Guesthouse/B & B for sale in Otívar, Granada

An exquisite historic country house/boutique hotel 30 minutes’ drive from the Costa Tropical.

1,362 m2 Built Area
4,538 m2 Plot Area

Main House with 12 ensuite bedrooms
Gatehouse with 5 ensuite bedrooms
Casita 2 - a self-catering 2 bedroom cottage
Olive Oil Mill, currently used as an events space
Stables and outhouses
Glorious gardens with breathtaking views
Large spring-fed pool
Tennis court

The year 1492 is one of the most notable in Spain’s history. It was in January of that year that the Catholic Monarchs, Isabel and Fernando, captured the city of Granada, ending over 700 years of Moorish rule in the Iberian peninsula.

In the breathtaking mountains above Almuñécar, a Mudéjar Palace was purchased at this same time by a Christian nobleman, Don Rodrigo de Ulloa, Chief Treasurer to the Catholic Crown and a close advisor to Queen Isabel. Ulloa became instrumental in the restructuring of these former Nasrid territories, and over the ensuing years the Palacete de Cazulas developed as one of the finest noble houses in the province of Granada.

The last aristocratic owner was the Marquesa de Montanaro, who inherited the estate in the late 19th/early 20th Century but whose family had owned the property for the previous 500 years. The palace remained in the Marquesa’s name until she died in 1971.

The current owners bought the palace in 1994 and began a careful programme of restoration, retaining the historic integrity of both the interior and exterior spaces.

This is an exquisite home. The historic palace sits at the centre of what is ostensibly its own hamlet, complete with ancillary properties, a pretty chapel, a former olive oil mill and glorious Nasrid-style formal gardens. The property was purchased and restored with the intention of creating an historic boutique hotel, and it has evolved over the past couple of decades in such a guise: hotel, casa rural, a gorgeous wedding and events venue and a private home.

Despite, or perhaps because of, this beautiful building’s history, everything here feels immensely welcoming in an elegant and stylish way. The heritage does not overwhelm, but rather creates a gracious environment in which to disconnect and escape; an environment that has been shaped by 600 years of stewardship.

In addition to the main house, there is a separate 5 bedroom Gatehouse (rebuilt in 2017), a charming 2 bedroom cottage, the former Olive Oil mill that is currently used as an events space, stables and a very pretty chapel.

The stately gardens step gently down the hillside, with manicured borders shaped by pathways and miradors that provide glimpses everywhere of the valley beyond. There is a large spring-fed pool and a tennis court, and terraces and patios that draw heavily on Moorish design and architecture.

THE MAIN HOUSE

Credit must go to the current owners’ sense of style and design that they have managed to create a truly comfortable family home in such a stately building, and this is no easy feat. The property wraps around a central courtyard, and everything flows in a very easy manner.

There are four lovely reception rooms: a large drawing room with an impressive vaulted ceiling and enormous open fireplace; an intimate dining room; the ‘Marquesa’s Room’ which is today a charming library; a sitting room with another magnificent fireplace bearing the ancestral coat of arms. What is striking about all the rooms in every part of the house is that the windows are large and natural light floods in.

The kitchen, during the property’s restoration, was made into a very lovely, convivial space designed with catering in mind and there are various adjacent crockery, linen and food storage rooms.

At the rear of the house, there is the museum or games room, and it is here that there is a copy of the original 1492 deeds of the property. The current owners have collected an eclectic mix of antiques that appear to have belonged to the house since the 15th Century, such is their relevance and suitability; nothing is out of place.

There is a ground floor bedroom and a staff room/bedroom.

The main guest bedrooms are on the first floor, and there are 8 bedrooms here, all with ensuite bathrooms, and then a 9th bedroom is accessible via a rear staircase.

The 12th bedroom is located in the tower on the second floor.

There are numerous linen cupboards and additional rooms that could be used for additional accommodation connected to the main bedrooms.

At the top of the main tower, there is a mirador that currently houses 4 large water tanks for domestic water supply; the views from here are amazing!

The Gatehouse

This property, sitting to one side of the main entrance, was bought and restored in 2017 and it is a lovely property - light, airy and tranquil. Every inch of space has been utilised and it is very private.

On the ground floor, there is a calming living room with a wood-burning stove and doors onto the pool terrace, a separate study, and a delightful kitchen/dining room. There is a guest annex just off the walled patio, and this annexe has an ensuite shower room.

On the first floor, there are 4 bright bedrooms, all with ensuite bathrooms.

Casita 2

The hamlet that is Cazulas sits to one side of the main house, and it was here that the estate had the stables and workers’ cottages. Today, a couple of the cottages are privately owned, although some are available to purchase by separate negotiation. These cottages and outbuildings are arranged around a carriage entrance and courtyard and a smaller cobbled courtyard.

Casita 2 is a self-catering cottage with 2 bedrooms, both with ensuite bathrooms, and a living room and kitchen.

Chapel

The family chapel is no longer consecrated, but it is still such a pretty setting for weddings.

Olive Oil Mill

Tucked in a corner behind the stables, the former olive oil mill has been restored to provide a large events space, ideal for indoor receptions or for use as a yoga studio.

Further accommodation is possible through the conversion of the former stables and the sacristy next to the chapel.

FUTURE USES:

The property is already a well-established wedding and retreat centre. The main house is normally rented out at €2,000 per night for groups or weddings.

The Gatehouse and Casita 2 can also provide additional income as self-catering holiday rental properties, and there is the further options of converting the stables and using the Olive Oil Mill as additional accommodation.

The property is a perfect wellness retreat, in a luxurious setting, where ancillary buildings can be used as treatment rooms.

Cottages in the hamlet may be available to purchase by separate negotiation, adding to the accommodation portfolio.

Alternatively, this is one of the finest historic houses in the area and the main house really is a sumptuous family home for someone who wants the unique and elegant lifestyle that is available here.