El Monasterio Del Carmen
Hotel Monasterio Del Carmen is a boutique establishment located in Ronda, Spain and owned by John and Carol Small.
This post is sort of a commercial, but a well-meaning commercial. This beautiful boutique hotel above is owned by our good friends, John and Carol Small whom we met through our language class. They’ve lived in Ronda for ten years after escaping the UK seeking a different lifestyle and sun, probably more sun than lifestyle. They introduced us to sites around Ronda and when carless drove us to find a one. We’ve really enjoyed their friendship these past three years even though John and I support differently teams in the EPL, he Sunderland and myself Crystal Palace.
Eight years ago they purchased this historic monastery in the old part of Ronda and began a two-year renovation project. The building’s original construction commenced in the 16th century and was destined to be multi-functional. It was linked to a monastery, that once stood next door, and was used for religious services, a hospital, a hostel, and lastly as a waypoint for pilgrims traveling to other parts of Spain. Later additions were made to the building in the 18th century. The building is baroque with a sole rectangular nave and barrel vaulted ceiling with transverse arches , lunettes, and an octagonal Camarin or a small chapel.
The building was known locally as Iglesia del Carmen because of its close proximity to the city walls (The Walls of Carmen). It was de-consecrated approximately 30 years ago when the bishopric sold the building. It was then used as a community center hosting many musical and theatrical productions. The ground floor was used for musical rehearsals, and the top floor as a stage and bar area. The building was later abandoned and fell into disrepair and classified as being in bad condition in desperate need of restoration.
Purchasing and rehabilitating this property was not an easy process due to its historical significance. As I mentioned, they purchased the property eight years ago and it has taken these eight years to navigate the legal issues and complete the restoration. But that’s all behind them now and they just opened for business.
The monasterio has two bedroom inside and two beautiful casita (small bungalows) located on the terrace. All are air-conditioned and heated which is a necessity in Ronda; summers can be hot with temperatures reaching 37° C (100° F) and 0° C (32° F) in winter.
Casitas
The casitas are private little bungalows situated outside the man hotel on the terrace with an area to sit and enjoy the out-of-doors, or hop easily into the infinity pool.
Piscina
As you leave a casita you’ll walk out onto the expansive terrace with a beautiful infinity pool. The view here is pretty special as you look a the beautiful landscape of the Serranía de Ronda mountains that surround our area.
Interior Rooms
If you choose a room indoors they are very well apportioned, hotel rooms in Spain tend to be smaller than those in the US. All rooms have TV and WiFi.
The hotels interior is stunning, one of John’s favorite words, but in this case it’s true. It’s decorated with beautiful antiques in a huge living area with a vaulted ceiling.
I’m a bit biased but Ronda is a beautiful place to visit and the surrounding pueblos such as Setenil de las Bodegas, Grazalema, and Zahara, and the ancient Roman ruins of Acinipo are just a half-hour from Ronda and well worth visiting. Except for Acinipo * all are quintessential “pueblos blanco” so if you have rented a car they are easy to access. There is also bus transportation and buses in Spain are excellent. To continue this bias, John and Carol’s El Monasterio Del Carmen is really a wonderful place, as are the owners.
Next post? Good question. We joined a fitness club and may do them and our friends Ralph (Raul) and Pam Hudson have come and gone and we went to Cádiz, Sevilla, Málaga, and Antequera. Also thinking about doing something about the cost of living here in Spain. There is another excellent blog, East of Málaga, who has done a shopping cart to give folks an idea of the cost of living here but I haven’t seen it for awhile so may include more about living here.
*No bus service to Acinipo
Our España 