We stayed one night here on a ski weekend, and it’s the kind of hotel that makes more sense the further you get from the resort.
SM Hotel Fontanals Golf sits in Soriguerola, in the Cerdanya valley, next to the Fontanals Golf Club — which in winter means a very quiet 4-star hotel with mountain views on all sides and nobody around.
Quick verdict
- 4-star, 60 rooms, in the Cerdanya valley with Pyrenees views.
- About 20–25 minutes from La Molina and Masella — a drive, not a walk. Plan around it.
- Parking is free, which is worth around €20 a night against the aparthotels at the resort itself.
- Breakfast is included and it’s good — pastries, local cheeses, cold cuts, fruit, coffee.
- The pool is outdoor and summer-only. In ski season, don’t count on it.
- No pets.
- Rooms have a kettle and a fridge — small things that matter with children.
Who should stay here
Families who want quiet. This is the case for it. It’s a golf hotel in a valley, out of season. There is nothing going on, which after a day on the slopes with children is a feature, not a bug.
Anyone skiing both La Molina and Masella. Soriguerola sits between them, so if you’re using the joint Alp 2500 pass you’re not committing to one side.
People also doing Puigcerdà or France. Puigcerdà is about ten minutes away and the French border is 8 km — so day trips beyond the ski area are easy.
People who want free parking and breakfast in the price. Both included, and both cost extra at the resort.
Who shouldn’t
Anyone who wants ski-in, ski-out. You’re 20–25 minutes away. Every morning starts with loading the car.
Families who want a pool in winter. The pool is outdoor and seasonal.
Anyone travelling with a dog. Pets aren’t accepted. Aparthotel Guitart takes small ones.
Anyone wanting to self-cater. These are hotel rooms with a kettle and a fridge, not apartments with kitchens.
Light sleepers, possibly. Guests report sound carrying between rooms — worth knowing, and worth your own view on it.
Location, and the drive to the slopes
The hotel is in Soriguerola, Fontanals de Cerdanya, beside the Fontanals Golf Club.
| To La Molina / Masella | 10–17 km, about 20–25 minutes ⚠️ |
| To Puigcerdà | ~10 minutes |
| To the French border | ~8 km |
| To Font Romeu (France) | 20–30 km, 32–41 minutes |
| From Barcelona | ~2h to La Molina, then on into the valley |
The winter question nobody answers: what is that drive actually like in snow? It’s a valley road rather than a mountain pass, but “valley road in Cerdanya in January” still means ice in the mornings.
The room
Our room was spacious and warm, with comfortable bedding, and the rustic-modern décor gives it a mountain-lodge feel rather than a business-hotel one.
What’s in the rooms: TV, telephone, heating, air conditioning, safe, desk, kettle, fridge, and a private bathroom with a hydromassage bath or shower, plus a hairdryer.
The kettle and the fridge are the details worth pulling out. With children, being able to make a drink at 7am and keep milk cold is worth more than most 4-star amenities.
Family setup
Here’s where the current review contradicts itself: the body describes what reads like a couple’s one-night stay, and the FAQ then says it’s good for families.
What the hotel offers families: free cots on request, a garden, a fitness centre, a solarium, and a tennis court at extra cost. The outdoor pool is summer-only.
Breakfast and the restaurant
Breakfast was included and was genuinely one of the better parts of the stay: fresh pastries, local cheeses, cold cuts, fruit and coffee. Enough to set you up properly before a day in the snow, which matters when mountain food is expensive.
There’s also an on-site restaurant serving traditional Catalan dishes, and a bar with a terrace.
Value
The structural case: free parking and included breakfast offset a chunk of the inconvenience of being 20 minutes out. Whether they offset all of it depends on how much you value not driving in the morning.
Would we return?
For a ski weekend, yes — with one condition.
It was the right hotel for a one-night stay: comfortable, quiet, and a good breakfast. For a longer trip with children, I’d weigh the daily drive against staying at the resort with a kitchen. One night here is easy. Five mornings of loading the car in the dark is a different question.
Where else to stay near La Molina
Three places we’ve stayed:
- SM Hotel Fontanals Golf — quiet, free parking, breakfast included, 20–25 min from the slopes (this review)
- Aparthotel Guitart La Molina — apartments with a kitchen, 200 m from the lift, paid parking, indoor pool
- Hotel Parada Puigcerdà — in town, next to the station, free city parking nearby
More La Molina and the Pyrenees:
- La Molina with kids: sledding, ski school and what a day really costs
- Skiing near Barcelona with kids: 5 resorts compared
- 12 safety tips for sledding with kids
- A weekend in Puigcerdà
Frequently asked questions about SM Hotel Fontanals Golf
How far is SM Hotel Fontanals Golf from La Molina?
The hotel is in Soriguerola in the Cerdanya valley, roughly 10 to 17 km from the La Molina and Masella ski areas, which listings put at about 20 to 25 minutes by car. It is not a ski-in, ski-out hotel — every morning starts with a drive. In exchange you get a much quieter setting, free parking and breakfast included, all of which cost extra at the resort itself.
Does SM Hotel Fontanals Golf have free parking?
Yes, parking is free, which is worth noting because the aparthotels at La Molina itself typically charge around €20 per night. Over a four-night stay that difference is roughly €80.
Does the hotel have a swimming pool in winter?
No. The pool is outdoor and seasonal, so it is not available during the ski season. There is a jacuzzi, a fitness centre and a solarium year-round, and a tennis court at extra charge. If an indoor pool matters to your family in winter, this is not the hotel for it.
Is SM Hotel Fontanals Golf good for families?
It suits families who want quiet rather than facilities. It is a 4-star golf hotel in a valley, with 60 rooms, a garden and mountain views, and very little happening in winter, which after a day on the slopes is a good thing. Cots are free on request and rooms have a kettle and a fridge. What it does not have is an indoor pool, kitchens for self-catering, or a location you can walk to the lifts from.
Is breakfast included at SM Hotel Fontanals Golf?
It was on our booking, and it was a highlight — fresh pastries, local cheeses, cold cuts, fruit and coffee. Check your own rate, as room-only bookings are also available. There is an on-site restaurant serving traditional Catalan dishes and a bar with a terrace.
Are pets allowed at SM Hotel Fontanals Golf?
No, pets are not accepted. If you are travelling with a dog, Aparthotel Guitart La Molina accepts small pets under 15 kg for a supplement.
Is SM Hotel Fontanals Golf a good base for both La Molina and Masella?
Yes, and it is one of the better arguments for staying here. Soriguerola sits between the two, so if you are using the joint Alp 2500 lift pass you can ski either side without committing to one resort’s village. Puigcerdà is about ten minutes away and the French border is only 8 km, so days away from the slopes are easy too.
| Guitart La Molina | SM Fontanals Golf | Hotel Parada Puigcerdà | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To the lift | 200 m | 20–25 min drive | ~15–20 min drive |
| Kitchen | Yes | No | No |
| Parking | ~€20/night | Free | Free city parking nearby |
| Indoor pool | Yes (paid) | No — outdoor, summer only | No |
| Breakfast | Available | Included on our rate | Room-only on our booking |
| Pets | Small pets, €10/day | No | |
| Best for | Self-catering families at the slopes | Quiet, both resorts, free parking | Town life, arriving by train |
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