Hotel Marqués De Riscal By Frank O. Gehry, Rioja Alavesa, Álava, Spain

In the heart of the Rioja Alavesa region in Spain opened its doors the 1st of September 2006 and celebrated its official Grand Opening Event in October 2006, with the special visit of the King of Spain, its Majesty Don Juan Carlos. Designed and built by Frank O. Gehry, one of the world’s most renowned architects and author of works of art like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, The Hotel Marqués de Riscal, A Luxury Collection Hotel merges deep rooted wine-growing tradition with twenty-first century avant-garde design.
Nestled in the renowned Vinos de los Herederos del Marques de Riscal’s vineyard in the medieval village of Elciego, the hotel’s spectacular curves, titanium roof and asymmetry of walls provide an elegant contrast to the historic wine cellars designed in 1858 by the architect Ricardo Bellsola. The hotel’s 43 luxury rooms and suites, each unique and different in their shapes and offered views, are “thrown” in two wings connected by a spectacular suspended footbridge.
Gehry’s personal and exclusive project of interior design characterized by its forms, colors and materials, offers an authentic avant-garde vision. The leather and raw maple wood of the suites the dark marble of the bathrooms, and furniture by Gehry (such as the Cloud lamps) and by other famous architects like Alvar Aalto melt harmoniously with the most advanced technology. State-of-the art “Beovision” televisions by Bang & Olufsen, VOIP telephones and WIFI internet access in all areas of the hotel combine perfectly with avant-garde furniture, lamps and headboards, designed exclusively for the Marques de Riscal Hotel and the quality and comfort of The Luxury Collection beds and linens.
The world of wine and the world of gastronomy meet at The Marques de Riscal Hotel. With the most exclusive crockery at their finger tips, guests can enjoy the creative and traditional Basque-Riojan cuisine of Francis Paniego, who in 2004 was the first Riojan chef to receive a Michelin star. The hotel also offers a more informal Wine Bar and a rooftop lounge with breath taking panoramic views. Its cozy fire-place will be perfect for guests who want to sample the thousands of wines from around the world found in the hotel’s cellars or enjoy the reading of one of the 1000 books of the library, all of them with topics related to the luxury world. Guests can also experience the entire process of wine production, from the most traditional to the newest and technologically most advanced processes.