First impressions

About four years ago, Saúl and I first became aware of the Marqués de Riscal hotel in Rioja, Spain when we stopped at Bodegas Marqués de Riscal for a winery tour. It was then that we fell in love with the architecture of the on-site Hotel Marqués de Riscal, a member of The Luxury Collection by Marriott. Designed by famed architect Frank Gehry (of Guggenheim Museum fame), the building was originally proposed to house the offices of the winery, but ultimately became a luxury hotel. Gehry utilized structural contours to evoke the feeling of “an animal galloping through a field” and bold metal colors to represent the details of the wine bottles and the grapes grown in the vineyards. We had a memorable lunch on the second-floor terrace and vowed to one day return and spend at least a night at this remarkable property.

Three years later, we found ourselves back in the region and decided to treat ourselves to a stay. We used 70,000 American Express points and $309.08 to book two nights in a one of the hotel’s entry-level rooms. The Amex rate included a free tour of the winery, daily breakfast for two, and a $100 credit to the on-site spa. To learn more about how you can book luxury travel using credit card points, click here to subscribe to my newsletter and get my free guide!

Location

Hotel Marqués de Riscal is situated in a fantastic location, adjacent to the medieval town of Elciego, right in the epicenter of wine country and near the famed El Camino de Santiago. Each day, we took short, relaxing drives on winding roads through miles of vineyards to explore nearby towns. During three days in the region, we explored charming Santo Domingo de la Calazada, had an incredible lunch and did a bit of shopping in the village of Ezcaray, and walked the old streets of Laguardia at sunset. The number of small, family-run wineries and (affordable) Michelin-starred restaurants within a 45-minute drive is astounding.

Room design

The deluxe spa room is quite large for an entry-level room, and contained everything we needed to feel comfortable during our stay. An expansive bathroom features a deep soaking tub and wardrobe with plenty of storage space, while the deep red color of the bedroom is reminiscent of the Tempranillo wine made on site. Delicate paper lamps shaped like clouds frame the bed, opposite a seating area facing a large window overlooking the vineyard. The overall vibe is this really unique mix of modern and cozy touches that put us at ease. A small bottle of house wine was a thoughtful welcome gift.

Food & beverage

We had lunch the first afternoon at the indoor dining room at 1860 Tradición, named after the year the winery bottled its first red wine. Helmed by Michelin-starred Chef Francis Paniegoand, the restaurant serves local specialties accompanied by an extensive wine list. I particularly enjoyed the “candied” crystal peppers (think: sweet roasted red peppers) topped with free-range egg yolk, washed down with a crisp glass of albariño. 

Both evenings, we had a light dinner at the hotel’s Vinoteca & Bistro (the lobby bar). Featuring an entire wall of wine bottled on site, the menu features casual, classic Spanish fare, like the tortilla de patatas.

1860 Tradición was also where we enjoyed al fresco breakfasts each morning of our stay, which were included in the room rate. The outdoor terrace overlooks the village of Elciego, which is the loveliest view to enjoy while tucking into eggs, fresh avo toast, and a steaming cup of coffee.

Wine tour

After lunch on our day of arrival, we walked over to the bodega for the walking tour. Although the tour followed the same route as our previous visit, it was much more interesting because harvest season was in full swing. We watched as carts of fat, ripe, grapes were hauled in from the vineyards, then sorted, pitted, and crushed. We learned about the fermentation and bottling processes, and capped off the tour with a small tasting of three wines. In business since 1858(!), wines from Marqués de Riscal’s can be purchased in more than 110 countries. While serious oenophiles likely prefer to visit the hundreds of smaller bodegas throughout the region to source harder-to-find bottles, this is a great intro tour!

The spa

After breakfast our second morning on property, we headed over to the Caudalie Spa Vinothérapie. Although Caudalie is a French skincare brand, it is famous for using grape and grapevine extracts to concoct its skincare products, so a spa set into a vineyard is a brilliant brand partnership. We got there a bit earlier than our treatment time, so we could take a dip in the stunning heated pool overlooking the vines. We opted for a couples’ massage and exfoliating scrub unique to Marqués de Riscal. The exfoliant in this scrub was actually made from grape pits, a byproduct of on-site wine production! It was a bit messy, so we had that treatment first in one room, took showers, and then enjoyed a blissful couple’s massage.

Leisure time

After each day of sightseeing and imbibing, we returned to the hotel at dusk and enjoyed some peace and quiet. The first night, I took a luxurious bubble bath in our soaking tub. On our last evening, we rushed up to the rooftop deck off the main building’s library to watch evening fall over Elciego. With no one else around, we each enjoyed a leisurely glass of wine as we read books on our Kindles.

Challenging checkout

Our one snafu during the stay happened, ironically, as we were checking out. The concierge didn’t see that we had already paid for the room using Amex points and insisted on charging me for the stay. He also preferred to address Saúl rather than me, even though the reservation was in my name. After more than 30 minutes, the problem was resolved. I sent a follow-up letter to Marriott corporate and the General Manager of Hotel Marqués de Riscal reached out shortly thereafter to apologize and offer 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. I sincerely appreciated the gesture. 

Overall impression

While there are plenty of boutique hotels and B&Bs in Rioja, Hotel Marqués de Riscal is unique in that it is a full-service property and accepts Marriott and travel credit card points as payment. Yet, with only 61 rooms and suites, it still feels intimate. I would absolutely recommend a stay and l and look forward to returning to Marqués de Riscal Hotel in Rioja in the future.

Luxury travel with credit card points

To learn more about booking luxury travel using credit card points, click here to get my free guide. And be sure not to miss this post about how we used credit card points to book Singapore Suites on our honeymoon!