Fri 17 May 2024
Local News | Number 8- Casa Rural. Own your own luxury hotel business!
A superb business opportunity or a palatial, central village residence!
Jacaranda Spain has a very interesting new property on the portfolio. It is already generating quite a stir! For those of us who live in the "picture postcard", Spanish pueblo of Llíber, Casa Rural Number 8 is a beautiful "casa de pueblo", or townhouse, that you pass on your way through the village, and always admire. This perfectly charming house is a part of the history of this enchanting Spanish pueblo. It was restored to its former glory in recent years and stands, resplendant, on the corner of one of the beautiful, cobbled streets in the village.
The location is only a minute walk away from the Plaza Mayor. A "chocolate box" square at the foot of the old stone church of Sants Cosme i Damià. This is the perfect spot to enjoy a cold beer and tapas in the afternoon, before maybe wandering back to Number 8, and your super comfy bed, for the most important event of the day, the Spanish siesta!
Johan and Ineke Landsbergen hail from Zeeland in the Netherlands. They have over 40 years experience in the hospitality industry and they ran a beachside restaurant in Holland. Their love of gastronomy and hostelry is equalled by their shared wanderlust. Throughout their travels, for many years, they kept returning to the Marina Alta. "We loved the sense of peace and serenity here, it always felt like returning to a place of calm".
At some point the idea of following their hearts and searching for a new adventure became reality, it was time for a change. Like most ex pats, who dream of relocating to Spain, they chose first to look at homes near the sea. The beautiful coastal towns of Javea and Altea were the places they began their search. They rented a house and Ineke began working in the real estate industry in Javea. They were both fully immersed in the Spanish lifestyle.
However, the search for a permanent "home sweet home" went on. After some soul searching, they began to realise that they were never going to find what they were looking for because... they were looking in the wrong place! "We decided to travel inland to the mountains, valleys and vineyards. We knew the Vall del Pop (aka the Jalon Valley) so well. Suddenly, it became obvious that we had to expand our search radius!" Ineke recalls.
They especially loved the small pueblo of Llíber and, as good fortune would have it, they ended up viewing Number 8. "It took precisely, three minutes to decide that this was it!" Johan remembers. Their passion for the hospitality business meant that they both saw the endless possibilities that lay within the beautiful walls of this unassuming townhouse. "We left the hospitality industry behind in Holland, but as soon as we saw Number 8, we both fell in love with it, with the house, the village and the possibilities".
The townhouse had been renovated and designed to be a boutique hotel by the previous owner but it was not to become a reality at that time. Ineke and Johan took the reins and they have established a unique and very successful business. "90% of our guests are Spanish. A lot are city dwellers from Madrid and Valencia. They come seeking respite from the hectic, city life and, of course, this is the perfect location for that! They always want to return and we have lots of repeat guests".
This warm and friendly couple always allow a little time to check their guests in but they also appreciate the need to leave them in peace. "It is not our policy to stand over our guests, we want them to feel they are at home, away from home. We have an honesty bar where they can help themselves to drinks and leave a note and payment. We are never out of pocket, such is the caliber of our guests!"
Number 8 is a joy to inhabit, even for a short time. The house is simply gorgeous. The design of the living spaces combines elegant, yet rustic finishes with cozy corners and beautiful soft furnishings.
The two ensuite bedrooms and four suites are luxurious and uber comfortable with modern and beautifully fitted bathrooms.
All are named after the grapes, Albiriño, Verdejo, Moscatel, Giró, Monastrell and Bobal, which grow in the Valley to produce the award winning wines, sold in the many bodegas in Jalón. The Bodega Xaló offers a guided tour of their winery and wine tasting.
The Pepe Mendoza Casa Agrícola, is a stunning winery and bodega, situated in the middle of the vast vineyards in the Valley. Here you can book group tours and tastings. All within walking distance to the village.
If you have a good eye for the hostelry business, as you wander round this wonderful house and the outside space, it may occur to you that there is another opportunity here. There is ample space to run a restaurant or wine bar, and the licence allows this.
Johan, is a seasoned chef, and they tell me they did try once, opening on a Friday evening for drinks and tapas. The only problem was... it was too busy! " We had people standing out on the street! There is definitely a market for it here in Llíber, it went down a storm, but next time we might stick to reservations only!"
This exceptional investment opportunity comes with it´s own website and a book full of reservations for this year. They have a wedding party to cater for within weeks and the summer will be a busy one. Johan and Ineke are careful, to take time out for themselves sometimes, and they close for short spells to recharge their own batteries. Whoever takes over Number 8 will be able to tailor the business to suit themselves. It could be that the new owner may want to close for some weeks, months or even part of the year. That is the beauty of this opportunity, it can be adapted to suit your lifestyle and income wishes. Ineke and Johan tell me they closed the hotel last christmas and invited their whole family from the Netherlands. Equally, they are quick to agree that the hotel could easily be fully booked, year round!
If you are interested in finding out more about Casa Rural Number 8, check out the website and especially the reviews!
https://casarural-lliber.com/en/
Look at the full description of this fabulous property and business on the Jacaranda Spain website
Johan and Ineke are passionate about Casa Rural Number 8, and they are, without a doubt, doing this magnificent house justice. However, they can see a time when perhaps they might want to retire (again!). "We are loving being back in the business and we are in no hurry to move on yet, but we don´t want to get to a point when it is too much! We look forward to a quiet time, to play more golf, live in a smaller house, a vegetable garden and...some chickens!"
This lovely couple are part of the community in the village now, and they have made many lifelong friends who will be sad to see them go...so where will they move on to? "Llíber of course! We wouldn´t want to live anywhere else!"
