Posada Mayor de Migueloa

Mayor de Migueloa is a medieval palace at number 20 Calle Mayor in Laguardia, right in the walled old town. It is a hotel, restaurant and winery at once: you sleep above the calado where its wine is aged and you have lunch or dinner in its restaurant without going out into the street.

Walls, beams and palace floors

The rooms keep the stone, the wooden beams and the old floors of the house. All are for two people and with one bathroom, but none is the same. There are three kinds:

• Standard: a double bed or two singles, with views of the street or an inner courtyard. Each differs in style, size and decor.
• Superior: the largest and the one that keeps the most of the palace, with two double beds or one extra-large and a small sitting room.
• Junior: bright, with a 1.35 m bed, views over the town, a small sitting room and a bath.

They have heating, air conditioning, television, hairdryer, bed linen and towels, internet, and are non-smoking. The website does not publish the number of rooms or the prices, which are shown on the booking engine.

Chuletones by breed and a tasting beneath the house

The restaurant specialises in grilled meat and fish, with seasonal vegetables and Riojan dishes such as the menestra or the stuffed chard stalk. Its chuletón menu goes by breed: Galician ox, Tudanca ox, Galician blond, black Angus, Simmental, Minhota, Highland, Hereford, Friesian and Swami. Desserts are home-made: chocolate sponge, torrija and cheesecake. The website does not publish prices.

In November and December it opens Monday to Sunday from 13:00 to 21:00, with continuous service, and rests on Thursdays. From April to October it opened every day at the same hours; for the rest of winter, confirm.

Beneath the palace is the house's winery. The Mayor de Migueloa tasting starts at €25 with five wines and cheese, and is booked a day in advance.

Conditions worth reading beforehand

The room is available from 14:00 and is vacated before 12:00; if you will arrive after 18:00, let them know. The full cost of the stay is paid when you book, and special offers and rates are not cancellable or refundable: choose your rate carefully. The tourist tax is paid at the hotel. Under-18s need written authorisation from their parents or guardians. Pets are not allowed.

The car, outside the wall

The old town is pedestrianised: leave the car in the public car parks outside the wall and walk in. The hotel's conditions mention parking as an extra that is booked and charged separately; ask when you book what they offer. Without a car, the bus from Vitoria and Logroño stops a few minutes away.

Bikes for the lagoons

They hire out mountain bikes at €15 an hour, with a minimum of two hours. With them, the Laguardia lagoons are a flat ride among vines. On foot, from the door, you have Santa María de los Reyes at the northern end of the old town.