Vistabella

One of the most luxurious hotels on the Costa Brava sits on a bluff at the north end of the Bay of Roses, just above Bonifaci Beach. Vistabella has been a jet-set favorite since the Sixties — just don’t expect a dated mid-century vibe. The original hotel was constructed with an eye towards timeless classicism, and its interiors range across a variety of styles, from the frilly-but-focused Mediterranean-style junior suite to the more decidedly minimalist junior suites, with their monochrome décor, mosaic-tile showers, and egg-shaped freestanding bathtubs. (There’s also the Surrealist Suite, an homage to Salvador Dalí, whose house-turned-museum is nearby, in Cadaqués.)

In spite of Vistabella’s relatively modest size — just 34 rooms and suites — it comes with the services and facilities of a much larger hotel. A generous handful of restaurants see to the needs of hotel guests, locals, and visitors alike, from the self-explanatory La Tapa to the coastal Italian aMare, the Beach Restaurant El Pirata, and the Mediterranean restaurant Els Brancs. There’s also a Nuxe spa, complete with an indoor pool and a sauna, and it’s a short walk from the hotel to the beach.