Everything started with a simple question: what if we opened the Hotel Madreselva in winter as well? Almost immediately, Ana Durán, director of Grupo Califa’s hotels, raised a second key question: what if we also opened a restaurant to serve guests during the winter months while enriching the gastronomic offer of Los Caños? That’s when the project truly began.
If we wanted to break with seasonality, opening the hotel alone wasn’t enough. “We needed to add value and offer a complete experience,” explains James Stuart, CEO of Grupo Califa. That motivation became the Jardín de Madreselva restaurant.
We had been observing how the area was starting to come to life beyond the summer months. More people out walking, more travellers seeking the sea in quieter seasons, and greater demand in the few establishments that remained open. “The destination is changing and we wanted to be part of that change,” says James.
Opening meant transforming the space. We improved the rooms, reinforced comfort for the cooler months, added details such as tea and coffee service in the rooms, and adapted the hotel so that winter would feel just as welcoming.
The main challenge was the shared space. The hotel did not have an enclosed dining area, so we remodelled the pergola and turned it into a comfortable space for winter, while keeping it open and light for summer. Flexible. With a fireplace at its heart.
At the same time, we completed the kitchen with new equipment and agile technology. That’s how the Jardín de Madreselva restaurant began to take shape.
The works were not easy. “The rain delayed the opening and forced us to adjust our timeline,” James admits. And that’s how we moved forward.
Today, Jardín de Madreselva, open to everyone, is already up and running and part of everyday life in Los Caños. “We wanted it to be a lively place, integrated into the destination.”
The restaurant is open every day from 14:00 to 21:00, accompanying guests at any moment of the day: a relaxed lunch, an afternoon break, an early dinner, or that in-between moment when it feels good to sit down and enjoy something at your own pace.
Because, in the end, this whole journey had one single goal: to be here. With the table set. And the door open to everyone, every day.
