Mas de Torrent Hotel & Spa

Though converted from an 18th-century farmhouse, Mas de Torrent is anything but the simple rustic bed and breakfast you may expect. Behind these honey-colored stone walls is a stunningly smart luxury hotel to rival any in Spain.

The expansive rooms in the main farmhouse are masterfully decorated in a classic style, all different yet all furnished with well-chosen antiques and rugs. Ceiling beams, hardwood floors and arched doorways lend a traditional flavor alongside modern luxuries like spacious black stone bathrooms with deep soaking tubs. Outside the farmhouse are the bungalows, less rich with palpable history yet easily as luxurious, and amid the gardens are the suites, with private terraces and pools.

Other draws include the restaurant, one of the best in Catalonia, serving seasonal seafood and produce in an informal setting. An easy drive from Barcelona or Toulouse, and just ten minutes from the Costa Brava, Mas de Torrent is even reachable from Paris or Madrid, if you consider five to seven hours in a car to be within the bounds of plausibility. No matter the distance, though, once you’ve been, we think you’ll consider it worth the trouble.