Cosmopolitan Spain Traveler - Spring 2018

Cosmopolitan Spain Traveler

History of Paradores

The origins of Paradores date back to 1910, when the Spanish government, presided by José Canalejas, decided to entrust Marquis of Vega Inclán with the project of creating a hotel structure which would provide accommodations for tourists and travelers, while also improving Spain's image abroad. In 1926, King Alfonso XIII of Spain took it upon himself to personally choose the best location for this project. He chose the Sierra de Gredos mountain range between Madrid and Ávila, in the midst of a remarkably beautiful location. The works finished on October 9, 1928 with the inauguration of the Parador de Gredos : the pioneer of the network of Paradores in Spain. The journey from then was breathtaking. In 1929 a new Parador opened in Cádiz. A year later two more opened in Oropesa and Úbeda. Cuidad Rodrigo opened in 1931, Manzanares in 1932 and Mérida just a year after. The most active expansion period took place in the 60s; this coincided with a significant development in the tourism sector in Spain, with the construction of infrastructure, such as motorways, railways, airports, and ports. It was in this time period that Paradores doubled the number of its establishments, from 40 to 83, and the brand gained a level of prestige throughout the world. During the Spanish transition to democracy, there was a large-scale restructuring of the Paradores network, and some unprofitable buildings were closed. Three years before becoming the first Prime Minister of the democracy, Adolfo Suarez was in charge of the National Tourism Company (Entursa), which he wanted to combine with the national net- work of Paradores. However, it was not until 1986 when part of Entursa was privatized and three of their twelve hotels, due to their historic, artistic and monumental standings, became part of the national network of Paradores: the Hostal del los Reyes Católicos (Santiago de Compostela), La Muralla (Ceuta), and the Hostal San Marcos (León). A major change came in January 1991 when Paradores became a public limited company called "Paradores de Turismo de España S.A.", and the ownership of all the buildings -- and the single shareholder-- became the Directorate General of State Heritage. Paradores also have remarkable, unique, and peculiar backstories that make their build- ings far more important than just a hotel: they're a complete experience. Some examples are the suite at Baiona that has a remarkable view of the Atlantic Ocean and the Cíes Islands; or the Suite del Cardenal with views of the Plaza de Obradoiro main square at the Parador de Santiago de Compostela.

All of this, plus 90 secrets - or treasures - of the remarkable experiences can be found on their official website www.parador.es .

6