The Hotel
Hipotels Hotel Sherry Park is owned by the Hipotel group who features some lovely estates across Cadiz, Lanzarote and Mallorca. The hotel here in Jerez is situated just a little out of the centre, which is perfect if you’re looking to simply relax and get away from it all. For those visiting this city for business or with children it’s particularly well suited. For those (and I suspect most) of you visiting to tour the Bodega’s, the location could not be better and is centrally located to some of the best this city has to offer. Bodega Sandeman, Bodega Tradicion and Bodega Lustau should be high on your list to visit – my personal favourites. Hipotels Hotel Sherry Park may not be the most modern of hotels in the city, but something about it just feels so familiar and I really didn’t want to leave (I’m already booking a second stay here in October). Complimentary wireless Internet access was throughout the hotel and very fast. As I mentioned previously, location wise it’s a little out of the centre but it only takes 10 minutes to walk in – perfect to shed those pounds off after all the food and sherry you’ll no doubt be consuming. The hotel also has an on-site sherry tasting room featuring some stunning tipples from Ximenez Spinola.
The Rooms
We stayed in a basic twin room at Hipotels Hotel Sherry Park which was equipped with two good-sized single beds (pushed together), flat screen TV, wardrobe and a single-seater desk for writing – plus a lovely little balcony which gets the sun in the afternoon – perfect for relaxing. There is no coffee or tea making facilities in the room but when visiting Jerez the last thing you’ll want to do is hibernate in your room. The beds here in this photo agreeably don’t look great, but I can assure you they were much more comfortable than they look. On contrast, the bathroom was completely different to the bedroom and much more modern, with a fantastic walk-in shower which has a further three powerful jets that make for a lovely shower. Selection of toiletries were topped up daily and were perfectly fine, but nothing to write home about. There is also a mini-bar in the room which was very well-priced (incredibly cheap) but sadly there was no wine, or more importantly – no sherry!
The Spa/Gym/Health & Fitness
When it comes to health, spa and gym facilities this hotel has a lot going for it. Usually Jerez isn’t really know of for its leisurely pool holidays and cocktails poolside, but actually this place is a haven and if you really wanted to (but you’d be crazy) you could stay in the resort the whole time. The hotel has a large outdoor pool with two entrances and disabled access – the poolside staff here are very diligent and you feel very safe. Sun loungers are in quantity and you’ll always have access to a lounger, so no having to wake up at 5am to reserve with a towel. Inside there is a lovely indoor pool with jacuzzi, which during the time we stayed here we were but the only two using it – a real shame because it’s an incredibly tranquil place to relax. There is also an on-site gym with all the essentials, but a little dated.
The Food & Drink
There are two restaurants here at Hipotels Hotel Sherry Park. The busier of the two restaurants is Maestranza, which serves through breakfast, lunch and dinner on a buffet basis as the hotel also offers half-board/inclusive options. We didn’t dine here, but instead at it’s a la carte restaurant, El Abaco. To our surprise the food here was lovely, full of flavour and uses quality local ingredient. Along with a chilled bottle of local Cadiz wine and our humble waiter, we had a lovely evening here. The restaurant is also listed in the Michelin Guide. Another dining area can be found beside the pool which is open for lunch – while the drinks were good the food choice catered towards the British/German market with a range of burgers and sandwiches.
The Verdict
I had a truly excellent stay here at Hipotels Hotel Sherry Park. When visiting the city of Jerez there really isn’t any other alternative in the area that personally, can quite give as much as this hotel can. It’s in a solid location, the rooms are clean and the bathroom is even better. Not to mention a fantastic restaurant on site (which I wish was busier) and some well-kept, lush green gardens. In terms of improvements there wasn’t really many they could make, but I’d love to see the bedrooms modernised a little and the pool bar serving some authentic Spanish snacks. I personally can’t wait to visit this hotel again – something about it feels like a home from home and I’ve not felt this relaxed in a long while.
Hipotels Hotel Sherry Park
Av. Alcalde Álvaro Domecq, 11
11405 Jerez de la Frontera
Cádiz
Spain
Tel: +34 956 31 76 14
