Exquisite small hotel bordering National Park of Guadarrama, an hour from Madrid. Hike in the sierra, spend the day in Segovia... What bliss Sotosalbos is a tiny village: two restaurants, one bar, no shops, and a two-kilometre diret road that delivers you to heaven. Cristina & Alejandro spent four years building their dream place; now they live here with daughter Cristina, a couple of horses, a donkey and two happy dogs. The style is local (wood, stone, plaster, slate), the decoration is exquisite, and the grounds are gloriously wild. The house is built on two floors: bedrooms up, public spaces below, and an internal patio bursting with greenery. There are big open fires stacked with logs, fat sofas, bright kelims, friends' paintings, lovely lighting, a library lined with books, a drinks cupboard with free drinks. Beams from monasteries and old wood doors from Madrid houses give a wonderfully warm feel, and the wide terrace has glass panels to keep winter at bay. But you can still gaze out on the foothills of the sierra, and the walking is marvellous. Bedrooms are beautiful, two with terraces, and bathrooms are stunning (anti-misting mirrors, tiles from Morocco). Breakfast, brought to the long friendly table, is worth rising for.