Hacienda de San Rafael
The award winning Hacienda de San Rafael, once a thriving olive estate, has been meticulously restored and converted into a heavenly hideaway, striking a balance between rustic charm and modern sophistication. The privately owned eighteenth-century hideaway is perfectly positioned halfway between the historic cities of Seville & Jerez de la Frontera renound for its sherry bodegas and dancing horses. To the East, in the sierras de Grazalema lie the attractive white villages known as pueblos blancos.
Conservation, restoration and preservation are all very relevant words when talking about the 18th century Hacienda de San Rafael. Lying in what was then an olive estate and handed down from three generations, it had suffered from severe neglect. Only in 1989 did the present family decide to save the building and undertake what was to be a 10 year restoration programme. Recognising the beauty and simplicity of the structure and the need for conservation was what drove the owners to restore and transform everything that was within the walls.
Initially and as it turns out sensibly, the work was carried out in various phases. After each phase there was a need to assess and reflect on how the changes might affect and benefit the guest as well as the hotel operation. Today with the 6 hectare mature garden surrounding the Hacienda, the positioning of outside secluded relaxation corners, has ensured essential privacy.
The size of the hotel has been kept deliberately small; 11 rooms and 3 casitas (Suites). Emphasis is on service and ambience as well as the kitchen which is run by a local team.