Hotel Plaza Vieja Almería

More than a hotel

Almería’s Plaza Nueva, home to the Town Hall and with the cathedral occupying one of its sides, has always been the heart of a city marked by its history and light.

The interior design for a hotel of minimal dimensions, barely 10 rooms, was proposed for one of the casonas, or mansions, that form the boundaries of this square. It was also accompanied by a restaurant from one of the emerging figures of Andalusian gastronomy, Alejandro, and an Arabic bath complex in the basement, an urban spa fusing tradition and modernity.

The design proposal for the rooms seeks a contrast between the tradition provided by the exposed stone of the façades, the porticoes overlooking the square and the use of natural materials such as wood, stucco and marble, as well as the contemporaneity of an open layout that aims to make the most of a reduced space.

The rooms provide some outstanding views. Comfort is sought, including details that refer to local elements, such as the use of Macael marble or the local images engraved on the wall, as well as certain nods to the past in the use of antique furniture.

The ground floor houses the restaurant space, centred on the square and its relationship with the city. The restaurant’s interior is notable for the large bar that presides over the space, accompanied by a large open wine cellar.

The basement houses the spa. An intimate space full of history, in which the various pools of Macael marble gleam white in a dark atmosphere of exposed brickwork. A space of calm and tranquillity.

It is clear that this is a triple project: hotel, restaurant and spa.