Hotels with history have a future

Spain’s paradores are seen as destinations in their own right, says Nick Trend

Although 2020 was dreadful for most hotels in Spain, the year wasn’t a total disaster for the Parador chain. The state-owned group, with 98 hotels in historic, modern and rural properties, reopened its hotels last June and had an average occupancy of 80 per cent last summer, despite losing most overseas guests.

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Paradores triumphed where others failed because Spanish people feel great affection for the brand and regard their favourites as destinations in their own right. It helps that they usually have heaps of space, inside and out, particularly in the old monasteries and palaces – so there are no distancing issues when you want a quiet gin and tonic.

As we start travelling again, I am sure British holidaymakers will also be planning to return for these same reasons. The Parador Costa da Morte in Muxía in Galicia opened last year (see Page 11) and, after three years of renovations, the Hostal de San Marcos – as the parador in the city of León is known – reopened in December. One of the flagship properties in the group, the magnificent 16th-century building was originally a monastery and hospice for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Some of the astounding artistic treasures have been restored, including a sculpture by Juan de Juni.

The Aiguablava Parador on the Costa Brava, one of the most popular, also emerged from a remodelling in 2020, as did the Jaén Parador in Andalucia, in an imposing castle overlooking the city. Work on several new hotels is under way. The Parador Monasterio de Veruela, in a Cistercian abbey in Vera de Moncayo in Zaragoza, will hopefully open this year, while the much-awaited Ibiza parador is slated for 2022.

LUXURY HOTELS

If you have never ventured beyond Barcelona in Catalonia, you might be tempted by the new Grand Tour (grandtour.catalunya.com), a circular driving route around the region that takes in the Pyrenees, the Dalí Triangle, the architecture of Gaudí, the volcanic landscape of La Garrotxa, the beaches of the Costa Daurada and a lot more. Along the way, you taste local specialities – which include cheese and cava – and can try rafting, hot-air ballooning or maybe just a leisurely trundle on a bike. The route takes about a fortnight but is split into five sections of around 250 miles each, so you could also just pick one to do over a long weekend.

TRAINS

Travelling by high-speed train in Spain will get cheaper from May (when the country’s state of alarm is due to be lifted) with two new companies running services between Madrid and Barcelona with stops in Zaragoza and Tarragona. Both have delayed operations because of Covid-19 restrictions. Avlo (avlorenfe. com) is part of state-owned Renfe and is a low-cost version of the Ave service, with single basic fares from €10 (£8.80). Ouigo (ouigo.com), part of France’s SNCF, already has tickets on sale from €9. It will start services to Valencia and Alicante later this year.