Portal De La Rioja

I think the place is amazing but I like things that are a little bit different so if ultra-modern minimalistic is your thing this probably won't suit you. It is a large unique purpose built 6 equal sided building (like a hexagon but with only 6 sides) so it has magnificent views all round. The feature that interested me was the large central metal spiral type staircase that goes from the bottom to the top which also features a roof terrace with 360-degree views also if you are interested in metal work it’s quite interesting. There is a village up the road which has at least 3 bars and looks interesting for a walk round. There is a bar on the central square that seems quite popular and does tapas.

Perhaps a bit of weeding outside and the bar/ restaurant only opens after 8pm but i still liked it

The only problem was the shower - the water was cold and there was no water pressure which was a shame.

The view is amazing! We watched from our balcony the sun set over the nearby village and hot air balloons rising over the countryside in the morning. The room was very clean and newly painted. Kind of quirky when you come into the lobby area, but you can see that it was quite a unique design when originally built. Love the large spiral staircase. A short 10 minute walk to the closest lovely village of Brinas which has restaurants and cafes. From there, you can walk along a well marked path along the Elbo River to the wine-oriented town of Haro. It is about a 40 minute walk from the village of Brinas to Haro. Had a great breakfast at the hotel. Enough choices for different appetites. Good food though not fancy. Great coffee!

The temperature was great in the room as we came in the fall. However, it could be quite hot in the summer as the rooms do not have AC or a ceiling fan.

Easy to get to by car and a good point to start your Rioja trip. Nothing special about the property though. Fine for a 1-night stay. It could be a charming place if the owners made an effort, but that doesn’t seem like the case.

Noisy at night - only takes two people talking in the reception or dining area for all the rooms to hear it. Staff very stressed out, few staffers need to do everything in their shifts..