Inaugurated in 1928, the Canfranc International Train Station is one of the most important railway complexes built in Europe in the first third of the 20th century. Dubbed the “Titanic of the mountains” in its prime, the station between the Pyrenees closed down in 1970 after a train derailment.
More than half a century later, the grand building has been renovated by the Barceló Hotel Group, who reopened it as a 5 star luxury hotel in January 2023. Owned by the Government of Aragon, the group hopes the new Canfranc Estación Hotel will become a national, as well as international benchmark, boosting luxury tourism in the region.
The hotel is located in a unique building, so the rehabilitation project tried to promote the great history of this 20th century train station, designing at the same time a 5-star Grand Luxury hotel with the standards of the Royal Hideaway brand.
Juan Manuel Gordillo, Deputy Director General of Construction and Development of the Barceló Hotel Group
The hotel has 104 rooms, 4 of which are under the category of luxury suites. On the ground floor there is a wellness area with a heated pool, 4 treatment rooms and a complete gym, in addition to the library, where guests can enjoy an exclusive cocktail menu, and three restaurants. Two of the restaurants are located outside the building, in two train carriages that have been rehabilitated following the classic style of trains from the early 20th century.
Chef Eduardo Salanova’s gastronomic proposal for Canfranc Estación is creative cuisine with unbeatable technique, with nods to ancient Aragonese recipes and own avant-garde creations, where flavour is the protagonist. “In a place that has meant so much to the history of our region, the kitchen has a lot to tell and contribute. We want to celebrate the gastronomy of our land through recipes and innovative proposals in which quality is above all else”, Chef Salanova said.
The interior design, entrusted to Ilmiodesign, has been inspired by the aesthetics of the old stations and luxurious long-distance trains, with their specific wagons and representative elements, adapted with a contemporary twist. Warm and elegant spaces merge with subtle art deco elements to create contemporary and nostalgic environments, where noble materials such as wood and brass stand out, rich fabrics such as velvet in a colour range inspired by the ’20s, with beige, green and petroleum tones.
The renovation project for the iconic station received the Re Think Hotel award, as one of the best hotel sustainability and rehabilitation projects carried out in Spain, for preserving the valuable cultural heritage of an emblematic building with more than 90 years of history.
