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The country has put $500 million into redoing its paradores, with talented
designers eagerly signing on to give gorgeous old buildings their due. For
Joaquin Jesus Serrano, working as a bartender at the Parador de Zafra, in a
commanding 15th-century castle, used to feel a bit too much like returning
to the Middle Ages. "The lighting was so dark, and the walls were plain
white," he explains while refilling a glass of Rioja. Today, Serrano may as
well be in West Hollywood. The parador's backlit bar is as subtly glam as
anything on Melrose Avenue. Round silver mirrors line the soft gray walls,
and a sophisticated crowd settles into brown, round-backed chairs.
Spain's state-run parador system was founded in 1928 by King Alfonso
XIII, with two goals. He wanted to preserve deteriorating buildings--about
half of the 91 paradores are in palaces, convents, and the like--by opening
them as lodgings (parador means "stopping place"). And he hoped to make
exploring the country easy for all by keeping the rates low.
After decades of wear and tear, however, the properties were in need of
another dose of preservation. In 2001, the government launched a $496
million initiative: All of Spain's paradores will be renovated by 2010, and
nine new ones will be built. Seventy renovations have already been
completed, but several of the most beautifully redone historic buildings
will be opening over the next year.
Prominent interior designers in Spain competed for the opportunity to
redesign each parador. "These buildings are a part of our cultural heritage,
of world heritage," said Jaime Beriestain, the man behind the renovation of
Parador de Zafra in 2003. (Visitors to Spain may know his work from the
Hilton Barcelona's 2003 refurbishment.)
When taking on the Zafra project, Beriestain was reminded of "those
castles that you draw as a little boy, towers and all. I wanted to maintain
the tradition of the space." The result is still unmistakably a castle: Many
guest rooms have arched, carved wood doors with big iron knobs in the
middle; off-white bedspreads are accented by regal red-and-pink pillows and
dust ruffles; beds are bedecked with golden headboards and canopies. But the
building has also been warmed up. It's a castle, but it's cozy. The
courtyard has wrought-iron chairs with comfortable white cushions, and
leather chaise lounges cluster around a fireplace in the second-floor living
room. "It's a place to curl up with a hot drink," says Beriestain. For his
color palate, the designer referenced the drastic seasonal changes of the
region, Extremadura. The carpets in the corridors incorporate lush greens
and arid reds in a swirling motif reminiscent of topographical maps.
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Hotels Badajoz & Province |
 Parador
de Zafra Badajoz Province
Location The hotel is housed in a 15th century castle where
Hernan Cortes lived. From the hotel, located in the heart of the town,
which has been declared to be of historical and artistic interest,
guests can visit beautiful Zafra, a place in which moors and christians
managed to live in perfect harmony even after the reconquest. Rooms
Decorated with rustic furniture and slender wooden beds. Some of
them have marvellous panelled ceilings. All of them are quite spacious.
Restaurant The spacious white washed dining hall is a pleasant
place for guests to enjoy the delights of this country's inspired
cuisine. Main dishes include lamb stew and iberian sirloin. General
Nine battlemented towers jealously guard a regal, gandiose interior,
which conserved beautiful coffered ceilings, large chests, ironworks,
handrails and other deocrtaive details belongings to the former
palace.The swimming pool and the perfectly tended garden also stands
out. |
Beriestain also oversaw the $4 million renovation of the Parador de
Trujillo, a 16th-century convent 90 miles northeast of Zafra. While the most
dramatic change was probably the addition of a rooftop swimming pool, he
brought in colorful artwork and furniture as well, such as the parlors' red
banquettes and low-slung mustard-and-white couches. In the breakfast room,
which was once the convent's chapel, Renaissance arches are trimmed in a
warm shade of salmon. "Trujillo was the seat of the conquistadors," says
Beriestain. "It was the place they would come home to from the New World."
Beriestain played up the past by introducing gold wherever he could:
Fixtures in the hallways bounce light off of large golden plates; an
enormous gold circle hangs above the bar; and modern chandeliers--four tiers
of gilded circles--hang in the dining room.
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Hotels Caceres & Province |
 Parador
De Trujillo Caceres Province
Location This hotel is situated in the converted Santa Clara
convent which was founded by the order of the conceptionists in the 16th
century. The convent building is simply laid out around a central
cloister which now has three renaissance fountains and lovely plants and
trees growing around them. Rooms Nuns used to live in the convent
until it was converted into a hotel, therefore their cells have been
used as rooms for guests. There are 45 doubles and a suite, distributed
around a renaissance cloister and its well, with views of the town or
nearby fields. Restaurant The refectory, a vaulted room with a
magnificent tiled wall is where international and Regional cuisine can
be sampled. General Ideal for rest, leisure work, the Parador has
monastic style common rooms ans details, spacious, quite and pleisant
living rooms, noble bedrroms in which wood takes preference. |
Retaining a sense of history is only one aspect of a parador's
renovation, according to Madrid-based Pascua Ortega. "The artistic part is
converting it into a 21st-century hotel," he says.
Prior to the initiative, in 1995, Ortega had completed a redesign of the
Parador de Ávila, a 16th-century palace 70 miles northwest of Madrid. It's a
good example of what visitors can expect from his and other designers'
renovations to come. Ortega's first order of business at Ávila was to
introduce more light: "It was just too dark." Now, green fabrics and sunny
yellow walls brighten the rooms, and a sleek bar with royal-blue cushioned
stools serves as a social hub. Cream canopies hang over four-poster beds in
each of the 61 guest rooms, and small red lamps are suspended above the
tables in the dining room.
As with the other two paradores, history still has a hold on the grand
building, which abuts the town of Ávila's Roman walls. Lest you forget that
you're entering a place that's over 400 years old, a full suit of armor
stands guard at the reception desk, and beautiful wooden beams run
throughout the ceilings in the hotel. "You want to conserve whatever you
can," says Ortega. "These buildings have their own charm."
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Hotels Avila |
 Parador
de Avila
Location This hotel is located to the north of the city walls,
right in the centre of Avila old town. It is housed in a former XVth
century palace known as "Piedras Blancas". Rooms
The rooms are in general spacious with beautiful decorative elements,
granite and abode floors, bright colours and some with four posterd
beds. Restaurant It is traditionally decorated according to the
region's style with a cosy wooden floor offering a wide and exquisite
selection of the region's specialities. It overlooks the beautiful
garden and the walls. General The garden stands out, with
archaeological remains, as does the magnificent glazed patio, the
modular rooms and the cafeteria. |
Lodging
Parador de Zafra Plaza Corazón de María 7
Parador de Ávila Marqués Canales de Chozas 2
Parador de Caceres Calle Ancha 6
Parador de Trujillo Calle Santa Beatriz de Silva 1
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