When the owner of Elciego's Bodegas Marqués de Riscal decided he wanted to create something special, he didn’t hold back. The result is the spectacular Frank Gehry–designed Hotel Marqués de Riscal, which opened in 2006. Costing around €85 million, the building is a flamboyant wave of multicoloured titanium sheets that stand in utter contrast to the village behind.
Casual visitors are not welcome at the hotel, however. If you want a closer look, you have three options. The easiest is to join one of the bodega’s wine tours – it’s necessary to book in advance. You won’t get inside the building, but you will get to see its exterior from some distance. A much closer look can be obtained by reserving a table at one of the two superb in-house restaurants: the Michelin-starred Restaurante Marqués de Riscal or the 1860 Tradición. For the most intimate look at the building, of course, you’ll need to reserve a room for the night.
Elciego (Eltziego in Basque, and on some road signs) is located 25km northwest of Logroño via N232A.
