E

ven without the hotel, Atrio’s restaurant alone would easily merit a detour. It’s a serious establishment — white tablecloths, finely besuited waiters, diners with similar sartorial inclinations — that’s perfectly matched by a wonderfully peaceful, architecturally striking hotel whose fourteen modern, clean-lined rooms have been masterfully integrated into the stone facade of a much older building in Extremadura’s ancient walled city of Cáceres.

If there’s a single bit of ornament, it’s the art; original works by Andy Warhol and Georg Baselitz are the highlights of an impressive collection. Meanwhile, accommodations provide plenty of space, both physical and mental, for contemplation. Just about everything is vivid white: crisp bedding, painted wood-panel walls, the curtains and lamps, spacious bathrooms with big round tubs. Upgrading to a suite adds views of the historic town and extra space adorned with little more than a few extra pieces of comfy modern furniture.

For distractions, there’s plenty to explore beyond the hotel’s walls. Cáceres itself, founded in the first century B.C., is a worthy destination, full of Roman arches, Moorish towers and winding cobblestone streets. And of course greater Extremadura is an agricultural and culinary wonderland. Before they turn into jamón Ibérico, the region’s black-footed pigs are treated to a life of enviable coddling as they feast on acorns and range across vast expanses of oak forest.

Higher up on the food chain, your treatment only gets better. Atrio’s restaurant has been recognized with three Michelin stars, and its gorgeous wine cellar is a tempting place to splurge, with its decades-spanning vintages of Pétrus and Latour and just about the entire roster of European stars. Even so extravagantly lubricated, with a belly full of frog leg–stuffed tomatoes and Iberian filet mignon and truffle pâté en croûte, it’s an easy walk back to the room.

How to get there:
Atrio Restaurante Hotel is 300 km from Madrid Barajas Airport.