MARTA GONZÁLEZ-HONTORIA Castilla-La Mancha
Castilla la Mancha
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From the outside it doesn't look like a factory.
Much less a hotel.
Therefore, before passing through the magnificent wooden door that gives access to this impressive circular building from 1750, it is difficult to imagine how the former
Royal Cloth Factory of Brihuega
has been able to become a five-star thermal accommodation.
But that's how it has been.
Opened last fall, the new
Castilla Termal Brihuega
, the fifth offspring of this chain, is not only the best hotel in Guadalajara, but one of the most unique in the province and (far) beyond.
The bet can be summarized in this way: past and modernity at the service of a traveler looking for
peace and relaxation
in a unique space one hour from Madrid.
Since last autumn, the Royal Cloth Factory of Briehuega, in Guadalajara, has been the only five-star hotel in Alcarria. TRAVEL
Let's review the factory's tempestuous history.
Founded by Fernando VI, it was the gift granted to Brihuega for supporting the Bourbon cause in the war of succession.
In its heyday it had
100 fine thread looms
with which fabrics for upholstery and embroidery were made.
After being looted in the War of Independence, it passed from one private hands to another, although it would continue manufacturing until 1936 when, due to the Civil War, it would be abandoned.
But something interesting happened in 1850. One of its owners decided to build a
small Versailles garden
in the romantic style of the time.
And there it remains, as anachronistic as it is beautiful, and with a wonderful viewpoint over the valley of the Tajuña River.
Being protected, it cannot be modified in any way, but it is undoubtedly a great contribution to the hotel, which a few meters away has built an
infinity pool
that seems to spill over the Alcarria Garden, as Brihuega is known, above all, for the spectacular flowering of its
lavender fields
in summer.
The wellness area has a hydromassage circuit, outdoor jacuzzi and eleven treatment cabins.TRAVEL
As outside, water is a key element inside the hotel.
In the renovation, which has cost
two and a half years and 18 million euros
, one of the most surprising spaces is the spa.
"We are in the old oven area of the factory," explains Beatriz Sánchez, head of
guest experience
at Castilla Termal.
The
wellness
area has maintained the entire original structure and is the "crown jewel" of the establishment and, by the way, you can enjoy it whether or not you are a guest of the hotel.
It has one of the largest pools and hydromassage circuit in the chain, as well as an
outdoor jacuzzi
and eleven massage cabins, a Vichy shower... Lavender, of course, is very present in the treatments, although the star massage It is 1750, alluding to the year the factory was created.
It includes the use of linen fabrics to mobilize and stretch and provoke sensations throughout the body.
Another of the most special spaces is
La Redonda
, the circular patio that today occupies the hotel's gastronomic proposal, in this case with
La Mancha nods
.
A large tree presides over the center around which the bar counter has been installed.
At night, illuminated with candles and iron lanterns, it is magical.
You can dine, you can snack in the gastrobar and you can have breakfast here under a huge glass dome.
Lighting is also the protagonist in the reception area, today filled with white Chester sofas in what was the large entrance patio to the old factory.
The manufacturing footprint continues on the floor that evokes the stone of the period and the stairs, which retain their original structure in sight.
"The chain's philosophy is
to respect history
," emphasizes
Thomas Lause
, the director of this hotel with a sustainable soul.
"The beams have been restored one by one, the stone plastering has been maintained and many original elements have been recovered," explains Lause, "such as the enormous jars" that govern the entrance hall.
The rooms combine original elements from the old factory with fabrics, wallpapers and tones that surround it and give warmth.TRIPS
BLAK interiorismo, the design studio from Valladolid, has been in charge of intertwining the vestiges of this industrial complex with natural materials and soft colors that surround and give warmth to the space, creating the feeling of calm that is required of a thermal hotel.
Where this balance is most evident is in the
78 rooms and
suites
, which are located both in the main circular building and in the former
press and dye blocks
.
Almost all of them are different in that they have to adapt to the building, but they all have large windows several meters high that offer views of the Alcarreño landscape.
And in the bathroom, wallpapers and natural cosmetics.
An industrial gem
All Castilla Termal hotels (two in Valladolid, one in Soria, another in Cantabria and this one in Guadalajara) are located in historic buildings.
The old Royal Cloth Factory, from the 18th century, is a valuable example of industrial architecture in Spain and the only building of its characteristics with a
round floor plan
.
Today, the interior of this restored factory circle, covered by a glass dome, houses the hotel's restaurant and cafeteria.
|
Castilla Termal Brihuega.
Paseo de la Fábrica, 14, Brihuega, Guadalajara.
Tel. +34 983 600 816. From 215 euros per night.
Web: www.castillatermal.com
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