While the Costa Brava is best known for tourist hotels it also has its share of truly exclusive accommodation.
One weekend back in July 2018 saw some of the world’s most famous faces congregate in Empúries.
The occasion?
The wedding of tech billionaire Elon Musk’s brother Kimbal to Christiana Wyly, a prominent environmental activist.
All rooms at 4-star Hostal Empúries were booked for the wedding, while other guests stayed at 5-star Mas de Torrent and luxury villa Mas Mateu, both near Pals.
Kimbal is said to have stayed at Hostal Empúries in the past. The hotel prides itself on both its locally sourced ingredients and ecological credentials, a perfect match for the couple.
Some 300 guests attended the ceremony at the Greco-Roman ruins at Empúries followed by lunch in Sant Martí’s main square. To the consternation of many the entire village was pretty much shut off to the rest of the world for security reasons.
Unsurprising though when you consider the guest list included former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Will Smith, actress Salma Hayek and her billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault.
About Kimbal Musk
While Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk manages to make regular headlines for himself, both positive and negative, his brother is less well known.
Kimbal co-founded Zip2 with Elon which they sold to Compac; was an early investor in PayPal; and after learning how to cook French cuisine opened The Kitchen in Boulder and now owns The Kitchen Restaurant Group.
He also co-founder of an urban farming company in New York which aims to revolutionise food production by growing crops in shipping containers. The yield of each container is said to match that of two acres of farmland.
Some of the roads in l’Escala were spruced up in the week before the wedding and it was hard to miss a large sailing yacht moored in the bay.
The Maltese Falcon. Photo by David Orban.
It was the Maltese Falcon, one of the largest sailing yachts in the world. Launched in 2006 it reportedly cost more than $150 million. It’s available to charter for a cool half million a week.
As you can imagine, these guests are used to something a little more upmarket than a tourist hotel.
A-list accommodation
While you need to be seriously wealthy to afford Mas Mateu there are still a number of great choices even if you’re not a tech billionaire. Hostal de la Gavina is a 5-star hotel that was popular with the Hollywood set in the 1950s and continues to offer luxury accommodation in tastefully designed surroundings.
Hotel Alàbriga is another establishment that opened in 2017 and immediately became popular with A-listers. It was designed to resemble a yacht and all suites have a sea view and 24 hour butler service.
High above Girona is Hotel Sants Metges, converted from an 18th century fortress. This adults only hotel has only fifteen rooms and boasts spectacular views from the top of the hill on which it is perched.
There are also a number of refurbished farm houses in the region available to rent. These offer more personal service than a hotel but without compromising on luxury. Refurbished to a high standard in a traditional style they take you back to simpler times when they most pressing engagement of the day for many was to feed the animals.
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