“You need to enjoy what you are doing. You need to have fun,” says Ingrid García Salazar, General Manager of Finca La Bobadilla Luxury Hotel & Estate, as we sit in the historic cortijo’s elegant reception area.. The Canary Islands-born hospitality professional has quickly become the driving force behind this iconic Andalusian estate’s transformation under Unico Hotels, bringing her passion for personalised guest experiences to one of Spain’s most enchanting luxury retreats.
As we speak, Salazar’s enthusiasm for creating authentic connections is immediately evident, not just with guests, but with the local community and the rich cultural heritage that defines this remarkable corner of Andalusia.
Tell us a bit about your background and how you discovered your passion for hospitality.
I was born in the Canary Islands, so I’ve been lucky enough to experience hotels since I was a child. It’s a normal thing there. At weekends we’d go to a hotel on the south part of the island, and they always made me curious. I loved it. I always looked at the back of house because I wanted to know more about each hotel.
When you’re a teenager and you need to choose what you want to do for a living, it’s a very hard decision. When I was seventeen, I actually wanted to be a pediatrician. In the last year I changed my mind and ended up studying tourism in Barcelona. After completing the degree, I wasn’t sure it was actually my passion. That was until I started working, and then I just couldn’t stop. I loved it.
My mother reminded me years ago that I had a computer game called Hotel Giant. It was about building hotels, and I was always playing it at home. I’d ask her things like “what do you think customers will enjoy more, a games room or a bar? What’s also going to make more money?” She told me I was always asking those things. Yet it wasn’t until I was working in hotels that this interest became an overwhelming passion.
What was you first hotel experience in Barcelona?
I did my internship at Hotel Casa Fuster, an iconic hotel in Barcelona. Then I went to Hotel Torre Catalunya, which was more challenging, with 270 rooms, and non-stop operations. But I learned a lot there. Then a friend came and said there was an opening at her hotel. I didn’t want to change, but when I went for the interview it was like “oh, this has magic.”
It was Grand Hotel Central (the original property of Unico Hotels) and I started there as a receptionist when it was a Four-Star Superior. I was there when they transformed it to a Five-Star property, and I was involved with the changes.
You’ve been part of Unico Hotels for many years now. What makes this family of properties ‘Unico’?
It’s a family business that has been growing little by little. What I love is that when our founder Pau Guardans visits, he observes every little detail. It’s not like you don’t know who is behind the group, as he comes here, he sees everything. He’s really into every detail of the hotel, he knows what’s happening and he knows the direction we should take.
You are valued at Unico Hotels, you’re not just a number. I’m Ingrid from the Canary Islands, and he’s seen all my progress over the years. He doesn’t think “I have twenty bartenders”, no, it’s Ingrid, it’s Jaime, it’s Isabel. He knows everyone, or he wants to know everyone. Although we’re growing, he still cares about those details.
The guest experience here is about personalisation – the guest is Unico. If I know you’re going to like history or you’re going to enjoy horseback riding, I make that part of the stay. It’s the differentiation, the personalisation, the customisation and small details that really matter.
Finca La Bobadilla has recently joined this boutique collection of properties. How would you describe the unique guest experience here?
We want to make the hotel part of the travel experience, not just a hotel where you go and sleep. If you’re travelling to Andalusia, we need to be immersed in Southern Spain. Here at Finca Bobadilla it’s a compilation of everything that makes the region so extraordinary, like the gastronomy, the Andalusian horses, the olive trees, and the extra virgin olive oil that you can enjoy at breakfast.
You can savour the cuisine at our signature restaurant, La Finca that includes special dishes from Córdoba, Granada, Sevilla and more. It’s all about Andalusia, but in one place. We’re close to Córdoba, Granada, Málaga, as you have the sea not far away, we’re also accessible to Sevilla. From here it’s like the starting point, very central. Yet really you don’t need to leave – you can experience Andalusia here on the estate and in the nearby villages.
You’re very focused on authentic guest experiences. Could you tell us more about your approach?
We have horseback riding with six horses, so children can enjoy it with adults, it’s a great way to explore the 350 hectares of the estate. If you prefer, we have electric bikes, and we offer guided tours in our 4×4 pickup, so guests can enjoy picnics in the middle of the finca.
We have signature treatments in our Flow Spa, like the salt scrub and olive oil massage.
During turndown service, we provide small pastries from the Convento de Monjas Mínimas in Archidona, just ten minutes away. We try to be part of the community and reflect local culture in our hospitality.
In September, we’re planning a music festival in our chapel, which has one of the largest non-ecclesiastical organs in Spain. We want to invite the local community and guests for concerts. The Conservatory of Music in Loja will come and perform too.
We also have themed nights at the hotel, with our BBQs with Andalusian music, as well as nights with typical rice dishes. We also have traditional games like petanca and juego de herradura (horseshoe throwing), games from long ago that are part of our culture.
What changes are planned for the property?
We’re closing in November for renovations. We’re going to give the property a fresh style, make it brighter, and the rooms will get new technology like smart TVs with Netflix connectivity. All while still maintaining the Andalusian essence.
The bar is going to be much bigger, and we are going to enhance the dining experiences-
We’re also creating a new spa for kids where the current gym is, so children can enjoy all day and adults can be relax in the adults only spa- The new gym is going to have an outside area where you can see all the nature, the olive trees, the mountains.
We’re also aiming to open year-round. The property has been seasonal for the past ten years, but like our other Unico Hotels properties in Mallorca and Finca Serena, we want to operate throughout the year.
What does luxury mean to you?
If you asked me this question ten years ago, my answer would be different. But now it is longer having a marble bathroom and gold fixtures. I think luxury is making simple things the best you can. It’s personalisation and thoughtful details for guests.
It’s not the same to make café con leche for twenty people exactly the same way, versus making it for you, as a guest, knowing you want hot milk, while another guest wants a bit of cream.
This philosophy really echoes what our founder Pau Guardans believes. He’s always said he’s drawn to the luxury found in simple things done exceptionally well, without pretence. That’s exactly what we’re doing here at Finca La Bobadilla, honouring this approach while keeping the experience relevant for today’s travellers.
Do you have a motto or philosophy that guides you?
You need to enjoy what you are doing. You need to have fun. If you don’t enjoy what you do, guests will sense that. Yesterday we had our first barbecue night and we were all excited, a bit nervous, but you need to embrace that energy and enjoy it.
Where do you see Finca La Bobadilla’s future?
This place is at the heart of Andalusia, both geographically and metaphorically. We’re capturing the very essence of this remarkable part of Spain. Our guests typically stay two or three nights as part of their Andalusian tour, but we want to give them reasons to stay longer.
Of course, you can go to the Alhambra for a day, but the rest of the time you have so many things to do here. We have the Rio Frio caviar experience, horseback riding, the music festival, the traditional games, everything to immerse you in authentic Andalusian culture.
The idea is to make every guest feel special, and to remember their preferences, to treat them as individuals. That’s what Unico means, that you are unique, and we want you to feel that from the moment you arrive until you leave.
Thank you, Ingrid, for sharing your vision and passion for Finca La Bobadilla with us.
Finca La Bobadilla is located at Carretera Salinas, A-333, Km.65,5, 29315 Málaga.
You can read The Luxury Editor Review of Finca La Bobadilla here.
