News from Little Hotels, Edition 18

Another summer is drawing to a close, but things remain busy at Little Hotels. It's a reflection of our client-base that we actually do more bookings in September than August, and the busy season continues into October and even November. Many people prefer to avoid school holidays if they can, and many more see the warm rather than hot months as a much better opportunity for walking and exploring the country.

Recent New Hotels

We've added a few hotels this time that are a little off the beaten track of most tourists. They are an ideal way to see parts of Spain that few tourists visit. First, up in the north is Iribarnia, just outside Pamplona. It's a great out-of-town place for attending San Fermin and the Running of the Bulls, but it's also a great place at any other time of year for seeing all that the Kingdom of Navarra has to offer.

In the middle of the country our most recent hotel is Cardamomo, just over an hour from Madrid. It's a pretty little rural boutique hotel, perfect for a relaxing break. It's also a pleasant place to break the journey for visitors travelling from or two northern Europe by car.

The last place in mainland Spain that I'll mention today is Casa Aldomar. It has only four rooms, and is located in Xativa, one of those places quite close to the Costa Blanca that really doesn't get the recognition that it deserves. This was the birthplace of the notorious Borgias, leaving today some beautiful ecclesiastical buildings, a fascinating castle and lots of opportunities for walking.

In Morocco, we've introduced the remarkable Kasbah du Toubkal, a Moroccan country house in the High Atlas mountains where comfort, ecology and the authentic feel of the Berber region blend in harmony. For slightly less adventurous visitors to Morocco, we've further broadened the choice of riads in the medina of Marrakech with Riad Chi-Chi; an instant hit with Little Hotels users.

Another very popular addition to Little Hotels, in this case Little Hotels of the Balearics, has been Fowlers Hotel. Definitely not off the beaten track, Fowlers is in Cala d'Or, a beautiful spot on the east coast of Mallorca. This hotel hints at a bygone age when international travel was for a wealthy elite, and overlooks the marina of Cala Llonga where modern affluence is reflected in some of the yachts moored there.

We also found something really unusual on Lanzarote. The Eco Finca de Arrieta has eco-friendly self-catering accommodation including a villa, a garden cottage or a Mongolian yurt. Yes, really! If you're not sure what a Mongolian yurt is, and I'll admit that I didn't have a clue, go to their webpage to find out.

We Have Moved

You may have noticed that we no longer show an address for Little Hotels in Spain. Although we remain utterly committed to Little Hotels of Spain, Little Hotels of the Balearics and Villas of Spain, the time had come to move our office and home from Spain back to England. This is partly for family reasons, but in the future you will see that it also reflects a desire to expand our business horizons. Little Hotels of ......, well, where do you want to go next?

Ideas For This Autumn

If you're still sitting at home in England waiting for the Met Office's infamous "barbecue summer", you're probably in serious need of a break. If you like cities and culture and grand architecture, indulge yourself by following the Seville-Córdoba-Granada triangle. Seville is famously hot in the height of summer, so October is the ideal time when walking won't be too arduous. Fly to Seville or Granada (or Málaga if you find the flights more convenient) and pick up a hire car. Preferably allow yourself a couple of days in each city, but don't rush the journeys in between. If you ignore the motorways and settle for the lesser roads, you will see lots of the glories of the Andalucian mountains too and can grab the opportunities to enjoy a leisurely lunch in a village bar and take a stroll just wherever the fancy takes you.

Cabrera Fire

Many people will have seen the news of the fires in southern Spain a couple of months ago which affected the Mojácar area. Cabrera, where Villas of Spain has many holiday villas to rent, was one of the places to suffer the impact. Fortunately, there was minimal damage to property but the hillsides came out looking pretty charred. However nature has a wonderful way of re-generating itself after a fire. We've seen it in other places: as soon as the first rain falls, there will be a burst of new growth. In contrast to northern Europe, plants in southern Spain do their growing during the winter so we are quite sure that the recovery will be rapid and next year there will be green hills once more. Immediately after the fire we made new arrangements for clients who had imminent bookings in Cabrera, but we are happy to take bookings for 2010 with confidence. The village of Cabrera is a unique place, and thankfully it has stayed that way.

Special Offers

Hotels booked through Little Hotels are always good value because we always insist that the prices on our website are at least a match for the prices available anywhere else. Some hotels offer further discounts exclusively for Little Hotels clients; Hotel Alminar in Seville is one that springs to mind. Then there are times when short-term special offers come along to give you even better value:
Finca de Las Salinas on Lanzarote is offering discounts for stays in October and November. That's always a good time to visit the Canaries.
Save 15% on a stay at Sa Rota d'En Palerm, a lovely hotel with double rooms and apartments deep in the heart of rural Majorca. This hotel is a gem for lovers of the peace and quiet of the country, and this discount in September and October is ideal for walking holidays when the weather is warm but not hot.
Margaret and I were daft enough to walk around Granada and the Alhambra in the heat of August one year, so we know that it makes more sense to visit in September or October. It's even better when you can get extra low prices at Zaguan del Darro.
Cortijo Los Malenos in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park has some two night offers this autumn.
Fowlers Hotel (mentioned earlier) has an October golfing package.
For a romantic break, there is a really nice package available in Hotel Chamarel in Denia. The high season version (until the end of September) even includes a mini-cruise.

Hotel Reviews

We aim to be completely honest and objective in our descriptions of hotels but all the hotels that we list are ones that we have chosen to include, so we can't help being enthusiastic about every one. If there is a hotel that is not so good, we simply don't list it, so we don't write about it. Nevertheless, nothing beats the objectivity of someone who has stayed in a hotel as a paying customer. All the reviews that we receive are displayed on our Feedback Page, and following the reviews link from a hotel page will automatically filter the reviews to just show ones for that hotel.

Something Out-of-the-Ordinary

For anyone holidaying in Mallorca and looking for a really special day out, it would be very hard to beat a day charter on Vita Bel. Starting from the marina at Cala d'Or, the skipper and crew of Vita Bel will welcome you with champagne, then take you on a fascinating trip along the Majorcan coast, anchoring in a couple of secluded bays for swimming and enjoying a leisurely lunch. There are also shorter moonlight cruises or a longer trip down to the marine nature reserve around the adjoining island of Cabrera.

Finally, remember that you don't just book your hotel through Little Hotels. Our websites will also take you to car hire, travel insurance, ferries, UK airport hotels, airport parking and even some flights.

Happy holidays!

Paul & Margaret Melhuish

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