Luxury hotel holiday Hotel Viura La Rioja

The picture-postcard village of Vilabuena de Alava in La Rioja, with its huge number of wineries, is home to the distinctive architecture of the four-star Hotel Viura. An industrial-style structure with a superb restaurant serving regional flavours, and providing a unique wine experience, it provides an excellent base for exploring La Rioja's wineries and vineyards.
Included in your Expressions holiday
  • Accommodation in a double or twin room on bed and breakfast
  • Scheduled flights with British Airways London to Bilbao
  • Hire of a group A car for the duration of the holiday
  • Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
  • Optional room, car and flight upgrades. Details on request

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Viura la Rioja, La Rioja

Hotel Viura is a 4-star hotel in a striking modernist building situated in a traditional wine village. Cuisine and wine are a strong focus here at the heart of Rioja wine country.

Facts in brief

Official star rating 4

Location The hotel is 8-minutes' walk from Bodegas Luis Canas winery

Annual opening All year except February

Closest airport Bilbao Airport

Distance from airport The hotel is about 90-minutes' drive from Bilbao Airport

Hotel facilities and services

Restaurant, Bar, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Wine Cellar, Wine Experiences, Gym.

Out and about nearby

Vilabuena de Alava is a small village with a number of age-old and decorative churches. There are also a hug number of wineries in the region to be visited.

Sports nearby

There is a Basque pelota court situated next to the hotel and there are some beautiful walking and cycling routes through the local vineyards. Hotel Viura can organise canoeing, rafting, rafting, canyoning, trekking, quad biking and more.

Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Viura room for 3 nights

From about

£880 low season

£1140 high season

Holiday Code EXH1098

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Call us on 01392 441245

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Viura la Rioja, La Rioja

The picture-postcard village of Vilabuena de Álava, with its huge number of wineries, is home to the distinctive architecture of the four-star Hotel Viura. Resembling a staggered assortment of angular pods, the overriding feel of the property is an industrial one, which is somewhat at odds with the age-old churches and residential properties nearby. The concept behind this look becomes clear inside, as the sparse decorative style comes to resemble that of a converted winery. This influence is most apparent in the restaurant, with its exposed concrete walls, floors and columns, and a ceiling lined with old barrels. Clean lines, a monotone colour scheme and wall-to-wall windows create an atmosphere of sophisticated elegance, setting the scene for a feast of Riojan and Basque flavours. Selecting only the freshest natural ingredients, the creative menu is complemented by a wine list prepared by the hotel's prestigious sommelier. For a better insight into the wine production process from vine to glass, Hotel Viura guests can embark on a tour that begins in the fields, learning about the grapes, and ends with an introductory course in wine tasting in the wine cellar. This fantastic experience concludes with an indulgent pairing dinner. Spacious, open-plan rooms and suites are a harmonious place to unwind at the end of the day, their neutral palette and intimate lighting establishing a stylish energy. An in-room bar encourages you to relax in style, with a selection of choice wines to sample in private. The Viura rooms offer plenty of space but deluxe rooms hold up to two beds and boast splendid village views. 

Room descriptions

Hotel Viura offers rooms with 32-inch plasma TV, in-room bar and complimentary water.

Viura Room
Deluxe Room
Suite

Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Viura room for 3 nights

From about

£880 low season

£1140 high season

Holiday Code EXH1098

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Call us on 01392 441245

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Viura la Rioja, La Rioja

The journey and how you get there

For a holiday to Hotel Viura, Villabuena de Alava, Expressions Holidays includes scheduled flights with British Airways from London to Bilbao. Flights may be available from other UK airports with Easyjet and Jet2 for example. If you are combining this hotel with stays elsewhere, you may want to consider flying into one airport and out of another. We can arrange this for you. The hotel is about 1 hour 25 minutes’ drive from the airport and we recommend that we book for you either a private car transfer or a hire-car, depending on the itinerary.

Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Viura room for 3 nights

From about

£880 low season

£1140 high season

Holiday Code EXH1098

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Call us on 01392 441245

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Viura la Rioja, La Rioja

About Spanish Basque country

An Expressions tailor-made holiday to the Basque Country in northern Spain include the very best four and five star hotels across the region, including seaside retreats, city properties and vineyard hotels in La Rioja. Lying at the point between the Pyrenees and the Bay of Biscay is the Basque Country, a name which refers both to an autonomous community within Spain and to a larger cultural area which comprises parts of Spain and France. Known in Spanish as the Pais Vasco, you will find a unique culture here with fascinating traditions and a regional language which is widely spoken throughout. The region's key attraction is the closeness of both sea and country - the spectacular coastline boasts sweeping sandy beaches and rugged cliffs, stunning sunsets over the ocean and surf breaking on rocks; but only a short drive inland are rolling green hills and flower filled fields. Lying around 10 miles away from the north coast is the vibrant and energetic riverside city of Bilbao, whilst further east is San Sebastian, an elegant seaside resort set on a beautiful bay only a few miles away from the French border. Stretching away from the Basque coast and forming the border with France are the Pyrenees, where rocky mountains with waterfalls and lakes stretch into Navarre, a region which is dotted with unspoiled villages and mediaeval towns which line the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Further west are the undulating hills of La Rioja, a region whose name is synonymous with the fine wines that it produces. Although parts of the region are heavily industrialised, there are many areas of unspoiled countryside as well as over 150 miles of coastline, making it a superb destination for a luxury holiday. The natural environment has long played a huge role in the lives of the region's inhabitants, with charming fishing villages along the coast which celebrate marine festivals as well as mountain farmers inland whose traditions remain unchanged. Throughout the region, visitors are sure to experience the unique culture of the Basque country through its language, cuisine and traditions.

Cultural highlights of Spanish Basque country

Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum, a Frank Gehry-designed landmark which transformed the city. The charming old town of San Sebastian, located between the beach and the river. Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of the Basque Country which is home to a mediaeval old town and two cathedrals. Guernica, a small town which was bombed during WWII and inspired a famous painting by Picasso. Fishing villages between Bilbao and San Sebastian including Bakio, Bermeo, Zumaia and Lekeitio, some of which are home to wonderful beaches and are also popular surf spots. Hondarribia, a historic town situated on the border with France. Pelota, a traditional ball game which is played throughout the region on a two-walled court. Numerous bars across the region which serve ‘pinchos’ (a Basque version of tapas), including those in Logroño. Wine-producing towns across La Rioja where visitors can enjoy cellar tours and wine tastings, which can also be enjoyed at the luxury vineyard hotels which we feature. Yuso and Suso Monasteries, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in La Rioja. The fortress city of Pamplona, renowned for the annual bull running festival.

Gastronomy of Spanish Basque country

The Basque Country is renowned for its varied and innovative cuisine, with numerous Michelin-starred restaurants found across the region. San Sebastian alone is home to eight Michelin-starred restaurants, two of which have been included within the top ten of Restaurant magazine's list of the world's 50 best restaurants. Wine is of course an incredibly important product, primarily in La Rioja which is known for its high-quality reds as well as a number of good white and rosé wines. A regional variation of tapas called ‘pinchos' can be found throughout the Basque Country and Navarre, frequently eaten as a snack in bars. Regional cooking varies according to location, with plenty of fresh fish and shellfish to be found along the coastline and a greater use of meat and game further inland. Local dishes include ‘Bacalao' (salt cod), ‘Marmitako' (fresh tuna stew), ‘Cordero al Chilindron' (spicy lamb stew) and ‘Txangurro relleno' (stuffed spider crabs).

Festivals in Spanish Basque country

19 to 20 January: San Sebastian Drum Festival, 29 June: Haro Wine Festival, 6 to 14 July: Los Sanfermines Bull Running Festival (Pamplona), July: San Sebastian Jazz Festival, 4 to 9 August: Festival of the Virgin Mary (Vitoria-Gasteiz), August: Bilbao's Big Week, September: San Sebastian International Film Festival, September: San Mateo Wine Festival (Logroño).

Climate in Spanish Basque country

The Basque Country's climate is generally quite mild and wet, although there is some variation between coastal and inland areas. The Basque coast experiences relatively high levels of rainfall, cold winters and warm summers where temperatures regularly reach 25 degrees, whilst some areas further south enjoy a Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and little rain.

Call us on 01392 441245

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