Villabuena de Alava Rioja Alavesa, Spain
Opened
2010
Price
$$
Rated for
Design Local SocialOutside the door
Cubist wine folly
Cantilevered concrete cubes rise directly beside a sixteenth-century parish church, mixing avant-garde architecture with sleepy Basque wine village life.
“Wine country here is full of architectural surprises—including Hotel Viura, a designer hotel with a distinct exterior of teetering boxes.”
What it’s good at
Notable
Cantilevered concrete cubes create an asymmetric silhouette, finished inside with polished concrete and suspended oak wine barrels.
Notable
Regional Rioja tastings take place over the preserved sixteenth-century El Calado cellar in historic Villabuena de Álava.
Listed
The rooftop terrace and casual bistro bar serve regional vintage pours overlooking the village church plaza.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in AFAR.
Hotel Viura really is a precarious-looking cubist stack, an audacious modernist boutique planted in the soil of a traditional Spanish wine village…
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Wineries and vineyard trails surround the village of Villabuena de Álava, tucked quietly into the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria.
The rooms
Asymmetrical layouts frame corner views of the Sierra de Cantabria, finished with polished concrete and wooden butcher-block vanities.
The spa and gym
Vinotherapy treatments draw on grape and honey extracts, set beside a stone-lined hydromassage tub and a glazed rooftop gym.
Restaurant
Restaurante Gastronómico Viura
Suspended oak barrels line the ceiling above white-clothed tables serving seasonal Basque-Riojan cuisine from chef Javier Alesanco.
At the table
The vinoteca stocks more than 200 regional labels, connecting to a sixteenth-century vaulted cellar and an open-air wine terrace.
How it began
Architect Beatriz Pérez Echazarreta designed the cubist silhouette in 2010 to evoke a bunch of grapes beside historic church stonework.
Good to know
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Hotel Viura
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.