Our Story  |  Tom & Danielle

From the Netherlands to Spain

We are Tom and Danielle van Leeuwen. We grew up in Nieuw-Vennep, near Amsterdam, where we built our working lives in industrial automation and retail.

We have always enjoyed travelling, and Spain kept drawing us back. We liked the climate, the people and, above all, the way of life. Things felt a little less rushed here.

In 2014, we bought a holiday home in Hondón de las Nieves. What started as a place to escape to during our holidays gradually became something more. We organised sculpture and cooking workshops and created a Dutch-language magazine about the Alicante and Murcia regions.

Spain was slowly becoming our home.

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A new life in the Spanish countryside

In 2018, we made the decision to leave the Netherlands behind. We sold our house, moved to Spain and started a new chapter.

We had no grand master plan. We simply wanted to build a life here and see where it would take us.

Then, in 2020, we discovered Casa Rodriguillo.

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Falling for an old house

The property was a neglected historic mansion with two old wine cellars, a large garden and plenty of character. It also needed a lot of work.

We could see its potential, though. Rather than replacing everything with something new, we wanted to bring the house back to life while preserving as much of its original character as possible.

The idea was to create a place where the history of the building and the comfort of modern living could go hand in hand.

That became our next big adventure.

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Building Casa Rodriguillo Pinoso

The renovation took around three years. We learned a lot along the way, tackled one challenge after another and received invaluable help from family and friends.

Their support also helped us finance the project through a crowdfunding campaign.

In June 2023, we welcomed our first guests.

Since then, Casa Rodriguillo in Pinoso has become much more than a renovation project. We enjoy welcoming people, sharing our favourite places in the region and helping our guests make the most of their stay.

There is no fixed programme and no need to do everything. You can explore the area, spend the afternoon by the pool or simply take things as they come.

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Old Style, Modern Comfort

That is what Casa Rodriguillo is all about.

We have tried to preserve the character of this old Spanish mansion while adding the comforts you would expect today. We have also made choices to reduce energy and water consumption wherever possible.

We live here, work here and are still discovering new things about the house and the surrounding area.

We hope you enjoy staying here as much as we enjoy sharing it with you.

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Tom & Danielle