Paradores

Paradores de Turismo de España , branded as Paradores, is a Spanish state-owned chain of luxury hotels that are usually located in historic buildings or in nature areas with a special appeal. Its very first parador was inaugurated on 9 October 1928 in Navarredonda de Gredos (Ávila). As of 2022, it operates ninety-seven paradors in Spain and one in Portugal, with 5,988 rooms in total. Every parador has its own restaurant offering the regional gastronomy of its area.

The company was created with the double objective of promoting tourism in areas that lacked adequate accommodations, and of putting unused large historic buildings to use, for the maintenance of the national heritage. Along its history, the establishments of its network have been branded as Parador, Parador Nacional, Parador de Turismo or Parador Nacional de Turismo in different times.

A Portuguese equivalent, Pousadas de Portugal, were founded on 1 May 1941, following the Spanish model.

History

In 1910, the Council of Ministers of the Government of Spain chaired by president José Canalejas commissioned Marquess de la Vega-Inclán to create a hotel structure, which did not exist at the time, in whose establishments hikers and travelers would be accommodated, while at the same time improving Spain's international image. In 1911, the Royal Tourism Commission was created chaired by the Marquess himself.

It was in August 1926 when the Royal Tourism Commission began the construction of the first of the establishments at a location in a nature area of the Sierra de Gredos chosen by King Alfonso XIII himself. On 25 April 1928, the new Patronato Nacional de Turismo (PNT) assumed the functions of the Royal Commission. Finally, after some time in operation, the Parador Nacional de Gredos, the very first parador of the network, was inaugurated by the King on 9 October 1928 in Navarredonda de Gredos (Ávila).

Following the successful opening, the Junta de Paradores y Hosterías del Reino was established in 1929, with the double objective of promoting tourism in areas that lacked adequate accommodations, but with conditions to attract nature or heritage tourism, and of putting unused large historic buildings to use, for the maintenance of the national heritage. The following Parador Nacional, opened on 7 February 1930, and inaugurated on 11 March, in the Medieval castle of Oropesa ( Toledo), was the first located in a historic building. In May 1930, the Hostería de la Rábida in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva) and Hostería del Estudiante in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) were the first hosterías opened. Over the years, the paradors spread throughout the national territory and the hosterías were converted into paradors.

At the same time, the Patronato Nacional de Turismo began the construction of the new Albergues de Carretera. These roadside hostels with repair shop and gas pump were located in rest areas at key points on the road network and were built following a design by architects Carlos Arniches Moltó and Martín Domínguez Esteban in International Style. On 12 March 1931, the first Albergue de Carretera was inaugurated in Manzanares (Ciudad Real). Of the seventeen initially planned Albergues, only twelve were built, and over time, many of them ended up being converted into paradors and the rest closing down.

The Spanish Civil War was a halt for tourism. Some of the paradors were damaged or used as hospitals during the war. Once the conflict was over, the restoration and reopening of the existing establishments was encouraged. The greatest expansion process took place in the 1960s, coinciding with the important tourist development experienced by the country. In those years the Paradores Nacionales de Turismo network went from 40 to 83 establishments.

During the 1980s, the company underwent a wide restructuring and reorganization, shutting down some obsolete facilities, and operating criteria were revised to improve profitability. In 1986, some establishments belonging to the Empresa Nacional de Turismo (Entursa), such as luxury Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos and Hostal de San Marcos, were transferred to it.

Company

Since 18 January 1991, Paradores de Turismo de España is a State Mercantile Sociedad Anónima fully owned by the Dirección General del Patrimonio del Estado (DGPE), a state patrimonial agency dependent on the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Spain. The company is the concessionaire of the use and occupancy of the buildings and facilities owned by the Spanish State through the Instituto de Turismo de España (Turespaña), the government agency that, dependent on the Ministry of Industry, is the responsible of setting the company's strategy and planning, monitoring its effectiveness and building new facilities. The company's mission is to promote sustainable, accessible and quality tourism, as well as the maintenance of the buildings it operates, many of them monuments of high historical-artistic value declared Bien de Interés Cultural.

According to Brand Finance, Paradores was the brand with the highest reputation in Spain in 2019–20 and the second in 2021. It was also the world’s leading hotel company in reputation in 2019–21, and the only Spanish company in the global top 10.

Network

As of 2022, Paradores operates a hotel network of ninety-seven state-owned establishments in Spain and one franchised establishment in Portugal, with 5,988 rooms in total. Paradors are located all around Spain, and have a presence in all its provinces except for the Balearic Islands, where a parador in Ibiza is under construction, and Biscay. The provinces with the most paradors are Cáceres and Málaga, with five each. In addition to the paradors located in castles, palaces, fortresses, convents, monasteries and other historic buildings, there are also other located in modern buildings in nature areas with a special appeal and/or with panoramic views of historical and monumental cities. The paradors are divided in ''Esentia'' - monumental and historic hotels, ''Civia'' - urban hotels, and ''Naturia'' - hotels close to the coast and nature. Prices vary according to category, room, region and season.

One of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the world, the Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos in Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), founded in 1499 by the Catholic Monarchs as a hostelry and hospital for pilgrims at the very end of the Way of St James, and transferred to the network on 24 February 1986, is the finest parador, and with its 137 rooms for 262 guests is also the largest by capacity. The Parador de El Saler and its golf course in Valencia, occupying of land, is the largest by area. The Parador Castillo de Monterrei in Monterrei ( Ourense) with 12 rooms for 24 guests, and occupying of land, is the smallest. The Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide in La Orotava ( Santa Cruz de Tenerife), located at above sea level, is the highest. The Parador Costa da Morte in Muxia (A Coruña), opened on 25 June 2020, is the newest.

In addition to the aforementioned Parador de Ibiza, Turespaña is building new paradors in Molina de Aragón (Guadalajara), Morella ( Castellón) and Vera de Moncayo ( Zaragoza). Paradores will furnish, operate and maintain them once completed.

List of paradors

Ninety-seven paradors are located in Spain (listed below) and one, Parador Casa da Ínsua, in Penalva do Castelo, Portugal.

Gallery

file:Parador de Gredos 6.jpg, Parador de Gredos, the first parador opened.
file:Parador-de-Santiago-Entrance.jpg, Hostal de los Reyes Católicos 16th Century Plateresque front facade.
file:Parador de Aiguablava.jpg, Parador de Aiguablava located in a 1960s building overlooking Aigua Blava bay in Costa Brava.
file:Parador de Cardona 2.jpg, Parador de Cardona located in a Medieval fortress.
file:Parador de Corias 2.jpg, Parador de Corias located in a Neoclassical monastery.
file:La Alhambra, Granada 06.JPG, Parador de Granada located in a 15th-century palace inside the Alhambra complex.
file:Convento de San Marcos (León). Portada.jpg, Parador de León located in a Renaissance convent.
file:Lerma - Palacio Ducal 2.jpg, Parador de Lerma located in a Herrerian palace.
file:Parador de Olite 1.jpg, Parador de Olite located in the old Royal Palace of the Kings of Navarre.
file:Parador de Pontevedra 4.jpg, Parador de Pontevedra located in a typical Galician pazo.
file:Palacio de los Duques de Feria, Zafra, Badajoz.jpg, Parador de Zafra located in a Gothic castle.

Legacy

Pousadas de Portugal

A Portuguese equivalent, Pousadas de Portugal, were founded on 1 May 1941, following the Spanish model, by the Estado Novo at the initiative of António Ferro. The first pousada opened on 19 April 1942 in Elvas.

References

External links

Paradores de Turismo de España

Official UK representative of Paradores

The Parador in Ronda, Andalucia

Flickr group with photos of paradors

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Government-owned companies of Spain
Hospitality companies established in 1928
Spanish companies established in 1928