Staff Reporter
IT may have only been open for a couple of years, but an exclusive secret retreat hotel on the Costa del Sol is fast winning plaudits and awards.
Chosen as one of the best ‘adults only’ hotels in Spain, DDG Retreat, near Casares, has also been touted as the perfect honeymoon escape.
It has also been selected as THE place to propose to your girlfriend some FOUR times this year, and it has garnered no less than 246 five-star Trip Advisor reviews.
While hardly known around Andalucia or Gibraltar, it has been voted one of the world’s most romantic hideouts by the Sunday Times, the Telegraph and Conde Nast Traveller.
It is all about the attention to detail, amazing views and complete space and privacy.
Checking in to the retreat, that counts on only a handful of suites, feels like a private hotel experience.
Each suite has its own hot tub or plunge pool, along with the shared infinity pool and fabulous 360 views to watch the sunset or gaze at the stars.
You are surrounded by a protected nature reserve and an army of vultures soar around above you.
You can also make it a spa break and get pampered in our wooden cabin located in our home grown pine forest, perfect for organic skin care treatments, as well as hot stone, craneo head massages and reflexology.
The romantic retreat has a very international flavour, with the decor influenced by the owners’ travels through Asia and Africa.
Check out the boho chic of DDG Retreat, which is a stunning spot to relax.
It is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, as well as a proposal, thanks to its romantic setting, not to mention the special breakfast of cava, rose petals on the table as per photo.
“There is everything here you’d want from a high-end holiday – privacy, infinity pool, and ambitious architecture,” wrote the Daily Mail.
And it is not hard to see why from the splendid way the owners, who bought the estate two decades ago, have carefully created half a dozen private suites, each maximising on breathtaking panoramic views and unforgettable sunsets.
High in the stunning Sierra Crestellina – not far from celebrated five-star hotel Finca Cortesin and the famous ‘restaurant road’ on the way up – and you can be guaranteed peace and quiet.
There are no screaming kids or motorbikes and the clever design of the hotel means you will feel as if you are on your own.
This is hardly surprising given that the suites – including two ‘ultra-cool’ tented suites – are spread around no less than four hectares.
The expat owners bought the old mountain farm and have transformed it into a worldly kingdom, of antiques, artefacts, and even plants, picked up on their many adventures around the world.
The architecture is enhanced by tropical gardens so guests are surrounded by the aroma of nature, be it pine, lemongrass or orange blossom.
The owners wanted to create something rare and unique in Europe, not just a small hotel room with a balcony, but an exclusive residence… and it needed to be as environmentally-friendly as possible.
“We endeavour to give something back,” explains the owner. “We use our own well for water and we plant many new trees each year. And the pool has an ozone cleaning system instead of chlorine.
“We love sharing our beautiful natural setting with our guests – with the birds singing and the chirping of cicadas and the rare vultures flying overhead, the wealth of butterflies, the profusion of flowers.”
But this is no sparse eco-retreat either.
Scattered around the estate you will find a tennis court, massage huts, as well as communal areas, where you can borrow CDs and DVDs.
You choose from a series of stylish casitas or the super-suites (each with their own hot tub or plunge pool).
Each have marble floors, chandeliers and even have air conditioning for very hot days or chilly nights.
When it comes to food and drink you can hole up and be catered for by the team, with a decent mix of dishes and meals.
Or you can take the Olive Press’ advice and head down the hill to one of the many excellent restaurants clustered in and around nearby Casares village.
Dubbed ‘Restaurant Road’ by the paper a few years ago, this is one of the best places on the Costa del Sol to eat.
There are half a dozen excellent places to eat on the road between the coast and Casares and include amazing Arroyo Hondo, the evocative Forge and the innovative and hip Sarmiento, right in the village.
So, all in all, combine a short romantic break with some of the best food in Andalucia and you’ve got that special escape trip under control… and all within an hour of where you live, by car!
Visit https://ddgretreat.com/gallery/ for more information and special offers. Quote ‘the Olive Press’ for an extra special rate
