Posada Mayor de Miguelos is both a Hotel and a Restaurant. The fancy Dining Room is located…read moreupstairs from the Hotel-side check-in, while a more energetic and fun Bistro and Bar is accessible from a parallel street. They also have an underground Bodega of which they offer tours and tastings. It's all contained within a beautifully decorated 17th Century Spanish Country House/Palace, with a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere. Gayle and I enjoyed a long lunch in a small outdoor Patio area between the Bar area and the Hotel. Also in-between was the Bodega area and for a time a fun bunch of folks whose wine tasting capped their adventurous time underground. We were both sorry that we missed our chance to do that too. We both ordered off the "Menu del Dia" and my oxtail steak was fabulous. Gayle was less impressed with her bland cod (is there any other kind?) and wished that she had ordered off the Menu. The couple at the next table did, and Gayle wanted what they were having! However, our shared bottle of wine was good, the Spanish Flan was delicious (as usual), and my young Bride looked radiant. One of our mutual observations was how cute Spanish children are, how handsome the Parents look, and how much doting was going on. We got our chance with a Toddler who came over to say Hi and a Mother that was loving every minute of it. It's amazing during times like this when our broken Spanish is understood by all.

Mayor de Migueloa is located in one of the most popular wine regions in Spain (if not the most…read morepopular). The name of the town is Laguardia, which used to be a defense post established in the 13th century. Laguardia provides a rich historical backdrop over looking Spanish wine country, which offers spectacular atmosphere and picturesque views. My friend and I stayed at Mayor de Migueloa for a weekend and really enjoyed our stay. It's a family run business with charming decor through out the establishment. The old walls and rustic feel of the place takes you back in time, although the hotel is quite cozy, modern and clean. The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating, and we also noticed the owner works closely with the staff on a daily basis, which probably accounts for the attention to detail. The restaurant was fantastic, and for any wine enthusiast, it's a perfect location to stay and travel in the region. Mayor wine is exceptional and I definitely took some home with me. Overall, we loved this place and enjoyed our visit and highly recommend its charm, service and location!

Ambiance is relaxing and disconnects you from life. Even with two children we felt like it was a…read morewell relaxed meal. The wines here go without saying that they are delicious and they have a great wine list from simple to the depths of your pockets. 1860 Tradición restaurant has excellent menu and great quality food that will not disappoint and the view from its Terrance is simply put, Splendid! Appetizer we had the Croquetas and the Carpaccio de gamba. Carpaccio was delicious and refreshing and won. Great pick of solomillo with jamón and patatatas for The kids. La merluza and adult solomillo were both great dishes and recommend. Would definitely recommend a lunch here which provides great views of the surrounding city.

Outstanding architecture and ambience. Spacious, tasteful rooms. Ours had a great view. HENRIQUE…read morein the dining room was warm, knowledgeable and made us feel especially welcome at an excellent dinner.

What a great hotel! Restored convent. Great restaurant,…read moregreat sitting area, awesome breakfast. Parking for a fee. The hotel staff was extremely helpful with everything- including emails I sent to them months in advance inquiring about the wineries. The wineries were within walking distance which was a plus. Town square which housed tapas restaurants was only a few feet away as well. I highly recommend this hotel.

I love this boutique hotel, service, restaurant and complete building are amazing. We didn't have…read morecharger and they send to us right away, iron as well. Been in Haro has been the most amazing experience. Hotel highly recommend.

This winery has a really nice setting. A very stylish, modern tasting room and a very nice area to…read moresit outside, with a very relaxing feel to it. Since we were travelling with our Bulldog we took a seat outside and got some wine (with free nibbles). The wine was fine, got the typical Rioja flavour. But - compared to some other Bodegas we've visited - lacked a special something. Did not wow us enough. Prise-wise their wines are a good deal, but then there's so much competition around here. And considering that we just found the wine too average and quite light on the palate without any long-lasting flavours. But the setting is really nice, staff helpful and friendly. Still a fine Bodega to take a seat outside and enjoy a glass or two.

OK folks, this is simply the best wine made in Haro. Why? They have been doing it longer than…read moremost, doing it as a family, doing it with much longer aging in the oak barrels than any other winery in Haro and it results in fabulous wines. This family-owned winery makes highly individual wines in a style essentially unchanged since its inception in 1877. They grow all their grapes using organic methods, ferment using only natural yeasts and do not filter their wines. They employ four full-time coopers to make their barrels. Gravonia, Tondonia, Bosconia and Cubillo are all individual vineyards which have been in the family for generations. Patience is a family watchword, as this bodega thinks nothing of waiting twenty years before releasing a wine. Their "Crianzas" are aged like others' "Reservas"; the "Reservas" as long as others' "Gran Reservas"...and the ultimate accolade of "Gran Reserva" is accorded to only the very greatest vintages. Rarely are there more than three of these in a decade We did not tour here because we were blitzing through all the Haro wineries in one day. Take the tour because they have their own barrel-making operation. The only winery in La Rioja who does that. We spent 3 weeks in La Rioja tasting at 30 wineries and this is either #2 or #3 out of all of them. The price point in country is higher than most and for a damn good reason. They make spectacular wine. Do not waste your palate or your time/money with other wineries in Haro that cater to the blue-haired bus tour groups. This is wine heaven. It can be found in the US at specialty shops at a price level above $40 for the Crianza and above $50 for the reservas.

If you really want to experience the charm and hospitality of Spain, this is a fine place to start…read more Located in a quaint, tiny, Medieval town in the middle of the best wine country Spain has to offer, Villa Sonsierra is comfortable, beautifully maintained. Mixing extremely old architecture with new interiors, the rooms are spacious, modern, with wonderful beds. Our kind host and hostess provided substantial breakfast foods each morning, excellent coffee, included in the price of the room, and offered laundry service for 15€. They speak English haltingly, but are quite capable of communicating with us. The greatest experience for me was the Los Picayos processional that occurs twice a year in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, in May and in September, a unique, ancient religious event that involves penitents flogging themselves. The processional passed down the narrow cobbledstoned streets, right past our hotel. We loved that this little town was so close to an incredibly rich choice of wineries, with many within a 15 minute or less driving time, spectacular views, castles and walled cities. We had a mid sized rental car and negotiating the streets was challenging at best, so beware.

This building in a town from the 1600's that has been completely renovated inside. Has multiple…read morerooms with very modern interiors. Firm beds, giant towels, huge rooms with bedroom, living room and private bath, lovely owners. Super quiet. Breakfast included with the room for around $75 per night. The female owner (Irene) included two days of laundry for us for 20 Euros. Pedro, Irene's husband, was very helpful with things to do around the area. Where can that happen? We are staying for a week while exploring La Rioja wine region. Cannot give a higher recommendation for any hotel we have used over decades of travel to Spain. After visiting 70 countries, this is the nicest hotel room we have ever used for under $400 per night

During our stay near the Rioja Wine Country, we split our stay between the Hosteria Monasterio De…read moreSan Millan and the Parador Bernardo de la Fresneda in nearby Santo Domingo. This 4-star hotel was opened in 1995 and is located in a wing of the Yuso Monastery. In fact, Gayle and I had one of the few rooms with a balcony and our looked out onto the Monastery grounds and the wings where 9-10 Monks still lived and prayed. I looked out one night and saw one of them within a small Library. The monastic community founded by St Millán in the mid-6th century became a place of pilgrimage. In fact, this area is an alternate route for the Camino de Santiago. A fine Romanesque church built in honour of the holy man still stands at the site of the upper Suso facility. It was here that the first literature was produced in Castilian, from which one of the most widely spoken languages in the world today is derived. In the early 16th century the community was housed in the fine new monastery of Yuso, below the older complex. My only disappointment is that we were here on a Monday when the some of the inside areas of the Monastery were closed. I enjoyed the graceful isolation, monastic decor, the modern comfort within this UNESCO Heritage Site, and the beautiful surrounding hills. On the other hand, Gayle was somewhat creeped out by the by the isolation and the flying bats near the nearby Church entrance. However, we did agree that the Hotel was very nice, service was warm and helpful, the breakfast ws tasty, and that our hike the next morning to the upper Monastery (Suso) was both quiet and inspirational.

We found La Ilera (ilera), a wonderful Casa Rural or "bed and breakfast" via booking.com or maybe…read moretoprural.com--- and I just had to share it on Yelp. We had a wonderful stay overnight here. The owner, Lourdes, is a great host. We stayed here the first night of a three night trip to the Rioja wine region and San Sebastian, and her recomendations and suggestions, along with help booking visits with wineries/bodegas, was a huge huge asset and served to shape our trip. The hotel itself is very clean and cute, traditional but nice. In the middle of a quiet town, there are a few bars nearby and two very good restaurants in town that serve as destination dining experiences for many people visiting Rioja. The town is also only a 5 minute drive from Haro, where tasting rooms for many wineries are located, and it's not far off a major freeway that you may be following to get to the area. I couldn't say any more about how great it was. We also really appreciated that the bath towels were "sheet" size, huge! It's such a small but worthwhile luxury. Breakfast was mostly home made and served with jams Lourdes made herself! Amazing. Don't hesitate. Beds are also very comfortable.

This place is really cool. Close to great tapas and shopping. It's small, clean and efficient. I…read morewould stay here again.

Marqués de Vallejo is in a good location, in the center of town. To get to some of the truly…read moreoutstanding wineries, however, one must rent a car and drive to some of the small towns surrounding the city. As for the hotel, the beds were comfortable and the room was a good size for two people. The breakfast offered is expensive and not worth it (it is more of an American breakfast than a Spanish breakfast), so be sure to check out one of the coffee shops in the neighborhood. The WiFi is of a good speed - no AOL 56k dialup as we had experienced on other portions of our journey. But unfortunately, there is no fitness center. For an admittedly more upscale hotel in La Rioja, I am very surprised that there were not more services or amenities offered in conjunction with the various wine producing regions. I would have definitely shelled out extra money if it meant that I could have some sort of organized transportation to the various wineries, rather than having to watch my drinking consumption because we had to drive ourselves.