Mercer Casa Torner i Güell

The Mercer Casa Torner i Güell is a small four-star hotel on the Rambla de Sant Francesc, in the centre of Vilafranca del Penedès. It occupies an 1884 modernista house restored by the Mercer group, which has hotels in Barcelona and Seville and does the same in each: preserving the building and putting today's light, materials and design inside it. It is a good place to sleep in the wine capital without depending on a car.

The house of Antoni Torner i Güell

The house was built in the 19th-century extension of the town, on the land left by the demolition of the medieval wall. It was commissioned by Antoni Torner i Güell and directed by the master builder Josep Inglada i Estrada. It is an eclectic building with a good deal of modernisme, and was one of the first houses in Vilafranca with exposed brick, ceramic on the façade and wrought iron on the balconies, three features of local modernisme.

Fourteen rooms and three suites

There are four categories: Superior, Deluxe, Junior Suite and Suite. All have soundproofed windows, air conditioning and heating, free wifi, Smart TV, safe and shower; some also have a bath. Double beds are 160, 180 or 200 cm. The Junior Suite and the Suite add a Nespresso machine and minibar, and the Suite has a separate sitting room and a private terrace with views of the city.

The rooms are for two people and the suites for three. For families, a Superior can be connected to a Suite. The cot is free up to age 2, children up to 5 sleep free in their parents' bed and the extra bed costs €30 a day. The website publishes prices from €110 a night for a double, room only.

Breakfast in the glazed lounge

Breakfast is a buffet served in the hotel's glazed lounge, from 7:30 to 10:00 every day: fresh juices, fruit, cereals, cheeses, Iberian cured meats, omelettes, breads and artisan pastries. In the afternoon, from 16:00 to 22:00, there is room service with sandwiches and drinks. The website does not advertise a restaurant of its own; for lunch, El Cigró d'Or is a short walk away.

Arriving without a reception

Reception is open from 7:30 to 22:00 and books restaurants, transport and winery visits. Outside those hours, check-in is done at a self check-in machine at the entrance: with your ID document and a card it gives you the key, and there is a 24-hour assistance phone line. The hotel has an inner courtyard, an accessible lift and parking nearby, not its own. It does not admit animals, except guide dogs, and smoking is only allowed in the courtyard.

Vilafranca on foot

From the door you can walk to Plaça de Jaume I, the Vinseum and the tourist office, from where the Camí del Vi starts. The R4 station is close, with trains to Sant Sadurní for the visit to the Codorníu cellars.