Hotel Mas Lazuli

There’s more to Catalonia than just bustling Barcelona — Girona is a destination in its own right, the home of an ancient Roman citadel, medieval baths, and the largest Jewish quarter in Catalonia, just half an hour’s train ride away from the capital city. And 30 minutes from Girona, near the French border, is Hotel Mas Lazuli, a 17-room boutique housed in a historic convent that dates to the 11th century. Life is a little less frantic here — this is the sun-drenched Costa Brava, complete with historic landmarks and a slowed-down pace that encourages you to indulge in a siesta instead of squeezing in a visit to another museum.

The hotel’s old stone buildings are grand and romantic, set amid palm trees, vineyards, and olive groves. The architecture, mirrored in the still water of the infinity pool at sunset, seems to blend right into the landscape. Guest rooms are contemporary, done up in sophisticated earth tones and outfitted with hardwood floors, original artwork, and the convent’s original beamed ceilings. Many feature private balconies or terraces.

The hotel’s larger public terraces are ideal places to linger over a morning coffee or relax with a glass of wine before dinner — Catalan cuisine, sourcing produce grown onsite. Outside, the infinity pool is larger than you’d expect, especially for a relatively small hotel. It’s an inviting retreat after a day of sightseeing or sunbathing: the Salvador Dalí house and museum is located in nearby Cadaqués, and the beach is close by. It’s also the kind of place where you might do nothing at all — just pull a book from Mas Lazuli’s well-stocked library and recline on a chaise lounge or beneath a tree. You can always catch the train to Barcelona the next day, or the day after that.