Gran Hotel Balneario of A Toxa
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Take a good look at the current facade and compare it with the one in the photograph, you will see that the latter is like wrapped up inside. Pic.1909. Autor: José Gil Gil
For the construction of the Grand Hotel the architect was inspired by the old european spas. Photo 1913
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O Gran Hotel Balneario era constituído pelo Palácio dos quartos e pela sala de jantar do Palácio em 1930. Foto. L. Roisin
In its rooms there were prominent figures of the time, from Miguel de Unamuno to Indalecio Prieto. Photo 1930
The architectural complex of D.V. Gulias stood for approximately 37 years, before its transformation. Photo. 1930
Daniel Vázquez-Gulias was an eclectic architect, whose work moved between tradition and innovation, standing out for its elegance and design on a par with the great draughtsman of his time.
Tap the photo to enlarge it
Introduction
The building that you currently see is not the same as the one in the photograph, however, it is still there.
Description
The Gran Hotel of our days is the work of the architect from León, Francisco Javier Sanz Martínez, who designed it in the mid-1940s, for which he used part of the structure of the previous one. The architect made it higher, wrapped it up and simplified it.
If we went inside, we would be surprised by the original imperial-style staircase that is still located in the same place where it was placed by the previous architect, Daniel Vázquez-Gulias Martínez. He was the one who designed the first hotel that was officially opened in the summer of 1908.
We are sure that you did not know that you are facing the first resort in Spain and one of the first in Europe, as we understand it today, which had a golf course - the fourth built in Spain - and the first linked to a hotel. The spa complex placed the name of the island of A Toxa in the Michelin Guide at the level of other establishments of recognised prestige such as the Palace or the Ritz of Madrid and is the 2nd oldest Spanish hotel recommended in the Michelin Guide. It has been recommended for more than 100 years.
A curiosity: From February 1937 until almost the end of the civil war it was a military hospital. It suffered numerous structural damages during this period.
If we went inside, we would be surprised by the original imperial-style staircase that is still located in the same place where it was placed by the previous architect, Daniel Vázquez-Gulias Martínez. He was the one who designed the first hotel that was officially opened in the summer of 1908.
We are sure that you did not know that you are facing the first resort in Spain and one of the first in Europe, as we understand it today, which had a golf course - the fourth built in Spain - and the first linked to a hotel. The spa complex placed the name of the island of A Toxa in the Michelin Guide at the level of other establishments of recognised prestige such as the Palace or the Ritz of Madrid and is the 2nd oldest Spanish hotel recommended in the Michelin Guide. It has been recommended for more than 100 years.
A curiosity: From February 1937 until almost the end of the civil war it was a military hospital. It suffered numerous structural damages during this period.
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Gran Hotel Balneario de A Toxa. Look to your left. The building you can see now is not the same as the one in the photo, but it's still there. The current Grand Hotel was designed by an architect from León, Francisco Javier Sanz Martínez, in the mid-1940s, using part of the previous structure. He made it taller and gave it a new, simpler exterior. If you go inside, you might be surprised by the Empire-style staircase in its original location, as designed by the previous architect, Daniel Vázquez Gulías Martínez, of Orense. His design, the first Grand Hotel, was officially opened in the summer of 1908. We're pretty sure you didn't know that you're looking at the first resort in Spain, and one of the first in Europe to have its own golf course. This was only Spain's fourth golf course, and the first to be connected to a hotel. The spa complex and the Grand Hotel put the island of A Toxa on the map, and in the Michelin Guide, alongside such famous establishments as the Palace or the Ritz in Madrid. In fact, it can boast the distinction of having the second oldest listing of a Spanish hotel in the Michelin Guide. It has been listed for more than 100 years. A curious fact, from February 1937 until nearly the end of the Civil War, it was a military hospital. It suffered a great deal of structural damage during that period. Don't miss the next exciting story, the 1928 Spa. It's 170 metres from this point. Look at the map.