CASA DE LOS BATES

Casa de los Bates is a private estate outside Motril on the Costa Tropical of Granada, looking out over the Mediterranean. At its heart is an Italian style palacete from the late nineteenth century, listed as civic heritage of the town, with salons warmed by open fireplaces.

Around the house run some 20,000 square metres of gardens: an eighteenth century botanical garden of araucarias, magnolias, cedar and palms, and a romantic Italian garden reached by a travertine staircase between two coral grottoes. A family rescued the estate from ruin and reopened it as a guest house and event venue, and with only seven bedrooms it feels like a private house rather than a hotel.

Weddings here come with exclusive use of both historic gardens, so the travertine staircase and the sea become your backdrop for the ceremony and the photographs. Catering is by an approved outside caterer of your choice, which lets you build the menu around produce from the Costa Tropical. The estate takes weddings from April to November. The estate tells us it hosts weddings of up to 180 guests. Ask the team whether a civil or symbolic ceremony suits your plans, and about the music curfew for the evening.

There are seven bedrooms: a Grand Suite with wraparound balconies facing the coast and mountains, a Junior Suite and five doubles, for up to 12 guests in all. The Grand Suite is yours on the wedding night at no extra cost, and other rooms are offered to wedding guests at a special rate. Bigger groups will need hotels along the coast nearby, so ask the team which they suggest. Breakfast on the lookout terrace comes with avocado, mango and papaya from the estate orchard. Málaga airport is about 70 minutes by road.