In a way, Les Hamaques is a new concept of small hotel for Spain. It's based on the "la maison d'hôtes" style, as originally developed in France, but this time showing off an excellent example in Emporda, the region that is also called the Catalan Provence or Tuscany.
Located in a quiet rural village, it is also only four minutes from San Martin de Ampurias, the port of L'Escala and the beautiful beaches of the coast. It’s all very hidden and there’s little to give the place away (you may even need to ask) but once you pass through the small door you enter a world of intimacy, small details and, above all, peace and comfort. The owners come from the world of decoration and design, so styling here is a strong point.
Dominique (interior designer) and Ino (a journalist contributing to such august titles as Marie Claire) are pretty passionate about decoration – and it shows. In this case, an old barn that used to be their very own weekend getaway has been reconverted to provide the intimacy of a small rural hotel combined with urban sophistication.
The house opens onto a quiet garden replete with pots of lavender the table under the pergola, swimming pool and even hammocks hung from a tree on the terrace. Perfect for relaxation. There are only three rooms, each named after a flower which sort of gives the name away in terms of their character. The Magnolia room connects directly to the garden. The Glicina has its own private terrace which boasts a wisteria, and the Bungavilla comes with six large windows offering plenty of light. It also looks out onto the garden though unlike the Glicina it is not connected to it.
All three are ensuite and come with pretty up to date facilities including ipod and iphone terminals. Even if one doesn’t own the latest Apple gadget it does show that the Les Hamaques is up there with the modern times and that a rural idyll in the middle of the beautiful Emporda countryside need not preclude sophistication.
Please note: Les Hamaques is not suitable for children.