Since the 1950’s, Spain has been a magnet for foreign visitors seeking sun and sand holidays, enjoying its ample offer of beaches strung along both the country’s Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts as well as those ringing the Balearic and Canary Islands archipelagos.
But now, rural, interior destinations are attracting increased attention, from both Spaniards and foreigners alike seeking out a more relaxed and authentic travel experience, a clear trend from which the small Castilla Termal chain is benefitting.
Currently with four properties, the company focuses exclusively on historic, centuries-old buildings such as convents and other complexes to transform them into upscale four and five-star spa hotels in small towns in Spain’s vast interior, according to founder and CEO Roberto Garcia.
“For myself and for Castilla Termal, the big attraction is to rescue our historic heritage, give it new life and connect it all to sustainable tourism,” the executive told Hospitality Insights.
“These special structures form part of our brand identity because we believe in caring for and refurbishing these valuable buildings that we’ve inherited from past generations,” he added.
Garcia got into the hospitality business after switching from studying economics to tourism and then working at hotels around the country. In 2003, he returned to his home in the northcentral town of Olmedo where his family owned the 12th century Santi Spiritus convent purchased years before from a religious order.
“Getting Castilla Termal Spa Olmedo up and running was a real challenge, turning a centuries-old ruin into my dream,” Garcia said.
Convincing relatives, state entities and friends to invest, obtaining bank financing and creating a new concept of joining historic buildings with thermal spa facilities in a rural setting with few if any tourist facilities were just some of the daunting tasks he faced.
Refurbishment with respect
“Refurbishing an ancient convent while respecting it as much as possible and adapting it to use as a hotel, plus choosing a team to get the project off the ground was a real test,” he added.
In 2005, the hotel was completed and features 88 rooms, an indoor, natural mineral spring water thermal pool with a hot and cold contrast therapy circuit, an outdoor pool, a full range of beauty and health treatments, several restaurant areas and event and conference rooms.
Five years later, the Castilla Termal Burgo de Osma was opened in a former university dating from the 16th century in the province of Soria with 70 rooms and graced with a full spa beneath a Renaissance-era patio. In 2012, the chain took over the management of the 113-room Castilla Termal Solares Spa in the northern coastal region of Cantabria which was built as a thermal baths facility in the early 20th century.
The chain also manages the Castilla Termal Monasterio de Valbuena in Valladolid, a 12th century converted monastery still owned by the church, with 79 rooms, thermal spring baths and its own winery, and was the first five-star hotel in the Castilla y Leon region.
Much like Spain’s famed government-owned and operated chain of paradors, mostly historic buildings turned into upscale hotels, the Castilla Termal properties offer regional dishes in their restaurants. But the spas and rural settings are the big draw, Garcia said.
“Many of our clients tell us that for them the attraction is the mixture of the ancient and the modern and the general ambiance of peace, relaxation, calm and quiet that these buildings generate,” he explained.
“At the moment, our guests are mostly Spaniards but every year we are hosting more foreigners and now they account for about 20 per cent of guests and are mainly from the rest of Europe and the United States.”
Garcia said that while Spain is well known around the world for its sunny weather and beaches, it is also gaining recognition for its heritage, culture and the beauty of its cities.
Deep Spain
Karen Rosenblum, the founder of the vacation planning company Spain Less Traveled which has mostly Americans and Canadians amongst its clientele, concurs.
“Especially since the pandemic, more and more travelers want to see what you can call ‘deep Spain’. They are seeking a rustic environment, they want to spend the night in a castle and there is lots of interest in road trips,” she told Hospitality Insights.
“For those who have been to Spain multiple times and know Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba and Seville, they now want special experiences, to get off the beaten path and do things like wine tours so the Castilla Termal concept is a good idea,” Rosenblum added.
Along with boosting visitor numbers in the less-traveled and lesser-known areas of the country, the chain’s focus on rural properties also helps local economies, the Castilla Termal founder said.
“We generate direct employment in the area because most of our employees come from nearby towns and we take part in programs to train hospitality students. In addition, the vast majority of our suppliers are local artisans, farmers, winegrowers and the like,” Garcia explained.
“There is also our commitment to total environmental sustainability. For example, we have installed water management systems that save 17,600,000 liters of water thanks to recycling the spa water for watering the gardens and using in the sewer systems.”
Garcia says the Castilla Termal will open its fifth property this year in the village of Brihuega in the central province of Guadalajara on the grounds of an 18th century cloth mill and invest $150 million in future expansion of the chain
“Our goal is to have 14 hotels operating by 2030. At the moment we’re planning those for Spain but we’re always open to new destinations which share our values and our brand identity: historic buildings combined with thermal spas.”