christianj

We were at the property in May as noted in my review above. During our stay I commented to my significant other that I was glad we were in the Annex. To me it seemed like the rooms in the hotel (especially those located near the walkway bridge between the Annex and the main building) and the rooms near the elevators leading up to the restaurants would be louder than those in the Annex. Reason for this....door into main building from the bridge was very heavy and kept slamming no matter how hard we tried to close it quietly and because the area near the elevators had hard wood flooring where it was impossible to walk quietly.

EWR-6785

Not sure which floor the bridge is on or whether there would be noise from the doors closest to the bridge, but for us staying in the Gehry wing with the undulating glass wall was a large part of what visting the hotel was all about. The Grand Deluxe rooms in the Gehry wing are a bit small, but architecturally amazing.
I have no doubt that the Executive Suites in the spa wing are luxurious. If you want a sitting area or more space then they are the right choice for you. But if you want to marvel in a space that could be straight out of James Bond movie, go for the Gehry wing. Note also that I think that the spa wing may have more or better vineyard views.
My $.02

eternalX

Should I request the Gehry room? or anything ahead of time? I already got a 4pm wine visit at LdH on the day we arrive and then 4pm the following day at the hotel winery. I think we'll eat at the bistro on the night we arrive and then maybe go elsewhere for the 2nd night. The concierge I emailed today gave me a big list of restaurants to check out nearby without prompting. Think I'll put the ladies in the spa for half of the day. Am I forgetting anything?

Also, does anybody have a suggestion for a good small town for a nice lunch on the way from Barcelona? Looking to stop about halfway to 2/3 way there.

JK

I'm afraid I can't help with villages near Barcelona, but while you're visiting LdH (which I highly recommend) - check out the winery next door too. I forget the name, but there are 3 or 4 nearby, and all fantastic! The one next door also makes the award winning Dauro olive oil. I never knew olive oil was such an art until I tried this stuff - we bought home 3 tins of it - it's amazing!

When you dine at the restaurant in the hotel too, part of the "show" will be the olive oil sampling with the breads. It's just fantastic, and very enlightening! At breakfast, you'll find no butter on the toast- it's olive oil. And tastes delicious!!

And depending on how many days you're staying - I hope you'll be able to check out Laguardia?? If so - let me know. I have a FANTASTIC tour guide (Judith) there for you, and I assure you, there are none like her on earth! She's throwing a huge party in September too, so you might be just in time depending on when you stay?

Wow, really miss that place!

DCAGUY

SPG website shows "Semi-Formal" as the dress code for the restaurant. Did most men wear jackets/suits or was nice casual well represented among the diners?

christianj

I can't remember what the other diners wore but I know for a fact that we did not wear jackets/suits (those things don't make it into our vacation suitcases EVER). I know we did not feel out of place with what we wore...probably nice pants and a pressed shirt with collar.

What I cannot comment on is IF the dress code you mention was in place when we stayed there last year or not.

JK

Likewise - we only had typical holiday wear packed with us! I'm pretty sure I was in jeans and a regular shirt... I guess they're trying to avoid torn jeans, flip flops (or sandals and socks) and tatty t-shirts. I'm pretty sure anything else will get you in.

P.S. You absolutely MUST have the tea after your fantastic dinner! It's an art form. A delicious one at that. And try all the olive oils!

DCAGUY

Thanks for the information christianj and JK . Will report on my experience when I return the end of July.

DCAGUY

Highlights of recent stay:
Property is beautiful and staff without exception are friendly and helpful.

As a gold was upgraded to a room in the main (Frank Gehry) building on an award stay.

Although SPG website shows "Semi-Formal" as the dress code for the restaurant, suits/jackets are not the norm. Only some men among a group of Spaniards wore suits/jackets. Other men wore nice slacks/shirts with collars.

Dinner at Bistro 1860 offers a better value than gastro restaurant. Menu offerings and ambiance are similar, but bistro has a reasonable prix fixe dinner. We found the tasting menu at the gastro restaurant to be too rich and too much to eat.

Go to Laguardia for breakfast or lunch, a very pleasant walled village about 6 km from hotel.

jibi

Thanks for the follow up. This may very well be our anniversary trip in 2016, so I'm looking forward to it. How many nights did you spend at this property? We're looking at traveling across Spain (top to bottom), so this will be at some point in the middle of the trip.

DCAGUY

We stayed two nights at the property (following a 5 night stay at the Maria Cristina). With the exception of a midday trip to Laguardia, we spent our time at the hotel. We had not investigated other attractions/activities because we did not have additional time to spend in the Rioja. It is a very beautiful area.

ekartash

We have a 4 night trip in San Sebastián planned for October. Would it worth it to do 3 nights there and 1 night at Marques de Riscal?

spainlover

Yes, @ekartash, I would say definitely worth it! It's an easy drive from San Sebastián, and I really loved this hotel. Great trip plan.

TerryK

Make it two nights. Marques de Riscal and the surrounding countryside is so enjoyable it is definitely worth two nights.

JK

I'm with TerryK on this one. One night would be such a shame when there is so much to see and enjoy in the region. You MUST go visit the López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Winery, and of course, see the Riscal one. Sample the olive oils and fine wines in the region. One night is just not enough!