Inaugurated in January 1932, with just 11 rooms, El Hostal de la Gavina was the first Spanish hotel to become a member of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World group.
Since then, both the town of S’Agaro and the hotel have changed enormously but have not lost any of their charm. The hotel now has 74 bedrooms, a seawater pool, a spa, fine dining restaurants and even meeting and events spaces but it still maintains all of the historical charm it had the day it opened. The old cohabits with the new in a subtle and timeless manner.
Peerched on the picturesque beach of S’Agaro and within easy reach of medieval Girona, el Hostal de La Gavina is the perfect location for both small meetings and incentives for up to approximately 50 guests. The hotel’s elegant Mediterranean function room and terrace can cater for dinners for up to 300 guests.
El Hostal de La Gavina has been recognised as a Cultural Property of National Interest by the Catalan Government.
Star Moments
Since the opening of the five star luxury hotel, El Hostal de la Gavina, on the lovely beach of S’Agaro on the Costa Brava in 1924, hoards of popular faces have sought anonymity there.
Between the 1950s and 1970s particularly, official photos reveal how the Costa Brava became a veritable film set. Among the images from this period is that of a young Elizabeth Taylor, staying at the hotel during the filming of Suddenly, Last Summer (1959).
Another classic shot shows Ava Gardner with fellow actors John Laurie and Nigel Patrick running along the beach with no other buildings in the background other than La Taberna del Mar – now the hotel´s offical beach restaurant.
Other greats to stay at the hotel include legendary film-maker Orson Welles who directed Mister Arkadin (1954), filmed in S’Agaró, as well as the actors Dirk Bogarde and Maureen Swanson who starred in The Spanish Gardener (1956), filmed among other places in Palamós.
Comedian Peter Sellers and actor John Wayne were also hosted at La Gavina, and more recently Jack Nicholson and Sean Connery have been guests there.
Adapted from La Vanguardia newspaper
Images by Hostal de la Gavina.