All fittings, linen, mattresses and fabrics are top-of-the-range: the hotel breathes an air of solid well-beingA really stylish place to stay near Jerez, and a great base for touring the white villages, visiting sherry bodegas or playing golf at Montecastillo or Arcos Lows You’re close to the old Jerez-Arcos road, but a new motorway has taken much of the traffic awayYou may not get to meet Gonzalo, but you will instead be in the caring and capable hands of Maria, his daughterUnless requested in advance, no meals other than breakfast are served, but you are just 10 minutes from central Jerez and 2 minutes from one of its best restaurantsYou will need a car, clearly" - Guy Hunter Watts