A stay at Balneari Vichy Catalan hotel & spa in Caldes de Malavella

The town of Caldes de Malavella has been appreciated since Roman times for the spring water on which it sits and, after being heated by the volcanic rock be, exits the ground at a temperature of 50 or 60 degrees Celsius.

The town is located several kilometres inland from Platja d’Aro and is one of the Costa Brava’s traditional spa towns that became popular in the late nineteenth century as people from the cities arrived by train in order to take a health cure. The remains of the Roman bathhouse can be viewed in the town centre, while two traditional style spas are open for business today; and if there was any doubt that the business of Caldes is water, there are a couple of very large bottling plants in the town too.

The water is sold across Catalonia (and indeed the world, although given that many Spaniards hate Catalonia with a fury that is beyond belief, it is hard to think that the water sells well in the rest of Spain).

Recently I had the chance to stay at the Balneari Vichy Catalan, which is today owned by the Perrier group that bottles the sulphurous Vichy Catalan water next door; the other spa is Balneari Prats, while the other brand of water is Malavella, also owned by Vichy Catalan.

While the hotel is fairly comfortable, the long corridors and often rather worn fittings definitely remind you that this was a place to go for a treatment rather than to be pampered. The rooms have recently been refurbished, but the standard isn’t particularly high and the result rather disappointing.

However, it is comfortable and the staff as efficient as you could expect and so we did enjoy our one night stay, with dinner and breakfast; we also took the sixty minute “thermal circuit” for an additional €20 each.

It is interesting to look at the old photos on the wall dating back to the late nineteenth century and see how the hotel was furnished. The bar area looked fantastic, with black and white tiled floor, but today that is nowhere in sight, and in the old days there was a path direct from the station to the front of the spa.

The rooms looked rather basic too, although given the date there was little more that you could expect; no ensuite (for them, the rooms are ensuite now!), but a washing basin and a jug of water; there was always plenty of hot water.

And the bottling plant is far too near, it is a shame they ever got planning permission since it towers above the hotel and spoils the town. Still, as the principal source of industry they must be thankful.

The treatment itself though was first class; it really felt like luxury. It was my first visit to a spa of any kind (apart from the sauna at the gym) so I didn’t quite know what to expect, but after asking at the treatment reception and booking our slot we were told to change into our bathrobes and we’d be ready to go.

The spa area is really good, with few people and everything flawlessly clean. I can also confirm, after an involuntary mouthful from one of the pools, that the warm water really does taste just like Vichy Catalan. While that may seem obvious, I’m sometimes a little sceptical of these things.

Other than that dinner was adequate but unexceptional and breakfast was abundant. While some people may be put off by the institutional feel of the hotel, we enjoyed our stay and while it is too close to home for it to be worth staying there except for this one time, we may very well treat ourselves to a the thermal circuit when we feel like spoiling ourselves.

Tags: Balneari Vichy Catalan, Caldes de Malavella, Costa Brava spa, socialmedia, Spa, Vichy Catalan