10/10 Excellent
Scott, San Francisco, CA
13 Nov 2009
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stroke of Luck
Finding Era Conte Hotel was so fortuitous. It was in the most enchanting setting with a majestic church on a hill in the distance overlooking the small town. The hotel was situated directly below this hill facing the church and this spectacular view is what we saw outside our large panoramic window. It was the most tranquil countryside with birds chirping and livestock nearby. The scenery couldn’t be more perfect, like a movie set. Not only were the rooms amply accommodating and immaculate, the canopy bed was so quaint and made everything that much more picturesque. Maria Conte, the proprietor, prepares the dinner herself. We felt like houseguests! It was incredibly charming and we sat outside under the stars on the patio. The spectacular venue was surpassed only by Maria’s culinary skill. After having come from Madrid's fried foods and pastries, her fresh-from-the-garden organic salad blew us away. The local red wine, superb eggplant parmesan, perfectly cooked lamb chops and dessert of local sheep’s milk yogurt and artisanal honey rounded out the fantastic meal. We can't recommend this place enough-- it exuded the friendliest, warmest ambience, had comfy accommodations and gave us a meal that trumped our Michelin-rated restaurant experience later on in Barcelona, really! We will definite return and almost didn’t want to reveal this gem but secrets like these are meant to be shared. Thank you to you and your sons, Maria Conte!