Hotel Pura Vida - Hotel con Encanto en Valgañón

I traveled with my 2 adult daughters. We stayed in a large comfortable room. The beds were very comfortable with beautiful wool rugs from a little shop in Ezcaray . The couple that own this hotel are the nicest people I’ve ever met . They helped with every issue or questions. The breakfast was great with espresso, jamon, pastries and fresh orange juice . They could not have been more hospitable. It’s a great place to stay and enjoy the beautiful countryside!!

If you are visiting this region, you must stay here. In fact, even if you are not visiting this region, you should come here just to stay at Pura Vida. The moment we walked into the hotel, Javier (Javi) and Ascension (Ascens) greeted us with such warmth that we felt like long lost relatives (that they liked!). And, they kept making us feel warm and welcome for the entire 4-day stay, so we know we hadn't outstayed our welcome. Put these amazing hosts into an amazingly designed boutique hotel and it's truly the 'pure life'. Javi designed the place and spared no expense or attention to detail. From the art that adorns the walls, to the impeccably designed rooms, to the enormous beds (King+), to the beautiful furniture. And, Javi helped us organize our stay, so we had lots of towns and bodegas to visit, monasteries to see, and restaurants in which to dine. I'm writing this review primarily to honour the love that Javi and Ascens have put into their place. It's too rare to see people put so much craft in all that they do. Although I want them to do well, I really do hope that they will always have a room for us when we ever come back to visit!

Just beautiful hotel - we looked at everything for ages, it is all done with such good taste and style. The owners Asen and Javier looked after our every need with such friendliness and care - including they found me a fleece as I was caught out by a cold snap of weather. Breakfasts were wonderful, prepared and served by Asen and they both went to great lengths to ensure we saw the best of the area and everything we wanted to do. We were so spoilt - would love to have stayed longer.

We had a wonderful stay at this beautiful hotel. We were so well looked after by the owners, nothing was too much trouble. They booked a mountain guide to take us on a hike and even drove us to the nearest town for dinner when the taxi man was on holiday. The breakfast is delicious with lots of choice of fresh fruits and savouries; nespresso coffee was appreciated. The garden is a joy, such a tranquil space to sit and read listening to the cow bells in the distance. We loved the interior design both in the communal spaces and our room. The bed was very comfortable and the bathroom felt luxurious. This place is a great find in a beautiful relaxing environment, we can’t wait to go back.

Ascen and Javier are the most wonderful hosts I’ve ever met during my travels, and I travel a lot! Stunning property, courtesy of the talented Javier and the most divine breakfast. The rooms were very comfortable and the downstairs area feels just like a home away. I would definitely recommend as it has been one of the nicest experiences (rather than just a hotel). Congratulations and I cannot wait to return!

Modern hotel of exceptionally high quality. Beautifully designed interior with very tasteful decor and real attention to detail in evidence everywhere. The hosts are extremely friendly and helpful and accommodating in every way. No specific hotel car park, however parking is extremely easy to find all around the hotel in the quiet and safe historic streets of the village. Breakfast is top notch in this establishment. Nice garden to enjoy a drink from the mini bar.

We spent 4 nights at Pura Vida earlier this week and couldn’t have been more pleased. We were greeted by the friendliest couple, Ascen and Javier, who were the perfect hosts during our stay and could not do enough to help us! Our large room was spotless and comfortable and we enjoyed a lovely breakfast spread every morning. The hotel, with walls from a century old building, but completely built new 4 years ago by these talented owners, is truly beautiful. I have an interior design degree and my husband and I have built and remodeled a few homes ourselves that we were proud of but I have to say that Pura Vida totally outdid us. Every day we noticed new details to admire and what they have created is a piece of art. We were in Rioja simply to visit bodegas and taste wine and the location of Pura Vida is somewhat remote (about a 40 minute drive to Haro). However, we were very glad we stayed there!

Our hosts were incredibly friendly people who did every effort to make our time in Rioja as good as possible, very helpful if you need anything and especially if you're looking for a restaurant, they know them all, from local and affordable places to Michelin star posh restaurants. The small hotel is situated in a tiny authentic rural village, looks ancient on the outside but is wonderfully decorated on the inside, very modern but cosy. Good decent breakfast, spacious rooms, impeccably clean, nice homely sitting area and help yourself open bar at very afgordable rates.