"Porta Ferrada" International Festival

The International Festival of la Porta Ferrada [the Closed Door], celebrated during

July and August of each year since 1958, is the oldest festival in Catalonia. It takes its name from the most ancien

t part of the monastery of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, which is the main festival venue. Other concerts take place in settings both incomparable and important, including the Romanesque church of the monastery, the, Municipal Teatre Auditori, the Casa Irla and l'Espai Port. The

festival's interdisciplinary nature – it includes music, theatre and dance – makes it unique of its kind. Performances are of the highest quality, with artists and works of recognised international prestige filling these special spaces of the city.

The dates of the Festival, during July and August, transform this city into a hub of cultural life and tourism in the demarcation and Sant Feliu de Guíxols becomes the capital of performing arts at the confluence of visitors from everywhere. The constant evolution that has experienced the event in the course of years, increasing media attention, has

also increased the number of attendees, who came in last year to fourteen thousand.

This are the planned perfomances for the present Summer.

21.07 / 22:00 Lloyd Cole Small Ensemble

22.07 / 22:30 Love of Lesbian

23.07 / 22:30 Cindy Lauper

24.07 / 22:00 Mavis Staples

27.07 / 22:00 Ludovico Einaudi

28.07 / 22:00 Return to Forever IV | Chick Corea

30.07 / 22:30 Gilberto Gil

01.08 / 21:00 Carles Casas

02.08 / 21:00 Pegasus (Berlín)

10.08 / 22:30 Brian Ferry | Olympiatour 2011

11.08 / 22:30 Luz

12.08 / 22:30 Nit Gospel | The American Spiritual Ensemble

14.08 / 21:30 Geronimo Stilton

15.08 / 21:30 Geronimo Stilton (Second actuation)

17.08 / 22:30 Comediants | Persèfone

18.08 / 22:30 Raimon

20.08 / 22:30 Compañía Antonio Gades

You can download the festival's program here.

Costa Brava Hotels

Monthly raffle of satisfaction questionnaire

In GHT Hotels we are always thinking about how to improve our facilities and services and, therefore, we encourage all our customers to fill our satisfaction questionnaire.

And there's no better way to do it than raffle each month, among all those who have answered the surveys, two days in one of our hotels for two persons in half board basis.

Thus, the winners of the previous month is:

June: Jean-Luc Frohlich

We hope you enjoy your holidays with us ... again!

Clon Festival and Major Festivities in Lloret de Mar

It is July in the Costa Brava, the sun and the heat of summer are noted on the magnificent beaches and there are activities for everyone. Next, we makesome proposals for which you may have already reserved

a trip to one of our hotels, strategically located along the Costa Brava and Costa de Barcelona-Maresme.And those that do not have a reservation, remind you that we have some unbeatable offers on our website ... Spend a few relaxing days at a good and reasonable price is now at your fingertips, you can't escape!

We start with a festival that takes place in Lloret de Mar since 2004 and is starting just today, July 8. We refer to Clone Festival, as its

name suggests, brings together the best clonic bands and tribute bands.There are 4 days of festival (not consecutive) with 4 different bands paying tribute to 4 different groups:

July 8: Achtung Band, honoring U2.

July 22: ABBA Revival, tribute to ABBA.

August 5: The Exploding Boys, tribute to The

Cure.

August 19: Gansos Rosas, paying tribute to Guns N 'Roses.

All concerts are at 22:15 at Paseig de Manel Bernat (roca d'en Maig)

Furthermore, in Lloret, from 21 to 26 July are the Major Festivals of Santa Cristina, the patroness of the city. The festival begins each year the evening of Santa Cristina, on 23 July with a parade. Th

e day of Santa Cristina, July 24, the procession leaves at 8 am in the church of Sant Romà and accompanies the image of the patron by boat from the main beach to the hermitage of Santa Cristina, while dispute S'Amorra sailing race. When the procession reaches the hermitage offers a breakfast for participants. In the afternoon, dancing in the town square the "Ball de Plaça" followed by “sardanas”, the typical dance in Catalonia. The party is over on 26 at night with a fireworks display.

Winner of the online satisfaction survey. May 2011

Like every month in GHT Hotels we celebrate a raffle among all our customers who have completed a satisfaction questionnaire on-line (to receive it, you have to leave your email address when you do check-in). The prize is two days in any of our hotels on half board.

So the lucky one on May was Michelle Pullin, from Great Britain. Congratulations!

Don't miss it!

It's been a long time since our last post in our blog, it's not we are getting lazy but we've been very busy with a very important project ...We are about to publish the new version of our website, faster, easier and above all, with lots of useful information to our customers. Stay tuned the next weeks!

Here we offer a range of activities coming weeks in our destinations, for you to profit the most your holiday with us!

In Calella, from 11th to 19th of June, is celebrated the Major Festivity of “Sant Quirze and Santa Julia”, with a wide range of daily activities. We recommend you Giramaresme concert, the 11th at 22:30 at Manuel Puigvert promenade and on Sunday at 14:00 the popular “arrossada” or paella also in the same promenad

e. On Thursday 16th at 18:00, the parade by “Geganters and Grallers” of Calella (pass in front our hotel Balmes and goes to the town hall by the Església Street).

More information here.

Within the framework of the annual festival in Calella it's also celebrated

Renaissance Calella, 11th and 12th June, in which the streets of old city recede in time 500 years and is organized a large craft market that is combined with

entertainment, animation in the streets, music, food tasting and activities for children. Both days there are guided tours in English, at 10:00 am at the town hall. We recommend also the staging of Renaissance Calella, Saturday at 19:30 at the Town Hall square by the group of artistic youth “Juventut Artística” of Calella.

More information here.

In Lloret de Mar, on 11th June and 1st July, is held the Fair of artisan products of Girona: “Vall del Ges” sausages, bread and cakes of Perafita, Palamós anchovies, cheese...10 to 21 hours in the Plaça de la Vila.

For more information and other activities, www.lloretdemar.org

In Sant Feliu de Guixols/S'Agaró, on 11, 12 and 13 June, is celebrated the Fair of the Sea, artisans and crafts fair set in the sea. At the Rambla Vidal. More information here.

In addition, the night of 23rd to 24th June is Sant Joan (saint John), and how tradition marks in Catalonia, people lit bonfires on the beaches and deafening and illuminate the shortest night of the year with thousands of firecrackers and fireworks to welcome the summer. Also you can see fireworks in several towns, including Platja d'Aro; the guests staying at our S'Agaró Mar Hotel will enjoy an excellent stage to see this castle of fireworks.

Second GHT Hotels' Photo Contest

After the successful First GHT Hotels' Photo Contest, we're pleased to announce the second edition of that contest! In the first edition we got three terrific photos, the authors of which won free stays with us, would you like to be you next?

We want you to show us how were your holidays, with whom you have been, what places you've visited, and so on. For that, just add our Facebook page and upload a photo, the one you like. The photo with Likes will be the winner, plain and simple!

The prize for the most voted picture is a week in Half Board for two people in any of our hotels! But do not worry if you're not the winner, as we look forward in GHT Hotels to deal with, so we decided to give second and third prize too! These consist of 4 and 2 days respectively in one of our hotels in Half Board. 

You can check the contest rules here.

Good luck to everyone!

I Sports Senior Meeting

If you've turned 40, you like sports and want to spend a fantastic holidays in the Costa Brava you want to look at this because this year, between 10 to 14 October, are held in Lloret de Mar, the First Senior Sports Meeting.

The First Senior Sports Meeting is a sports competition for people over 40 years and participatory spirit. Registration is open to anyone more than 40 years, whatever their nationality. Like all sports events, these are properly organized by gender, age and sport level.

The sports that will take place in the Senior Sports Meeting are sports being practiced by people aged 40 and above, such as: swimming, tennis, paddle, pitch and putt, golf, cycling, gymnastics, ball room dance, dominoes, bowling, athletics, table tennis, petanque, chess and football. 

The organization is in charge of a committee, chaired by Valero Rivera, Spanish National handball coach. It comprises representatives of the city, hotel groups, entities tourism, sports federations and organizers.

The honor committee, chaired by the Honourable ex-President of Catalonia Mr. Jordi Pujol and Soley, will be formed by the heads of companies and institutions involved: national, regional and local.

More information here.