La Trobada Boutique Hotel

Over the Ter, two minutes from the monastery

From the windows of La Trobada Boutique Hotel you can watch the Ter flow past: the building stands over the river, at passeig Honorat Vilamanyà, 4, in the centre of Ripoll. The monastery of Santa Maria is two minutes' walk away and the train and bus station five. There is free parking in front, and from the door you can join the greenway. The family started in 1981 with a restaurant to make use of what their farms produced; in 1985 they built this building, and in 2020, with the hotel closed because of the pandemic, they refurbished it entirely. Today it is run by the third generation.

Five suites named after materials

The refurbishment created five junior suites dedicated to what defines Ripoll: water, nature, iron, wood and stone.

• Agua and Natura are the deluxe ones: a 180 cm bed, a rain shower and a bath for two; Agua also has an electric fireplace and a balcony with a table, and Natura a tantra sofa.
• Hierro, Madera and Piedra: rain shower, air conditioning, a work area, bathrobe and slippers; Hierro has a 150 cm bed.

The rest are doubles, with views, with two beds or the so-called Romantic, all with air conditioning, TV, wifi and a work area. The website gives two different figures, 17 or 18 rooms in total: twelve or thirteen doubles and the five suites.

Breakfast at the 1981 and dinner elsewhere

Breakfast is served at the Café 1981, run by the same family, from 8:00 to 11:00: the traditional one, with local cheeses, cured meats, yoghurt and fruit, or the Orígens, served in three rounds. If you leave early, you can order it to take away as a picnic. The café only serves dinner to groups of more than six with a booking, so for dinner you have to go out; at reception they recommend where. Next to reception is the Botiga Orígens, with cured meats, cheeses, honey, beer and ratafia from the Ripollès.

Arriving late, coming by train

Reception is staffed from 9:00 to 21:00, but you can get in with a code, so arriving at night is no problem. If you come on the R3 from Barcelona, the station is five minutes' walk away and everything in Ripoll can be done on foot. The hotel sells monastery tickets and Núria rack railway tickets, hires out bikes and prepares picnics. It accepts pets; check the conditions when you book. On its website cancellation is free up to 72 hours before and early check-in depends on occupancy.

If you are looking for something simpler, the same family has the Hotel Sport, at the foot of Sant Bartomeu.