LA DEMBA ART-HOTEL

I booked 2 rooms (3 persons, 2 nights) in the hotel through TripAdvisor/Hotels.com, Booking was made about 3 weeks before scheduled arrival, and Hotels.com confirmed my booking by e-mail. Amazingly, on the morning of our planned arrival (i.e. a few hours before scheduled arrival), I received a call from Hotels.com informing me that the hotel would not honor our reservations. No further information was given. I was unable to join the hotel by phone (no answer). As an aside, I had also sent the hotel 2 e-mails several days before intended arrival, to which I never received a response ...

I will write more details as needed. But beware if you have reservations here. It is closed! I made reservations in April for a night here on July 8. I have an email confirmation of the reservation. My family (wife and two young boys) and I showed up at this remote location at night on July 8 and it (the hotel and restaurant) are closed. The only person there was a security guard who didn't speak English. We muddled through a conversation in my limited Spanish and learned the place was closed a couple of weeks ago and will be closed for at least some weeks if not longer. There is nothing else close by. I received no word of this reservation being cancelled. The security guard had no way to contact the owner. Emails to the hotel written over the course of the last day or so have not been returned. Beware! This was not only disappointing, it left us searching for another place to stay until 130 in the morning as the closest town has no rooms because it's the busy season.

While trekking on the French Pyrenees (and a bit disappointed by the cold welcoming from the locals) we decided to change plans and cross the Spanish border to spend a couple days in the Ordesa and Monte Perdido Park. Stumbling upon La Demba turned out to be the best decision of our trip. La Demba is a marvellous gem for several reasons: the whole idea behind it (a refurnished country house where each room has been designed by a different artist - our room, the "Finnish" one - was cozy and clean, perfect for Autumn); its location on top of the hill facing the picturesque village of Abizanda; its hosts Jota and Joseph and the whole staff who are perfectly welcoming and professional as one can wish; the food prepared by the supremely talented Joseph (I had the best dinner in a long time - no exaggeration); the breathtaking landscapes provided by the surrounding National Parks; what else' I know! All meals come with the sweet soundtrack of Spanish (and international) jazz music. In short, if La Demba was a cocktail it would be a blend of exceptional taste for art and food, creative ideas and talent to turn them into reality. And Jota and Joseph have all of these! I left this place fully recharged and inspired and I still think about those 2 (too short) days today when I need a "mental escape".

The coolest hotel we've ever stayed in! It's a family-owned, rustic building located on the hillside of an olive grove with a view of the foothills of the Pyrenees and glacial water-fed lake. The hotel, which consists of only 6 rooms I believe, is each entirely designed by different artists. The result is that each room has its own unique personality and creative quirks to it! Our room was called Ulula, designed by a Finnish artist - it's a bright room with little birds (fake of course!) nesting on our light fixture and old fashion keys hanging from a hand-painted tree; keys that supposedly help keep our dreams safe. This boutique hotel operates on the principles of environmental sustainability, so expect to find heavenly smelling, package-less natural soaps in the bathroom among other things! Take a small walk in the hotel and check out the temporary expositions in their on-site art gallery, historic kitchen of the rustic building, adorable library, rustic wine cantina, wishing well, among so many other hidden and tasteful surprises! The restaurant, that's also part of the hotel, is a proud member of the Slow Food movement; the food is mostly all organic and locally sourced and carefully cooked by an exceptional, passionate chef, Josep (one of the owners of the hotel). We enjoyed every meal to the fullest, probably some of the best meals we've ever had prepared for us! The location is so beautiful and quiet, yet close enough to explore Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park with many stunning historical towns all in the area. Jota, one of the owners, created a great itinerary for us to explore the National Park and some stunning villages. My boyfriend and I had such a great experience at La Demba and we'll definitely be recommending it to anyone that we know planning to visit the region. We also hope to come back one day and stay with Josep and Jota again to explore this beautiful region and hike the Ordesa Canyon! Muchas gracias por todo!!!

We simply loved our stay at the Demba Art-Hotel, not only for it's exceptional décoration but above all for it's great personal service from : Jota, Josep, Céline and Jesus ! What we loved best were our family dinners; exquise courses and very different each night. Joseph you are simply an artist, a real TOP CHEF !