Review of La Fuente de la Higuera, by Heidi Fuller-Love

Dutchman Pom Piek and his wife, Christina, created the four-star Fuente de la Higuera hotel, just 15 minutes from Ronda, as an oasis for fatigued travellers. It's certainly a convenient haven for foot-weary sightseers wanting a rest from the bustle of Spain's most-visited city. The boutique hotel is a bit difficult to find, so you're advised to call ahead for directions.

The facilities

A wisteria-shaded porch leads to the courtyard, hedged by brilliant bougainvillaea and sweetly perfumed jasmine, where you can indulge in a buffet-style breakfast at teak tables overlooking a medium-sized pool, which is a tad public, perhaps, for getting that all-over tan.

Hidden down its dusty track and dozing in a silvered olive grove, this lovingly renovated boutique hotel invites siesta, rather than fiesta. A well-stocked honesty bar, which doubles as a well-stacked library, whose walls are hung with contemporary Dutch artwork, is a great place to curl up by the fire and chat with other guests. Furniture at the boutique hotel is wicker and cane, atmosphere is laid-back country: ease is the key here and service is attentive, but not depressingly over-pressingly so.

The rooms

The boutique hotel has eight suites and three rooms are grouped around the main, vine-clad building and accessed via the reception. If privacy is your thing pick the Artist´s suite which has its own entrance at the side of the hotel.

Rooms and suites open directly onto private gardens or terraces. The double suite for four adults has two roomy twin bedrooms, a good-sized salon and fabulous views over the snow-capped Sierra de las Nieves. The two deluxe suites have large living rooms with balmy views of the boutique hotel's landscaped gardens.

The décor, designed to help you keep your cool in a hot climate, is unimposing: pastel walls, cane bath chairs, ceiling fans, pine coffee tables, sugar-cube sofas and beds hung with pale gauze curtains. The boutique hotel's bathrooms are functional and spacious, with showers that double as tubs, where you can soak in some super-smelling bath goodies. Nice touches include log fires, CD players and fresh flowers. Ask about the Turkish steam bath offering a selection of traditional Indian relaxation massages.