Home Again

A palace in Córdoba that Romans, Muslims and Spanish knight-commanders have called home is now the citys hottest 5-star: Hospes Palacio del Bailio

by Mary Scoviak, Contributing Editor -- HOTELS Magazine, 7/1/2007

History informs every space in Hospes’ new 53-room Hotel Palacio del Bailio in Córdoba. The glass floor of one of the patios reveals the remains of the palatial dwelling a Roman family once called home. Influences from the area’s Arabic and Sephardic past shape the restaurant, Senzone. Murals from the 16th through 18th centuries recall the time when Spanish nobility evolved their palace home to suit their versions of Renaissance, Baroque and neo-Classical styles. “It would have been relatively easy to create a new hotel here and then incorporate some old elements,” says Marcel Gago, director of Hospes’ design team. “It was a much bigger challenge to adapt the original building, five patios and Roman ruins to the needs of a modern 5-star hotel.”

Gago and his design staff drew inspiration not only from the existing buildings on this site in the heart of Córdoba’s historic center but from the entirety of this Califal city and the surrounding region. The goal was to preserve and enhance rather than deconstruct and reconstruct. “For us, the original elements and the original structures determined the architectural and interior design,” Gago says.

Updating History For Modern Guests
Transforming these structures into a luxury hotel that would meet modern guests’ expectations required both flexibility and innovation. A palace built between the 16th and 18th century forms the core of the complex. One of the city’s most prominent homes, it offered spacious rooms framed by thick adobe walls, large patios, details such as limestone moldings covered with lime mortar, stonework with Ionian style pilasters and murals that were popular in Córdoba’s noble homes for centuries. Roman pillars still stand in the walls of the covered gallery, while slender columns support the patio arches.

“Adapting these structures to our operational needs without devaluing or damaging the artistic features such as the murals and the frescoes or the archeological treasures extended our renovation schedule and made construction timing quite a challenge,” says Véronique Timsonet, general manager. “But, it was worth it. We rescued the palace’s beauty and uniqueness and enabled it to become an international standard venue.”

Hospes’ designers played up each historical element to create an experience no competitor can deliver. They showcased the Roman ruins by installing a glass floor/dome in the patio that serves as one of the lounges. Guests can enjoy light fare and conversation while viewing the architectural ruins, murals and other treasures of the Roman villa on the level below. “This patio is one of the city’s most sought-after destinations,” says Timonet. “Because of its versatility, we can convert this courtyard from a bar/lounge for guests to a meeting space, restaurant and social function space depending on the needs of different client bases.”

The site’s earliest history as a Roman villa also provided inspiration for its spa. Located in the hotel’s basement, Bodyna offers the hot, cold and lukewarm baths that Roman spa-goers would have expected. The design would look equally familiar. Water, stone and light are the key influences in the spa’s two main areas: a patio flanked by Roman columns which houses the massage and treatment cabanas and the underground baths. However, the spa’s service menu acknowledges that the needs of modern customers are broader. On offer alongside ancient baths are Thai massages, reflexology, ayurveda, Vichy showers and treatments using stones, oils, gold and even chocolate.

Marrying Preservation With Operations
Throughout the public spaces, Gago and the Hospes design team respected the lines and materials used in the original structures. White walls covered with hand-made stucco would have residential appeal for the knight-commander, or bailio, for which the palace is named. Marble from the local Sierra Elvira region evokes a sense of luxury that would have looked as right to the builders of the structures that have stood since the Renaissance as to modern guests.

Art plays a major role. Just off the Fuente de la Concha Patio is a room researchers now believe was the chapel to a convent. A painting once thought to be the three Graces has been re-identified as a work showing three martyrs depicted in 16th century dress. On the main patio’s south wall are the singular remains of what would have been a series of trompe l’oeil paintings simulating Tuscan arches and columns that would have decorated the entire space in the early 1700s. Guests with more contemporary taste will find a 1940s take on history in the gallery. The home’s most recent owners, the Castejón family, commissioned a frieze with embossed plant motifs alternating with heraldic motifs and Mudéjar style decorations—a statement characteristic of mid-Century design that looked to fuse a contemporary statement with concepts such as the multi-colored plasterwork taken from Córdoba’s Califal art.

While conservation was a major theme, the designers added other modern design touches to reflect the palace’s newest “residents.” Cutting-edge lamps in the lobby and sleek furniture bridge the old and new. In the guestrooms, a range of Gothic vaults, barrel vaults, 19th Century Ionian capitals and detailed plasterwork blend with the comforts of a modern home.

Size was a major advantage in the existing spaces that were converted into guestrooms. Averaging 322 sq.ft. (30 sq.m.), the 53 rooms that now serve as the 5-star guestrooms and suites afforded ample space for design elements aimed at business and leisure travelers. Comfort was essential, says the general manager. “The fast-pace of the modern lifestyle means travelers want high quality accommodations that ensure the guest will be able to rest and disconnect after a long working day. That means the rooms have to be comfortable and flexible enough to cater to the needs of each guest, whether he or she is traveling for business or leisure,” Timonet says. In design terms that translates to a “comfortable” desk, a top-quality bed and mattress, double-glazed windows and cool modern furnishings played against more historically correct art.

Guests may want disconnection from their day, but not from connectivity and creature comforts. Breakthroughs in technology made it possible to deliver essential high tech touches without interrupting the historic flow. “Today’s technology is smaller, less perceptible. In the guestrooms and public spaces we were able to install all of the technology our guests expect—from Wi-Fi access to HVAC controls—and still respect the origins of the building,” says Timonet. It works. Occupancy is expected to be 66% by the end of the first year of operation, with average rate standing at US$271 (e200) per night.

Maximizing Revenue Generating Spaces
Hospes’ team ensured that every aspect of the site found new revenue-generating potential. Courtyards and the corridor connecting the restaurant, Senzone, with the Roman ruins can host functions ranging from private family dinner parties to gatherings of up to 20. High-end suites with signature murals do double duty as meeting venues or private lounges.

The original stables now serve as the tapas barred name for Manolete, the most illustrious bullfight in the city’s history and a figure ingrained in local culture. An exclusive collection of black-and-white prints illustrating some of his performances and anecdotal moments in his life create a market-broadening vibe that is very different from the typical hotel bar. “Fashion bars and chill-out places are too cold and minimalistic. The trend here is toward warmer, cozier spaces where design is involved consciously in the context of restoration,” Timonet says.

Senzone is also a nod to local preferences, both in terms of its predominantly Andaluscian cuisine and its old-meets-new design. “The city’s dining out scene is characterized by a sort of miscellaneous gastronomy, a melting pot of Sephardic and Arabic influences. We wanted to gather these influences together and turn them into a brand new type of culinary concept,” says Timonet. That won’t stop at the restaurant’s door. On-site Senzone catering service is available already. An off-site catering program is ready to be launched.

The Takeaways
Marcel Gago suggests these “do’s” for historic conversions:

Do allow extra time in the schedule. “The construction process is much longer than usual. You need to line up all the approvals on the development from the local authorities in terms of respecting the patrimony; fitting 5-star hotel needs into the building—large bathrooms, for example, one bathroom per room, meeting rooms, large kitchens.

Do weigh the conversion challenges of each aspect of the structures. “These buildings were not built around the constraints of hotel operations. Converting them is not an easy, nor a straightforward task.”

Do your research. “The University of Córdoba helped us through the process of restoration. We have recovered a piece of history, but we have also used local materials to introduce guests to the local geology. Yes, it was challenging. But this hotel offers an experience that is not easy to find. It has a strong personality and identity that cannot be replicated in another place. Working with an historical building is one of the most effective ways to create successful, marketable and memory-creating hotels.”

The Timeline
“We often forget that every palace was a home,” says Véronique Timonet, general manager. For the Hospes Palacio del Bailio, that could not be more true. Fortunately, for modern guests, nearly every owner left some mark that now informs the hotel’s design.

• Romans lived in an elegant villa on this site, leaving behind a wealth of architectural detail and inspiration.
• Muslim dwellers brought color and intricate ornaments during their tenure in a palatial home here.
• After the Reconquista in 1236, Fernando III (the Saint) shared out the city’s houses and land to the noblemen accompanying him. This swelling was donated to the Cárcamo family. Since knight-commanders practiced a vow of chastity, the bailio Cárcamo died without children. However, he was preceptor to the Grand Captain, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, who became the next owner. His descendants called this palace home until the 18th century.
• Nearly half of the site was donated to build a convent and hospital; much of the house was leased out for use as a Post Office and Civil Guard headquarters.
• The bullfighter Machaquito bought the house but never actually lived there. It continued to be occupied by the Civil Guard through the early 20th century.
• Rafael Castejón y Martinez de Arizala, a university professor, bought the palace in 1929 for 150,000 pesetas. He began a painstaking effort—carried on through the most recent owner, his grandson Carlos, to restore the palace and to uncover any information about the stories and events that formed the fabric of the palace’s history