HOTEL CASA CACAO
Casa Cacao is a newly opened, uber-artisanal chocolate-themed hotel that boasts a café, chocolate store and workshop space. This 15-room boutique property is the first hotel project from the makers of one of the best restaurants in the world, El Celler de Can Roca. Casa Cacao combines two business formats under the same roof, fulfilling the dreams of Anna Payet, the director of operations and sister-in-law of Jordi Roca, who works as the head pastry chef. Together they brilliantly merged the idea of a charming, small hotel with breakfast service in conjunction with the chocolate workshop held by Jordi Roca’s shop-confectionary and tasting space.
Casa Cacao occupies a historic building on the corner of Plaza de Cataluña, with five floors, including a ground floor, three floors with rooms and a rooftop terrace. The building was originally a paper factory before being bought out by a famous clinic, until their closing years before the Roca family purchased the building in 2016. A gourmet hotel with sweet delicacies beyond just the traditional chocolate squares. Food is designed, and some of the best touches from the Roca brother’s cuisine can be tasted. An unforgettable, undeniably surreal experience, this is a hotel that stacks accolades for its superb service, incredible gastronomy and design.
OUR STORY
Anna Payet, the Director of Operations and wife of Joan Roca, greeted us upon arrival. With her bright smile and welcoming personality, we felt at ease and lost track of time. We arrived deliberately early and left our luggage while exploring Girona until our lunch break at Cafè le Bistrot in the Jewish quarter.
At Casa Cacao, we stayed in the spacious Junior Suite with the breakfast menu included. The room is perfect for 2 or 3 people, with a large comfortable sofa. In concurrence with the amenities, the suite consists of a king-size bed with Bassols linens, cushions brimming with natural goose feathers, wool carpet from Cumellas brand in Barcelona, and bed plaids from Teixidors. The bathroom was comfortable with a large window with natural light, and an elongated wet room with a rain shower head.
What stands out at Casa Cacao are the meaningful experiences that align with Jordi Roca's chocolate fantasy and tap into a creative network and echo an ethos of conscious hospitality. His cocoa bean suppliers are from small communities in Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Bolivia and Ecuador. Jordi met these communities personally and created a sustainable business for everyone. Chocolate is the protagonist, but the kilometre-zero concept also marks a tendency. The bathroom boasts natural stone countertops and glasses made from recycled wine bottles at El Celler de Can Roca.
On the coffee table in the bedroom is the book, 'Casa cacao: El viaje de vuelta al origen del chocolate' by Ignacio Medina and Jordi Roca. It shares Jordi's three-year research in the Peruvian Amazon and Sierra Nevada's jungles in Northern Columbia, remote places where cocoa is grown and harvested and where Jordi found the best authentic cacao beans in the indigenous community of the indigenous community Arhuaco.
The highlight of our stay was the breakfast. We enjoyed a four-course breakfast menu on the rooftop terrace while glancing over the city. The breakfast spread consists of local Catalan dishes like the pan de coca and thinly sliced ham, in addition to chocolate…a lot of it and in many different forms! Rest assured, whatever you can't finish; you can ask to pack to take away.
THE GOODIES
- Family-friendly rooms
- Bathrobes and hairdryer
- Natura Bissé amenities
- Rainshower or bath
- Rooftop terrace with views of the old town
- Display of books by the Roca brothers
- Café, chocolate shop and workshops
- Eco-smart minibar
- Smart Ultra HD 4K TV
- Safe
- Speedy WiFi
- Soundproof rooms
- 24-hour front desk
SUMMARY
Rate - Start from 250 euros per night
Location - Rehabilitated building dating from 1946 in Plaza Catalunya in Girona city
Suitable for - Romantic couples and friends
Tips - Casa Cacao is a gourmet hotel and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, take advantage and try their brunch menu
