La Casona De La Ciudad by Jenny Pidgeon

La Casona de la Ciudad is a real find – tucked down a side street in the centre of the old medina of Ronda. The friendly and talkative receptionist will welcome you as you enter the hotel, into the light patio with its grand pillars. La Casona was a family home for many years, and it has retained a comfortable, lived-in air in the pubic rooms on the ground floor. The sitting room, with lots of sofas, overstuffed chairs and an open fireplace, feels homely with personal photographs perched on the antique furniture. On the other side of the hallway is a small, intimate restaurant where the guests sit together at a central dark-wooden table on the tiled floor.

The wide staircase holds interesting art that thankfully breaks away from the traditional dark religious pieces so often found in Spanish hotels. On the upper floors lie the nine guestrooms and suites; all large and decorated with original antiques from the house. The mood, though, is comfortable rather than stuffy, and the rooms boast good views of the narrow cobbled streets or garden, some with private terrace. The surprisingly large, gracious garden is the piece de resistance here – an unexpected oasis of calm in the centre of busy Ronda, with sitting areas under dappled pine shade and a large swimming pool at the end of the lawn.