Vintage Jerez offers opportunity for would-be hoteliers

Plenty of us harbour a secret ambition to do a César Ritz and try our hand at hostelry. Jerez real estate agents, Mercers, have two city centre residences on their books which will allow you to do just that. The first is for those who like to work smart and is ready to go whilst the second is for those who like to work hard and is ready for renovation. Both have enough period flair and exquisite detailing to satisfy even the late ‘King of Hoteliers and Hotelier of Kings’.

Most famous for being the spiritual home of flamenco, the birthplace of sherry and a centre for Andalucian dancing horses - Jerez has much to offer the globetrotter. Its ‘Casco Histórico’ with a walled medina concealing cobbled streets, authentic tapas bars and the period palaces of the sherry dynasties draws year-round attention whilst the unblemished beaches of the Costa de la Luz are a swift 20 minute drive.

Easy to reach, for nationals and northern Europeans alike, Jerez’s modernized International Airport is set to serve four million passengers each year by 2012 (up from 1.4 million in 2006) and will crucially have its own AVE (bullet train) station connecting it to Spain’s major cities. Would-be hoteliers have little to fear, Jerez has earned its place on Spain’s cultural tourism map.

In order to hit the (cobbled) ground running Mercer’s recommends JER113, a ten-bedroom turn of the 20th century guest house set in a charming narrow street at the heart of town. Only one minute from Jerez’s central shopping district, Calle Larga, this Parisian-style boutique hotel has been welcoming paying guests for a number of years.

With a tardis-like 506m² constructed area plus a magnificent suntrap roof terrace of 180m² which throws light down into the vestibule via a large skylight, JER113 is a rare find. Excellent value for money considering the city-centre location, the ten bedrooms and six bathrooms are arranged over three floors whilst there is a shady courtyard patio at ground floor level and private garaging for up to three cars. The recently reduced price now stands at 599,000 euros (down from 850,000 euros).

The kind of renovation project that Michelangelo would’ve liked to have got stuck into, JER137 is a vintage family home dating back to 1858 and the belle of Mercer’s books. One step across the threshold and the typically Andalucian courtyard with its grandiose main staircase, pillars, arches, beveling, cornicing, coving and Frank Lloyd-Wright inspired stained glass will already have the imagination running wild. Inside many of the rooms have Arab-esque stucco detailing, intricate tiling as well as the most incredible hand-painted ceilings with frescoes of countryside landscapes.

Counting at least seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, two kitchens and six iron-railed balconies, this precious part of Jerez’s history is built over 847m² to include a private rooftop terrace with potential penthouse suite. A rear garden and garage complete the scene for an idyllic city centre destination hotel. Although technically priceless, JER137 has been reduced from 1,000,000 euros to a give-away 850,000 euros.

For further information, visit spanishproperty.co.uk