With our appetites suitably whetted by Hotel Camiral featuring in our Golf Collection, and reading about a client’s recent visit, it was a no brainer when looking for a weekend away to celebrate my partner Jo’s birthday.
This is a fantastic choice for a short break to recharge your batteries, whether Golf is your bag or not. There is plenty to experience including fabulous hotel facilities and a beautiful climate.
A huge plus for us was the flight from Stansted, suggested by Julian, flying out with Jet2 and returning with RyanAir. We left the UK at 9am on Friday morning and rocked up to meet the resort’s Sales Director, Federico, by midday local time... perfect!
We could have opted for an early lunch whilst our room was prepared, but after a refreshing apple juice on check-in, we were delighted to accept the invitation of a private tour around the resort – with Federico kindly playing the role of chauffeur and host.
You don’t need to be a golfer to know these are fantastic facilities. There are two courses (Stadium and Tour) and the mountain views across a cloudless sky were delightful.
There are several activities onsite, including fishing, tennis, cooking classes and bike riding, as well as activities that can be arranged at nearby locations such as horse riding and hot air ballooning.
The city of Girona is nearby and although we were keen to explore, we quickly decided we would save that for our next visit, this trip was dedicated to relaxing and taking advantage of all the hotel had to offer.
The décor and furniture are impressive. There’s lots of attention to detail, from stunning paintings to a library and some well designed areas to just hang out and enjoy the surroundings.
After a quick glass of Cava on our balcony overlooking the pool area, it was off to the spa where Jo enjoyed a pedicure and I took advantage of the facilities before we both relaxed in the couples’ suite and treated ourselves to a massage.
Suitably chilled and with the sun still blazing, we retired to put our feet up on comfortable loungers around the pool, get out a book each and sample a mighty fine Catalan gin & tonic... heavenly.
A fabulous day was rounded off with a delightful al fresco dinner at the hotel’s 1477 Restaurant. We can verify its offering of “the finest European cuisine – with a distinctly Catalan influence”, all enjoyed to a soundtrack of Radiohead, David Bowie & The Smiths, courtesy of the splendid in-house pianist.
Breakfasts are varied and plentiful, I particularly enjoyed the cooked-to-order omelette and it set us up nicely for a day of doing nothing except switch off, relax and unwind.
Hotel Camiral @ PGA Catalunya ticks all the boxes and that’s without playing any golf! If you’re a football fan, it’s probably worth noting that Girona FC were promoted to La Liga for this season, so there are opportunities to experience the highest level of Spanish football in a more intimate environment.
