In an idyllic corner of the Pyrenees there is a cabin in the middle of the mountains that aims to be the perfect hideaway for a week’s retreat to the heights and disconnect to merge with the Pyrenean landscape.
The Sport hotel Hermitage & Spa (Soldeu) has wanted to spread its facilities in the exclusive Lodge Hermitage Mountain Andorra, with an alpine style of 400 m2 with four suites, in the most organic way to blend in with the beauty of the Andorran mountain landscape. With an environment of 80,000 metres of land surrounded by the ski slopes in winter and herds of cows and sheep in summer. A completely private borda that is rented by the week from 40,000€.
A dream come true
It was the family house of the Calbó family, bought in 1630, where historically the peasants moved their livestock and lived in winter. Over time, the borda fell into ruins and in 2019 they began a costly renovation that has given birth, at the end of January this year, to an exclusive lodge in the middle of nowhere, but with all the services one could dream of.
The façade of Lodge Hermitage Mountain Andorra, inviting residents in groups to move around on motorbikes or retrack.
Talking to Mr. Josep Areny, president of the Calbó Group and owner of the Sport Hotel Hermitage & Spa, he explains:
Our motto has always been to offer the highest quality, always looking for a differentiated product and to give an added value of customer service..
Renovation and design of the lodge with very personal details.
Luxury is as present as nature. Inside, we find a large living room with high wooden ceilingsthat give an atmosphere of spaciousness with large glass windows (XXL). Undoubtedly, a viewpoint with spectacular views of the Pyrenean village embraced by its mountains. In the same open-plan space the living room, dining room and kitchen are connected.
The interior of Hermitage Mountain Lodge conveys a warm and homely atmosphere.
Each space is divided with the same essence, surrounded by wood and stone.
Josep Areny or Mr. Calbó, has been involved in this and all the group’s projects from the architecture, works, design and decoration with the help of the interior designer Laura Pérez. Taking care of even the smallest detail, having clear that it was a space where antique furniture, bought by himself, would be mixed in:.
We wanted to respect the traditional Andorran architecture; oak and pine wood, dry stone walls and craftsmanship. An example of this is the cabinetmaker who has made the wooden mouldings for us, an Andorran specialist.
The typical Andorran wood-burning fireplace, is an invitation to endless chats tucked away by the warmth of the fire.
There is nothing better than resting near the wood burning in the traditional fireplace.
One of the key pieces of furniture in the dining room is the Molteni kitchen. The most desired by top chefs around the world, handmade and custom-made in Saint-Vallier. A workshop in the south of France with a waiting list of a year and a half. Made of cast iron, with a blue enamelled surface and chrome-plated parts. From the dining room, an imposing chandelier welcomes the falling twilight.
The chefs are ready to offer a showcooking with the best local dishes at Lodge Hermitage Mountain Andorra.
From the four suites you can see the stars at night, before going to bed. The windows are covered with curtains hung with sticks where a soft light enters, allowing you to see the spectacular views of the outside during the day.
Comfort, elegance and tranquillity in this exclusive space surrounded by nature.
Large bedrooms with underfloor heating, the bathroom with Acqua di Parma Acqua di Parma amenities, the shower floor designed with river stones. The large beds are dressed with Egyptian cotton sheets, with the Marshall loudspeaker and the walls accompanied by paintings by Andorran photographer Jaume Riba, all in black and white, where the importance of light to capture moments of nature stands out. An intimate and warm mountain atmosphere that invites you to sleep in one go, where the stillness and tranquillity of nature itself reigns.
A Lodge with the best services and activities
Hermitage Mountain Andorra includes breakfast, afternoon team, 5 dinners at the Lodge cooked by a private chef with the necessary service according to the number of guests. It also includes a sauna and hydromassage and butler service during the day (from 7am to 11pm).
After having travelled to the best ski resorts around the world, mainly in America and Europe, we have achieved a ski mountaineering product with the best services currently available,” says Mr. Calbó.
At the entrance there is a boot warmer and a ski rack where you can leave your ski equipment. If you wish, you can also have a private ski guide and a ski pass and equipment delivery service.
Snow lovers enjoy the activities offered by the Lodge.
One and a half hour snowshoeing excursions accompanied by a guide. The four kilometres of the Camí de Collard route takes you through forest areas, open fields and rivers. Along the way, the guide explains the autochthonous plant species with curiosities of the area.
It also provides free access to the 5* Sport Hotel Hermitage & Spa resort and its irresistible Sport Wellness Mountain Spa. A huge space of 5.000m2 distributed over 5 floors with a water circuit with different temperatures and an outdoor pool where you can enjoy incredible views of the Pyrenees. In addition, the Spa itself offers a wide range of beauty treatments that can also be enjoyed in the room.
Spa water as an essential element for regaining energy and tranquillity
José Luis Bonet, general manager of Sport Hotel Hermitage & Spa since 2009, moved from the sea (he managed the Castillo Hotel Son Net in Mallorca) to the mountains, and what most attracted him to go to Andorra were two things: “the product and the spirit of Mr. Calbó”.
The concept of this lodge is to have the intimacy as if you were at home, says Mr. Bonet.
In addition to all this, music is a must! With the Sonos music system you can configure the wireless speakers via Wi-Fi to enjoy your own playlist, enveloping the environment with great acoustics without having to worry about the neighbours!
Michelin-starred gastronomy
The best reward after a day of sport, whether skiing in winter or climbing mountains in summer, is breakfast to face the day with strength and dinner to relax and enjoy the excellent gastronomy offered by the Lodge and the gastronomic restaurants of Hermitage.
Jordi Grau (Michelin star for Ibaya, the restaurant at the Hermitage Hotel) is the executive chef who manages the gastronomy of all the restaurants and has adapted the menu of Francis Paniego, the consultant chef from La Rioja, making an Andorran-style mix.
Chef Jordi Grau preparing and bringing the best Andorran flavours to diners.
The first dinner to welcome visitors is the Andorran menu with typical local food. The sausages of the territory are a product that is personally made by Jordi Planas of Cal Jordi. An artisan who makes sausages as they were made in the past with the slaughter of the pig. There are no preservatives, just salt and pepper. Continuing the menu with onion soup with truffle, roast chicken cannelloni with truffle cream and matured veal. To finish with a delicious Orri cheese tart with a crunchy base of carquinyolis and Andorran honey.
The Hermitage Group has a selection of 14 restaurants offering a wide range of gastronomy, including two gastronomic restaurants: Ivaya and Koy.
The Ivaya restaurant, with 1 Michelin star, is managed by Francis Paniego (2* at his restaurant El portal de Echaurren (Ezcaray, La Rioja) and 1* at the Elciego restaurant of the Marques de Riscal wineries (Álava). In addition, he is also the gastronomic advisor of all the restaurants of the Sport Hotel Hermitage & Spa from the end of 2019.
Koy is the other gastronomic restaurant of the Hermitage Hotel led by Hideki Matsuhisa. The chef also has the restaurant Koy Shunka (Barcelona) winner of a Michelin star in 2013, being considered one of the best Japanese restaurants in Europe.
History of Casa Calbó, the origin of a hotel empire.
Cal Calbó’s house was an inn where his mother, Carme Fité, arrived as a cook in Soldeu in 1946. Soldeu was a village of 10 families who lived off high mountain farming. Years later, in 1964 the ski resort was born, and this transformed the village. The land was sold so that developers began to build flats, restaurants and hotels to welcome visitors.
When I finished my studies I told my father that I wanted to take a sabbatical year and, as a good farmer, he said to me, “Where is this?
He goes on to tell us that he wanted to continue skiing for a year, so he worked at the ski resort. At the end of the season he acquired the title of instructor and was able to join the Board of the Ski Federation.
Josep Calbó while, relaxed, explains his story of how the current resort project started. Highlighting the best they have: the team and the customers.
He accompanied his brother Xavier, an alpine skier, who won several Olympic medals in Europe’s major ski resorts. And it was at that moment that he began to connect and show interest in bringing this sport to Andorra.
In 1970 we opened our first ski equipment rental business, which continued in a shop. And this is where we started our first adventure at Casa Calbó”, says Josep.
This business of renting and buying ski equipment led them to build flats in 1975 (which since December 2017 are the current refurbished residences of the Hermitage Hotel), and were inaugurated in 1976.
Life is a project that you have to make the most of with enthusiasm and desire. Besides, I love my country because it has given me everything I have.
They continued with the Sol y Neu Apartments located next door and acquired the Chalet del Duc. The latter was transformed into a hotel with 18 rooms, which they extended with 10 more rooms. Seeing that it was working well, they decided to build a 135-room hotel which is currently the Hotel Sport Hermitage. Later, they built the Village with 150 rooms. Having two 4* hotels, they decided to undertake a 5* hotel by merging the two hotels, with a colossal refurbishment converting what is now the Sport Hotel Hermitage & Spa.
The enthusiasm and perseverance of Josep Calbó, together with José Luis Bonet, added to the team of more than 400 people is the result of ‘savoir faire‘ present from the first moment with all the details.
A a haven of peace and tranquillity to connect with the landscape, accompanied by activities and authentic gastronomy both in winter and summer, which is why for more than 10 years it has been the only hotel in Andorra with the prestigious The Leading Hotels of the World.
You can enjoy all this from June to April, with the Grandvalira slopes being top ten in the world.
