After spending a few fantastic days in San Sebastian, I didn't know if things could get better. however, Ezcaray and Hotel Echaurren took the cake. The hotel is well maintained, the staff is friendly, and it is a beautiful building. The family running the hotel has owned it for 5 generations, and has kept it up well. The facilities are comfortable and new, and there are unique and beautiful lounges, terraces, patios, and reading rooms for all guests to enjoy. On top of that, FREE WIFI!

Finally, if you like food, the restaurants in the hotel serve some of the best food in Spain at incredibly reasonable rates (compared to top restaurants elsewhere in Spain), and you can choose between two outstanding restaurants - one more traditional and the other modern. Besides amazing food, everyone was incredibly friendly. The head chef of the modern restaurant - el Portal - where I ate with friends, stopped by to say hello and later had a drink with us at the terrace. We were impressed by some of the serving plates and asked our waiter where they were from and he directed us to a local artisan's shop. It was truly an experience i will remember the rest of my life.

We spent a week driving around the Rioja region, and specifically went to the town of Ezcaray where Eucharren Inn is located to eat at El Portal, one of the two restaurants inside this family run inn. One is run by the mother , Marisa Sanchez, and the other, El Portal, is run by the son, Francis Paniego; they share the same kitchen. We spent the night after our meal at the inn as there really isn't all that much in the immediate vicinity, and we didn't want to be driving on the country roads after a large meal with the requisite bottle of Rioja. They had initially placed us in a very nice suite, one of their larger rooms, I believe; however, as it did not have air conditioning, I requested that we move to a smaller room that did as I don't tolerate the heat well. The room was very nice and comfortable. There is a large, communal outside terrace where you can have your breakfast if you'd like, as well as an adjacent indoor lounge area for hotel guests. As the other TA writer has indicated, the primary reason to go to the inn is for the food. While we did not meet the mother, we did meet Francis Paniego, as well as his brother who was the sommelier at El Portal who gave us a tour of the kitchen. Pretty impressive operation. Francis will also be in charge of the restaurant at the Marques de Riscal's winery's new Gehry designed Starwood hotel when it opens in Elciego (about 40 minutes away) later this year. We toured that winery and saw the almost completed hotel, which is quite a contrast to the surrounding medieval villages.

The buffet breakfast at Eucharren, which was not included in our room rate (approx. $100/night), was excellent and served in the mother's restaurant. There were a few NY Times articles and other reviews posted at the inn's front door, including one that mentioned a shop, Artesania Textil, around the corner from the inn that made cashmere, wool and mohair blend blankets and scarves. Well worth a visit. Prices were incredibly reasonable and the handiwork of the finest quality. Great gifts. Apparently they produce items for many famous designers, including Carolina Herrera, but also sell to the public -- there is no sign, you have to ask where the shop is located, but they were very helpful once we were inside.

This is a great place to roll into in the afternoon, as we did for a 3:00 lunch, or for dinner, which is very late and we found hard to sleep on, and then spend the night. Of course, you might want to try both restaurants, which might require a two-night stay. The inn is great for that.

Stayed at nearby Parador de Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Echaurren is a country inn in a pretty mountain town on the fringe of La Rioja with a restaurant that is world class.

A mother and son team have created a combination of the best elements of the traditional cusine of Spain with a cutting-edge cusine that marries tradition with state-of-the-art, expressively modern cusine.

Echaurren is a place where local people come for perfectly prepared Spanish comfort food and gourmands can explore cutting edge dishes, generously prepared and a great regional wine list.

The hotel is as nice inn, homey and friendly but the reason to visit is the amazing kitchen!