Mas Pau, Avinyonet de Puigventós

Mas Pau is a 4 star hotel four kilometres south-west of Figueres, in the Costa Brava region of Spain. The town was made famous by one great surrealist artist - Mr Salvador Dali. Over the years the hotel has grown in popularity with young people getting married; holding their wedding receptions in the main banqueting room and making good use of the spacious rooms and tranquil gardens on offer. No need to worry even if you turn up during a special occasion like this you will still receive good personal service and the staff will go out of their way to make you feel at home and relaxed.

The hotel building is a 17th century masia - a very posh Spanish farmhouse and stands on its own in a wooded area surrounded by farmland. The actual village of location is Avinyonet de Puigventos and can be reached on the main road leading from Figueres to Breslau.

The gardens leading up to and surrounding the hotel are very attractive and well manicured with cypress trees, colourful beds of flowers, orange trees, interesting statues, wooden benches and a swimming pool enclosed in an area sheltered by tall shrubs.

It was good to notice that the ivy creepers had been cut back on the exterior of the hotel since my last visit as they can quickly devour the granite stone of the building and if left overgrown look a mess rather than adding a touch of character.

So let's go inside. The public rooms are what you would call 'rustic' but to my eye have a touch of Art Nouveau - let's say the decoration is in a Spanish Modernista style. The various rooms included an arched bar full of painted mirrors, vases of big ferns, lots of wicker chairs set around tables made from old sewing machines. The dining rooms are quite spectacular and are interconnecting. The largest is the banqueting room which is mainly used for grand wedding receptions and has very nice beamed ceilings and its stone walls are decorated with sepia photographs of old Figueres and old family portraits. The owners definitely have a love of candlesticks and elaborate candle chandeliers which adds a somewhat Gothic touch to the building. However, the dining rooms are very dark which is fine for a romantic occasion but sometimes it is good to see what you are eating.

Bedrooms come in various sizes and styles. Some are situated in the tower as was our junior suite and the views from our main room were very rural - a patchwork of different shades of green. The room was too small to be classed as a suite and rather cluttered. The décor was a bit hit and miss and there was a glass and wooden screen separating the sleeping area from the lounge area. Floors were tiled which was nice and cool for my hot feet and the furniture was of the light pine variety. Curtains and bedspread were very floral - white with big fat flowers splashed all over. Too mumsy for my taste but all linen was clean, beautifully ironed and smelt of Spring even if it was Summer. All other facilities included satellite TV, mini-bar, telephone, safe and air-conditioning that worked!

Our bathroom was connected and very spacious. The design was one I have seen many times in Spain and Portugal - tiled from the ceiling to floor in a brown/terracotta shade - even the outside of the bath was tiled. The only contrast was a series of four connecting mirrors above the wash basin and the shiny chrome of the towel rail and taps. Small golden lights shined above the mirrors which was a good idea as the light in this hotel was quite dim. Plenty of hot water and soft fluffy towels - what more could you ask for - a bottle of champagne I guess - but not to worry. All good in this bathroom.

Mealtimes: Breakfast can be taken in one of the dining areas but can also be served in your room or on one of the terraces. Lunch and evening dinner can be eaten in one of the restaurants also. Having looked at the menus we thought the food looked very creative but quite expensive - if you consider the fact that they were charging 27 euros for a few pieces of air dried ham and 22 euros for a mackerel salad. So we said No to the menus and found a nice little place in Figueres for the evening.

How much did it cost to spend 2 nights in this lovely 17th century masia and was it worth it? The price was 160 euros per night for the room and that was for August. Breakfast cost 14 Euros extra and that was the normal continental buffet style - beautifully presented but nothing extraordinary. I think the price is a little too high and I wish we had just gone with a double room rather than a suite as it was 50 Euros cheaper but this trip to Spain was a special trip for me and my husband wanted to treat me to a bit of luxury rather than roughing it as it was a sort of anniversary present.

The hotel itself is charming and the situation is very green but in the middle of nowhere so you will need a car. It is only 4 kilometres from Figueres where there are lots of interesting things to do like visit the Dali Museum and Girona is only 40 kilometres away so full marks for location.

Children are welcomed by the staff and the staff are very professional. They were incredibly nice and helpful and this isn't always the case in Spanish hotels as sometimes they can be a bit off-hand. I think I would probably return to Mas Pau next time I'm in Figueres. It's a pretty cool hotel with good views and a beautiful garden.

Other essential info: pets are accepted as are all major credit cards. Disabled access is good and there are many car parking spaces. Highly Recommended.