URH Hotel Spa Zen Balagares ★★★★

The Asturias region of northern Spain was unknown to both of us. What a lovely discovery! It is lush and verdant with snow-capped mountains, tumbling rivers and quiet, little villages. The only major towns are Oviedo, Gijon and Aviles. There are lots of walking centres, canoeing, fishing and cycling, a great destination for the out-door, adventure-minded. There are also lovely beaches on the Bay of Biscay, relatively wild and empty, and we enjoyed them all the more for that. 

The hotel is a long, low, modern-looking building, set in parkland, next to its own golf course. Inside is peaceful and fresh with bright but harmonious colours. In creating the décor, the owners have kept in mind the Zen in the name, so everything is calm and quietly beautiful. The main splashes of colour are modern artworks that looked like a cross between Jackson Pollock and Picasso, but they contributed a youthful vitality to the harmonious air.

Our rooms carried through the theme of neutral colours and natural materials, with splashes of colour. They had great views over the golf course and the hills beyond. White bathrobes and slippers added to the purity and peace, but we also had modern comforts such as air-conditioning, coffee, TV, and amle storage.  

After settling into our rooms, our first thought was to go to the fitness centre. We were amazed at the layout of the pool and treatment rooms – swirling curves and soft pools of light and colour. There was a real atmosphere of serenity in the candle-lit calm. The children were delighted with the children’s club room which came supplied with table tennis, armchair-size cuddly toys and children’s TV programmes.

Dinner, to end the day, was ideal for our health-orientated break, with fresh, local ingredients and traditional Asturias specialities like Fabada. We left our long weekend feeling relaxed and entertained. We were really pleased with our discovery and looking forward to our return.