Is this boutique bolthole in Andalucia the best hotel in Spain?
"Ah the English, they love Finca Cortesin," one Spanish friend told me when I said I was visiting the hotel for a long weekend.
"There’s just something about it," another family acquaintance sighed.
"The best hotel in Spain," the internet informed me when I googled it.
It’s fair to say I had high expectations for Finca Cortesin, a Malagan boutique 'farmhouse' retreat that is arguably Spain's most sought-after hotel address. The golf resort and spa –with a Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant, three swimming pools and lawns nobly lined with twists of white roses – may be a 35-minute from Marbella but it has a tranquil, calm confidence that, in this party-centric stretch of the Spanish coast, almost seems rebellious.
First impressions were good. With its bone-white buildings that gleam in the sun and handsome gardens woven with purple heather, Finca's poise was immediately striking. But it’s also brimming with personality. Interiors in the main foyer are Cath Kidston meets Game of Thrones: Yes, there are echoing moorish arches, floors rescued from a Portuguese monastery and doors salvaged from medieval castles. But chintzy, tasselled sofas, candles glowing in oversized lanterns and upcycled bird cages inject zany warmth.
I loved exploring all of the labyrinthine nooks and secrets rooms: one day I discovered a Moroccan lounge, wooden ceiling carved with stars; on another, I stumbled upon an events room with wallpaper and matching curtains reminiscent of my great aunt’s vintage porcelain.
This charisma is followed through in the bedrooms, with their horse-print curtains, yellow gingham sofas, white upcycled-style sideboards, and chandeliers reminiscent of your favourite schoolteacher’s dangly earrings. Bathrooms with rain showers and separate tubs are finished off with travertine marble.
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A post shared by Shelly Jacobs (@shellyepj) on Jan 18, 2018 at 12:21am PST
The sea views from Finca's beach club
Many people come to Finca Cortesin to play golf, what with it hosting one of the best courses in Spain (par 72, over 100 bunkers, and a choice of five different tees). I, however, had come mainly to eat.
I’d recommend dining at Kabuki raw – the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant – every night. Design is minimalist, but for intermittent displays of antique Spanish tiles punctuating the scratchy oatmeal wallpaper. On each table, just a single candle and purple orchid. The open kitchen is like something out of a silent film.
Standout starters include giant red prawns brought to the table on round miniature grills for heightened drama, which not only crackle with the smell of charcoal but also fizz with yuzu foam. Succulent oysters come with seaweed tempura, all crunch and salt. Other treats include paper-thin slices of pickled tuna belly, punchy in flavour but delicate in form; and wagyu beef ribs that seem to dissolve upon contact with the tongue, slathered in a sweet teriyaki sauce.
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Every hotel – no matter how world-class – always has a chink in its armour though. Dishes at El Jardin de Lutz proved disappointing: warm scallops on lime tasted like a fishmongers had collided with a Twister ice lolly truck. Suckling calf sirloin in sherry wine sauce was unforgivably overcooked. If I had my time again I would shrewdly order the less ambitious dishes – like grilled octopus with patatas bravas, or the plate of Iberian ham.
The poolside grill the next day consoled me somewhat. The seafood paella was wonderful – think steaming, saffron-coloured rice with huge clods of lobster thrown in.
The Thai-inspired spa delivers with its heated saltwater pool lined with mosaic pillars and huge arched windows looking out to the hydrangea-fringed gardens. The ice cave also certainly enlivened my pre-treatment steam-sauna circuit (I would recommend de-robing before entering the former for the full, squealing, skin-tingling dramatic effect).
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In terms of the spa therapies, expect a solid range of Asian massages, from Thai foot acupressure to Indian head massages; as well as an ayurvedic menu and everything from seaweed peels to anti-cellulite wraps. I came out of my collagen facial with a face feeling smooth and slightly plumper; on the off, I wasn't entirely convinced by the 'detox' benefits of lymphatic drainage massages, but I did walk out of mine feeling sprightly.
The best measure of a hotel experience is how depressed you feel when the taxi home arrives. While my bags were being loaded, Otis Reading’s 'Just One More Day' started playing in my head with melancholic bitterness. However, thoughts of the lime scallops on the drive back to the airport helped me hold back the tears.
Carretera de Casares, Km 2, Casares, 29690, Malage, Andalusia (00 34 952 937800; fincacortesin.com). Doubles from €584 per night (approx. £520) in a Junior Suite with breakfast. There is one adapted room for guests with disabilities. For more information on Finca Cortesin, read the full review, and for more Andalusia recommendations, read our guide to the best hotels.
