Hotel Iriarte Jauregia

"High in the Basque mountains, surrounded by green valleys and ancient towns filled with stone houses, a 17th-century palace awaits. From the outside, it seems to have barely changed in four centuries—its stone walls weathered, its arches and wrought-iron balconies regal, its manicured gardens and terraces as inviting as when nobility meandered through them. Inside, each room has been lovingly restored, from the hardwood floors running throughout to the dark ceiling beams and the ornately carved doors. But, despite the Renaissance-era artwork and antique furnishings, the palace has been brought into the 21st century. Its style blends modern with historic using high-quality fabrics, soothing neutral tones, and elegantly understated contemporary furniture, all of which feel like they ought to have been used in the house’s original incarnation. While the bedrooms seem fit for the royalty who once lived here, the rest of the palace is equally decadent. Gipuzkoa is world-renowned for its cuisine, and the in-house Bailara restaurant more than lives up to expectations with its own take on molecular gastronomy. The wingback chair- and fireplace-outfitted lounge is as perfect a spot to sip the region’s signature cider as the breezy garden terrace that overlooks the dramatic valley below. If you were a 17th-century noble, you’d have built this palace, too."