Hotel Trias

I’m a bit of an obsessive when it comes to literary pilgrimages. When I last visited the States, I rented a car and re-enacted Kerouac’s road trip past San Francisco. While touring Scotland I made the trip over to Jura to seek out Barnhill and breathe in its Orwellian history. This time, setting my sights on the gorgeous Costa Brava beaches and little fishing villages, I was inevitably drawn to Palamós and its famed Hotel Trias. Stay in the very hotel where Capote swilled martinis and wrote his masterpiece In Cold Blood? Yes please! He’s not the only star to have stayed at this hotel, either. With its chic, minimalist design and unbeatable location just off the beach and a few minutes from the centre of town, the Hotel Trias has enticed Ava Gardner (of 007 fame) and many others, earning it the nickname of “Hotel of the Stars”. I was determined to live like a star during my short stay, too!

One thing that does explain Capote’s choice of this area and hotel for completing his ghoulish novel is the all-encompassing peace and quiet. As somebody who often travels alone, I know better than most how a peaceful-looking holiday can be totally ruined by over-packed hotels. The Hotel Trias offered all the calm I could possibly want to get on with my own reading, and even some writing. This unimposing hotel sits on the Paseo Maritímo de Palamós, the very first road running just alongside the seafront, with nothing separating it from the beautiful Palamós bay. In fact, if it weren’t for its reputation, you would be surprised to see any stars here. The Trias is all about discreet, elegant charm rather than over-blown luxury.

I was able to appreciate this fantastic location more than most, as VeryChic had guaranteed me a sea-view room. Everything about it let the bright sunshine in, with pure white walls interspersed with just a touch of contrasting colour and two vast window-doors leading out onto two large balconies facing onto that beautiful view of the glittering bay and pretty little fishing port. As I took in my surroundings, I could well imagine this being the perfect place to write, disturbed only by the cry of seagulls as the afternoon catch is offloaded in the port…

Before I got stuck into any reading, or writing for that matter, I realised that I was absolutely starving having taken a late flight, and all those seagulls fighting made me want to seek out my own food. I was not disappointed by the size and design of the bathroom, all in that similar chic simplistic style and offering a lovely selection of ecological products, with the olive hand soap being a particularly nice touch. Freshened up, I quickly changed from my scruffy travel wear into my Costa Brava elegance and went down to discover the restaurant for dinner. The Hotel Trias Restaurant is open to the public, and clearly has a cherished reputation for serving both quality local food and more surprising dishes from around the Mediterranean. I’d heard tell about the local gambas being particularly good in this part of Spain, and was not disappointed!

The rest of my stay languidly drifted by in a relaxing haze of reading by the pool, on the beach, on the terrace, and in my room, only occasionally broken up by wanders around the town and port. Here, I found utter bliss.