The Place
With considerable effort and impeccable taste, Jose Maria Boix and his wife Loles Vidal, turned the Boix in Martinet into one of the most renowed restaurant-cum-hotels in the Catalan Pyrenees, and one of the top ten restaurants in Spain. Now they are repeating their success with this sumptuous mansion a short way from Puigcerda.
The house, a colonial caprice of the belle epoque, was built in 1910 and has been equipped as a luxury hotel by some of the most imaginative designers in Catalonia. The marble is from Greece; the furniture from Italy; the carpets from Tibet. Outside there is a 20,000 square metre garden planted with firs, towering redwoods, a swimming pool and a putting green.
The Boix have created an oasis of elegance: expensive details abound – Bang & Olufson TV, the selection of Loewe perfumes served by a valet. The bathroom floors are heated and the king-size baths have hydromassage. As you would expect, the cooking is also imaginative and appetizing. But the core of the appeal is most appreciated is the personal service that Jose Maria and Loles offer their guests, arranging activities such as cooking classes, horse riding, hot air balloons, and guided hiking.