Hotel Emblemático La Casa De Los Naranjos: Lanzarote’s Best Address

3 months ago

Luke Abrahams checks in

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On a trip to Spain’s windswept Canary Isle of Lanzarote, Luke Abrahams checks into Hotel Emblemático La Casa de los Naranjos, ‘hands down the best hotel on the island’.

C&TH Responsible Tourism Guide

Review: Hotel Emblemático La Casa De Los Naranjos, Lanzarote

STAY

Perhaps the absolute best thing about staying at Hotel Emblemático La Casa de los Naranjos is that you are slap bang in the middle a Lanzarote time warp. Set in the small town of Haría, the vibe is rustic, nuanced and deeply authentic. Aside from the odd tourist checking out the Cesar Manrique museum, you’ll be stumped to come across another English speaking soul here. Heaven.

In the middle of it all is this ‘casa monumental’, the passion project of civil engineer José Antonio García who, along with his family, spent years restoring La Casa de los Naranjos to the vision of beauty it is today. Traditionality is the key to the hotel’s design aesthetic. A touch of the Spanish nobility runs throughout (a nod to its past) and all the materials, antiques and fancy drooping chandeliers were either restored or bought at auction, locally or brought over from mainland Spain.

The attention to detail has paid off and, as a result, the hotel achieved ‘Emblematico’ (listed) status from the local government, and is one of the only two hotels on the island to hold the honour. Floral upholstered chairs, neutral vases filled with Pampas and dried flowers, framed artworks, sketches, oil paintings and the odd flicker of Murano grace the every nook in sight. Original floors lead to art nouveau colour pops in the form of dandified drawing rooms, a stately dining room and a library kitted out in all its original fixtures, globes and atlas table included.

The rooms are just as pomp. High thread counts, pristine white sheets, glam headboards, huge lamps, candelabras and potted plants give the hotel that extra sense of storied romance. Room Five (one of the most requested suites) dons an exquisitely spacious and antiquated bathroom crowned by a roomy clawfoot tub set underneath a glittering crystal chandelier. The queen-sized bed is comfort to a tee and, after a day of exploring the fruits of the island, is a very welcome sight to behold.

EAT & DRINK

Iberian classics are served day and night, alongside local staples and daily specials. It’s all very homely, chic and romantic, with most candlelit dinners lasting long into the early hours. Produce strictly comes from local suppliers, including nearby farms, the weekly market in town and all the pole-on-line fishing boats that scour nearby La Graciosa island. The menu changes often, but expect seafood classics from octopus to a medley of white fish and deliciously tender meats. The local Malvasia wines are also worth trying, too.

Brekkie, like the rest of the hotel, is a grand affair, taking place in the glorious main dining room or the central courtyard. All the usual suspects are on offer with added extras snapped onto the à la carte banquet: fresh fruit and granola, fried eggs, pan con tomate and jamon and the one breakfast staple that’s near impossible to escape, avocado toast.

DO

Stroll the streets for local ware and antiques and, come the afternoon, do as the locals do and head for one of the many gorgeous beaches that line the northern tip of the island. Haría is home to Cesar Manrique’s Palm Grove House, and is well worth a gawp to see the late artist’s studio and private home. Mirador del Río, built into the side of a mountain and another Manrique creation, is also nearby and boasts fantastical views of La Graciosa island and beyond. The Jameos del Agua caves (a great little spot for dinner and a jazz show) is a mere 15-minute drive away, too.

THE FINAL WORD

Hotel Emblemático is hands down the best hotel on the island for its overall offering of old-school living, cultural relevance and the celebration of its locality. Jose has created a masterpiece: a boutique palace that’s deserving of every reward and trophy it gets.