The Hotel
LA FRUCTUOSA
The house
Our building is about 200 years old and has been open to guests for a century or so in various incarnations. At the start of the 20th century it was a popular guest house called La Española (meaning The Spaniard), but all the locals called it La Fructuosa, or Fructuosa’s place, because that was the name of the owner.
In 1997, Jesús and Luis bought the house in order to revive this much-loved landmark. The building had been abandoned for more than 15 years and was in a sorry state. After much reconstruction and renovation work, La Fructuosa reopened in 1998.
We (Catherine and Daniel) took over La Fructuosa in 2017 and carried out a substantial renovation of the rooms, kitchen and public spaces to improve the overall comfort and services of the hotel while ensuring that it retained its character, style and charm.
Catherine opened her ceramics studio next door in 2019, and many of her colourful artworks can be seen throughout the hotel.
The rooms
Each guest room in La Fructuosa has its own style and character. All of our rooms are spacious and comfortable and are situated on the upper levels of the house. Each room has a private bathroom (three of these have bathtubs, while the other three have large, walk-in showers).
Four of our guest rooms have the spectacular views for which Gaucín is so famous, encompassing two continents (Europe and Africa), three countries or territories (Spain, Gibraltar and Morocco) and two large bodies of water (the Mediterranean and the Atlantic).
All of our rooms have televisions with access to Spanish and some international channels. The rooms also have ceiling fans and central heating, while the bathrooms have heated towel racks.
The south-facing rooms have air-conditioning.
Wireless internet is available throughout the hotel – in the rooms, restaurant and on the terraces.
For breakfast, which is served in the restaurant, we offer freshly ground coffee, a variety of Fortnum & Mason teas, freshly squeezed orange juice, eggs, home-baked croissants, organic jams, fresh fruit, local cheeses and cold cuts, cereals, yoghurt and local sweets.
Double room with view (Almendros)
Almendros (or Almond Trees) is on the first floor of the house.
There are many almond trees in this part of Spain and in January and February they are covered in beautiful pale pink blossom. A detail of Vincent van Gogh’s famous “Almond Blossom” painting covers one entire wall of this room.
Almendros has spectacular views. It is spacious and comfortable, with a queen-sized bed and an en-suite bathroom (bathtub with shower, basin, toilet and bidet). This room is air conditioned.
Twin/double room with view (El Jardín)
El Jardin (The Garden) is on the first floor of the house.
This is where the three rooms of the original Pension La Española were located between the 1940s and 1960s. One of the walls has been decorated with a wallpaper by French artist Nathalie Lété.
The room has spectacular views and is spacious and comfortable, with two large (105 cm wide) single beds and an en-suite bathroom (walk-in shower with marble base, basin, toilet and bidet). It also has a fold-out sofa-bed which sleeps two people. This room is air conditioned.
Double room with view (Las Aves)
Las Aves (The Birds) is on the second floor of the house.
Gaucín is a popular destination for ornithologists, twitchers and bird-lovers in general because of the numbers of migratory birds seen in this area.
In Las Aves, one of the walls is decorated with an exclusive bird motif wallpaper designed by American artist Claire Keane. The room has spectacular views and is spacious and comfortable, with a queen-sized bed and an en-suite bathroom (bathtub with shower, basin, toilet and bidet). It has a fold-out sofa-bed which is suitable for a child to sleep on. This room is air conditioned.
Double room with view (El Pueblo)
El Pueblo (The Village) is on the second floor of the house.
When we bought La Fructuosa, we commissioned a Spanish artist who goes by the name of Piluca to paint a portrait of Gaucín. One wall of this room is decorated with an enlarged copy of her painting.
El Pueblo has spectacular views and is cozy and comfortable, with a queen-sized bed and a large en-suite bathroom (large walk-in shower, two basins and toilet). This room is air conditioned.
Twin/double room (El Mar)
El Mar (The Sea) is on the second level of the house.
It is one of the newly renovated rooms on the quiet street side of the hotel and has a direct connection with the adjacent room, El Cielo, so it can be used either individually or as a family suite in combination with El Cielo.
El Mar is spacious and comfortable, with two single beds and an en-suite bathroom (bath with shower, basin and toilet).