Few things speak for the quality, calibre and heritage of an establishment more than endorsement by the iconic stars of the Hollywood golden era. It sets the scene. And so it is with Hostal De La Gavina: the monochrome faces that look out from a gallery of photographs on one of the hotel’s hallways that have been shot here are many and classic. From Elizabeth Taylor, Dirk Bogarde and Lawrence Olivier to Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson and Ava Gardner, they’ve all been here and no doubt were seduced by its charm, discreet air of privacy and glorious Mediterranean outlook. It’s that sort of place – classic – and much like those guests, timelessly elegant.

But this is not West Hollywood or Santa Monica, this is the private enclave of S’Agaró, just 95km north of Barcelona on Spain’s Costa Brava. Little more than 100 years ago this small peninsula between two secluded sandy beaches was inhabited by just a single fisherman’s hut. But in 1916, entrepreneur Josep Ensesa took ownership (as a payment of a debt!) and eight years later, the Ensesa family along with architects, including the renowned Rafael Másó Valentí, campaigner for traditional Catalan design, sketched out plans for a residential garden village in this idyllic location. The design, planned as a community of seaside villas which drew on the local architectural style of porticos, towers, terraces and low rooflines, was named S’Agaró after a nearby stream. Hostal de La Gavina started as a private dwelling until opening as an 11-room hotel in 1932 under the masterful direction of Josep Ensesa Gubert. Clearly a virtuoso hotelier with an appreciation for the graceful, as it modestly grew (it still only has 53 rooms and 21 suites), his hotel gained a well-earned reputation amongst the discerning as the most luxurious in the area and in fact, one of the finest in the whole of Spain. The fact that it was the first hotel in the country to become a member of the prestigious association The Leading Hotels of the World tells you all you need to know about its quality.

While some other parts of the Spanish coastline may have swelled, spread, towered and lost some of their identity to the mistress of mass tourism, S’Agaró and this delightful hotel predate the age of the jet-holiday expansion and thanks to Josep’s vision and some fierce protective planning laws, it remains wonderfully unspoilt.

 

Stepping into timeless refinement

The estate is now owned by the 4^th generation of the family and clearly the baton has been passed down with care. While Hostal de La Gavina has evolved to meet (and surpass) 21^st-century expectations of a 5-star establishment, with four restaurants, spa, outdoor and indoor pools, tennis and padel courts, the hotel’s original soul of refinement and taste very much remains intact. The moment you enter the lobby the mood is set. Tall, classical gold-gilded standard lamps combine with dark wood tables, a hanging tapestry, marble underfoot and plenty of beautiful floral displays. It’s chic luxury that doesn’t need to shout. It’s more Laurence Olivier in an understated sharp suit than Brooklyn Beckham in a super-sized logo baseball cap.

And the route to my room continues in suitable style: a wood-panelled lift leading me out to sweeping elegant corridors where I could well imagine meeting the aforementioned Mr Olivier coming in the opposite direction, such was my absorption into La Gavina’s golden-era A-list retreat vibe.

It’s chic luxury that doesn’t need to shout. It’s more Laurence Olivier in an understated sharp suit than Brooklyn Beckham in a super-sized logo baseball cap

It’s a style and atmosphere that thankfully continued into my room itself, furnished with antiques, ornate bedposts and touches of wood parquetry. With such carefully curated touches and decorative elements that the Ensesa family have collected during their travels, the rooms here are renowned for their individuality. The style varies from floor to floor with Castilian or Asian antiquities through to a white-walled Mediterranean theme. As for the outlook – wow! My balcony with its original stone balustrades and pillars framed a view of the sparkling blue Mediterranean perfectly. Visually it could easily be the Amalfi coast.

Thanks to S’Agaró’s unique position jutting out, as it does into the sea, oceanic outlooks are available from a lot of the rooms here, and from my experience, it’s an outlook of serenity with birdsong interrupted only by the occasional murmur of a small fishing vessel, or the hotel’s shiny new dayboat (available for guests to charter complete with immaculate, amiable crew and enough bubbly, beer and Catalunyan picnic delights to make for a memorable day or sunset cruise amongst the crystal clear waters of the rocky coves).

 

Sports, swimming and spa

In fact, there’s no shortage of activities to fill any vacation itinerary. I tried my hand at (and rather enjoyed) padel, but fans of more traditional racquet sports will appreciate playing tennis on the clay courts here, a place where, back in the 50s, the Concurso Internacional de Tenis took place and became a regular fixture on the sporting calendar in the build-up to the Davis Cup.

I also made my yoga debut at the hotel’s yoga pavilion which sits in the landscaped garden, overlooking the sea. With the distant sound of the surf, as a setting it will be a difficult to match wherever I next get to do my downward dog. Spa by Valmont provides an equally serene setting in which to recharge with its heated indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, steam bath, gym, hammam and treatment rooms with skincare products and luxurious Valmont spa treatments specifically used for facials, alongside body treatments from Germaine de Capuccini.

There are water sports activities at St. Pol Beach in the bay next to the hotel entrance, where it is also possible to pick up and follow a section of 43km the Cami d’Ronda coastal path which winds around S’Agaró’s scenic shoreline and beyond.

 

From casual to cocktails and caviar

When that activity and sea air work up an appetite, La Gavina, as you would expect from such a 5-star resort, is well placed to sate the hunger. Fans of fine cuisine will know that this area of Spain is something of a culinary hotspot with some standouts in Girona and Barcelona. French-born Romain Fornell is one the region’s superstars. He was the youngest ever chef to get a Michelin star and has nine Spanish restaurants (including the eminent ‘Caelis’ in Barcelona), plus three in France, and is the hotel’s gastronomic director. He brings a ‘Mediterranean style and a delicate French touch’ – carefully undertaken by executive chef José Pulido.

Accomplished mixologists are on hand to create your perfect dry Martini. Apparently, that’s what Sinatra and Ava Gardner were drinking here the night of a heated, jealousy-fuelled discussion that culminated in Ol’ Blue Eyes getting a slap around the face!

There are a range of relaxed yet refined dining spots: The poolside Garbí serves light Mediterranean favourites including grilled meats, fresh fish, vibrant summer salads, and regional rice dishes; right on the water’s edge at the nearby beach is La Taverna del Mar – renowned for its seafood, freshly caught by local fishermen and El Barco offers an informal atmosphere, ideal for sharing tapas, whereas its cosy, wood-panelled El Barco Bar has more the feel of a bijou private club with accomplished mixologists on hand to create your perfect dry Martini. Apparently, that’s what Sinatra and Ava Gardner were drinking here the night of a heated, jealousy-fuelled discussion that culminated in Ol’ Blue Eyes getting a slap around the face!

But I think a meal downstairs in the hotel’s formal restaurant ‘Candlelight by Romain Fornell’ is always going to be a special occasion. There was a distinct ambience created here, as the name would suggest, by flickering candelabras, plus starched white tablecloths, fine ceramic tableware and the accompaniment of gentle piano echoing slightly off a cloistered ceiling. Obviously in the warm seasons, dining al fresco is a favourite, out amidst the palms on the restaurant’s pretty terrace. Head Sommelier Florian David has over 200 wines at his disposal, while on our plates, Catalonian meets French with dishes such as steak tartare, foie gras, caviar and lobster, each beautifully presented and served with a level of culinary theatricality (cloches and serving trolley put to good use) that I’m sure would have been appreciated by those theatrical guests from the glitzy world of silver-screen whose monochrome pictures hang on that hallway upstairs.

Much like them I fell in love with this place, in case you hadn’t realised! A bit like Cliveden back in the UK, hotels like La Gavina where the walls could tell such stories and where heritage, premium hospitality and understated luxury combine are always going to get my vote over anything new, shiny and soulless.

Hostal de La Gavina is one hour north of Barcelona city centre and half an hour from Girona-Costa Brava airport.

www.lagavina.com

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The star-studded visitors book

Over its rich history, Hostal de La Gavina has long doubled as a discreet retreat for cinema and celebrity. The coast itself featured in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman with Ava Gardner and Suddenly, Last Summer starring Elizabeth Taylor. Very recently scenes of the BBC’s The Night Manager were filmed at the tennis club (and room 114!), while other movie star guests have included Robert De Niro, Cole Porter, Dirk Bogarde, Liam Neeson, Peter Sellers with later visits by Shakira and Lady Gaga. Football icon Johan Cruyff brought FC Barcelona squads here and the list of visiting dignitaries include Selwyn Lloyd, Giscard d’Estaing, Harold Macmillan and Spanish Kings Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI. Other cultural artists such as Rudolf Nureyev, Placido Domingo, Montserrat Caballe and Salvador Dalí have all also enjoyed this hotel’s discretion and timeless charm.

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