An old farmhouse in Catalonia have moved into the future. A future with community, nature experiences, and sustainability is at the core. Join the VOYAGE as one of the very first guests checking in at Off. Grid.
From active, to calm. For a few days, I have been visiting the La Garrotxa national park area, an hour's drive from Barcelona. Here, long before the birth of Christ, volcanic eruptions shaped the landscape. The forces of nature are immense. We have walked through lava fields, up and down mountains, into nature and the small towns that have sprung up here, and learned about the direction of lava flows and their three layers. It's time to slow down. But first, lunch, and then I will be picked up by Gerard Greene. We are heading towards his pet project, Off. Grid. We take a detour, through a forest, along winding roads. My eyes follow the road – who wants to get travel sick?
There isn't much traffic here, but cyclists can appear at any time, says Gerard Greene.
The mountain roads are calling
The area here, and around Girona, is known for offering great cycling. To The American cyclist Lance Armstrong That Girona became his second home clearly plays a part here. The mountain roads, like the one we are now travelling on, traffic-free and winding, were, according to him, the perfect training ground. Today, the area is popular among cycle tourists, and the fact that there is a bicycle garage at Off. Grid is no coincidence.
A few more bends and we'll be there. At the foot of one of the highest mountains here in Alta Garrotxa, Mare de Déu del Mont, we find Off. Grid. There are ten rooms here in en masía – a traditional stone-built farmhouse from the 17th century.Beth meets up, welcomes me and shows me around. Gerard puts my bag outside my room – Room number 1.
Mosaic panels & new beds
Beth has extensive experience from 5-star hotels both in Barcelona and Ireland, where she has worked with hotel systems and similar projects. Her role here is to be part of everything that is happening and is going to happen. We're going upstairs.
– One day a guest came who paid a little extra attention to our mosaic paintings. He told us about the artist who made them – and that he himself had written a book about him, says the hotel's General Manager Berta del Castillo, who is now determined to find and read that book before he returns.
Here she catches me. Amidst all the old furniture. Mosaics and tiles that were about to be thrown away, among restored furniture and now it creates a sense of being a home – a farmhouse perhaps, rather than a hotel. Not all the fireplaces have been put in order yet, but when they are crackling away, this is where I want to sit with a blanket over me and read a book. Perhaps I'll pour myself a glass of wine, note my intake in the little book, and lean back.
Beth also opens the doors to some of the rooms. All completely different, but with the commonality that much of the earlier decor has been retained and upgraded. Together, the designer Ariadna Puigdomenech and Gerard Greene rejuvenated the old masía. The lime plaster has been applied and soft terracotta hues have been painted on the walls – the old meets the new.
– The old wardrobes have been repainted, the tiles in the bathrooms remain, but the fittings are new – as are the beds, says Beth.
Smaller, slower & more personal
I put the key in the lock and step inside. Room number 1 is a suite, with views over both the pool and the mountains and fields, where Off. Grid's own cultivation is slowly taking shape. I note that there is no TV in the room – a deliberate choice by Gerard Greene when he created the concept. As a well-known hotel entrepreneur, including co-founder of Yotel, a hotel chain focused on efficiency, technology and urban design – think airplane cabins and premium comfort where self-check-in is a given. The location – where it's all happening, in big cities and at airports. During the pandemic, he moved into a houseboat and began to reflect. The vision to create something smaller, slower and more personal – a place for relaxation – emerged.
– I started looking and soon learned that it was important for whatever I bought to have all the necessary permits in place to be able to open up – the bureaucracy here can otherwise take time, Gerard Greene tells us a little later that evening when we have made our way into the medieval town of Besalú to eat dinner at the town's best tapas restaurant, Quina Llauna Besalú.
In early 2024, he found what was once the Salvanera hotel. He saw the potential, the deal went through, and the renovation began. There was a lot to do. Clear out, sort, polish. Planting – among other things, 1,500 flowers were planted here. Off. Grid officially opened in September 2025.
Permaculture & reuse
That the concept here is both environmentally friendly and sustainable is not something that is shouted from the rooftops., but rather something that is simply done. Solar energy and filtered tap water are part of this, as is an established compost and a permaculture garden that is allowed to develop. Reuse and renovation of what was here from the beginning has been the focus. The food concept focuses on locally grown and seasonal produce. Dinners are served at long tables – outdoors or indoors. The wines, often natural wines, come from local producers – whom you can also visit.
Outside it is dark. The leaves rustle, a dog barks. Then completely silent. Not only is the bed comfortable – the sheets are absolutely exceptional. They are not at all in the classic luxury hotel style: freshly ironed and frizzy with a high thread count – but like lying in a gorgeously comfy t-shirt. The manufacturer is the company Bekume, located in the town of Olot, just a few miles from here, locally produced, in other words.
To just stop
The sun is rising and a yoga class awaits. Alba, who lives in the area, is here. She's moving a spider when we step in. Thin curtains flutter in the breeze. We breathe. Her voice is warm and dark, the exercises simple but effective. We finish with a vibration – we hum like bees for as long as we can hold our breath. The day is off to a good start.
The options are many for what your day could involve here. If you want to hike or cycle, you can do so right outside the house. Nearby experiences include medieval villages and vineyard visits, or why not a hot air balloon ride? Go to Figueres and visit the Dali Museum, head into Girona for some shopping. Go to the coast and swim. Or why not just take a break.
I'll choose the latter. A whole lovely day at Off. Grid. Towards the evening, we'll pick up our bikes and cycle through the small town, around the mountain, and up to the closed church. Here we'll stop, look at the fields, the strange bushes that are round and prickly, The Pyrenees can be seen in the mountains a little further away. Peace descends. It's easy to feel at home here. Simple, luxurious and obvious, or as Gerard Greene describes it:
– I would choose to call our concept Rustic Luxury!
Off.Grid Girona
2 hours from Barcelona
45 minutes from Girona
6-hour train from Paris to Girona
Price: from 150 Euro/night for 2 people
www.offgridgirona.com
What is the off-grid concept
The concept is about being self-sufficient when it comes to electricity, water, and sewage. You build your own systems for electricity, water, waste, and food production, with a focus on independence, planning, and sustainability. Currently, the concept is very popular within the hotel industry.
Here at Off. Grid, it's all about solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and local produce and cultivation, creating a micro-ecosystem in itself.
