El Somni

In the Baix d'Emporda, Cruïlles is like an island: a little atoll in the undulating Gavarres. Within the ring of medieval walls, which contain a multitude of houses arranged in a spiral around the ancient cylindrical tower of the castle. That's all there is. There are no antique shops, souvenir shops or craft shops - not even a select restaurant. An Italian painter and a Catalan writer arrived here to build El Somni: an affectionate visual presence blending into the surroundings of the place and the landscape; a house which combines the metropolitan with the simplicity of the rural architecture of 1600. The rooms are decorated in subtle tones, bright colours and small, important and details. The hotel was opened on 1 June 2003, after a complete refurbishment of the property. It has six guestrooms: three doubles with double bed and three quadruples (one double bed and two single beds). All of them are equipped with a full bathroom with bath and shower, heating and air conditioning, cable TV, telephone and mini-bar. Breakfast can be standard (Catalan/continental/children's) or gourmet "a la carte", and there is bar service, night-time snack menu and room service. There are restaurants in the vicinity (ten minutes drive away). Note that the hotel is closed over Christmas and New Years.