Tully on Tour: Our Travel Designer in Spain
By Tully Luxury Travel | 10-24-2023 |
Tully Travel Designer Caitlin Bradley went on tour to a few cities in Spain and files these insider notes on a few of the highlights. Her trip was a luxury hotel partnership familiarization tour with the Leading Hotels of the World marketing group.
Discover the grandeur of Madrid
Madrid is a fabulous city, so easy to get around and beautiful. We checked into Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá, which was incredible. It's so close to everything and has this big historical garden in the back that when you're in it, you don't feel as if you’re in a city center at all. It was really cool and has an amazing Michelin-starred restaurant, Dos Cielos, which was delicious beyond words.
We spent one full day taking a city tour which included the famous Prado Museum. During our free time – we went shopping! There were a lot of people milling about some of the larger squares here, but just one street over, you might find a very calm alley, where you can grab a patio chair and have a drink without being bothered by the traffic.
We also spent an evening and overnight at Hotel Fénix Gran Meliá in Madrid, which has a very traditional, very luxurious décor. The wellness facilities here specialized in Asian treatments and therapies. Our brief stop included a delicious dinner on the rooftop terrace at Aduana.
Set your sights on Seville
Spain was never really on my radar, for whatever reason, but Seville really took me by surprise. It is a lot more laid back than Madrid, a lot less busy. It's kind of a small town and has a very European charm about it. It was my favorite stop on the itinerary. It had just so much historical significance and such an interesting mix of architectural styles – Roman influences, Muslim influences. It almost looks like you’re in Morocco in some parts – such an interesting combination of things. We took a horse carriage tour around the city and a walking tour of the Alcázar and Santa Cruz quarter. The city feels like a hidden gem that people are just now discovering.
We stayed at the Hotel Colón Gran Meliá, which is a city icon, a cultural meeting point for artists and celebrities in the Arenal district. The swimming pool has an insane view of the Cathedral, and the Clarins spa features a series of Turkish baths.
Head to the vineyards of Valladolid
North of Madrid near the city of Valladolid, we dropped in at Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine, a five-star hotel that used to be a monastery from the 12th century. This is a real romantic getaway. We dined, of course, at the Michelin-starred Refectorio Restaurant. The property also includes a winery that is listed in the Top 50 World’s Best Vineyards. We toured the vineyards and spent some quality time in the tasting rooms.
It was so crazy to be around something so historic – I can barely comprehend the history. A lot of the rooms have a view of the vineyard as well, which was just so relaxing. Storks build their nests in the tower, so you can hear them all the time. The scenery is just so breathtaking. To be able to just look out the windows and see the rolling hillsides in the distance was very surreal.
Savor the culinary experience
I never really knew what Spanish food was all about, so I got a fast lesson on things like sardines and octopus! We enjoyed eating family-style meals and tapas during our week, with lunch lasting three hours sometimes and dinners four hours! You can never really go hungry in Spain. My favorite part of dinner every day was dessert – the cheesecakes, flans and fresh fruit were all to die for.