A former railway station in Canfranc, Spain, located in the Pyrennes Mountains near the Spain/France border, has been transformed into Hotel Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideway Hotel, 5-Star Gran Lujo (Grand Luxurious) of Barceló Hotel Group. Since March 2023, fans of trains and historic train stations, as well as tourists visiting the beautiful Aragon region of Spain, have stayed at this unique property.

© ANTONIO BAUZÁ

Inaugurated by Alfonso XIII in 1928 and declared a Site of Cultural Interest, the Canfranc station will no longer be used by trains. The Barceló Group will manage the hotel, but the property belongs to the government of Aragon, which invested about $16.6 million in the rehabilitation of the building since construction began in 2016.

Hotel Canfranc Estación hotel offers 104 rooms, including four luxury suites, situated on the first and second floors of the building. The food and beverage venues are managed by Eduardo Salanova and Ana Acín, the hotel’s food and beverage directors, and include three restaurants and two bars, with the restaurants installed within two train carriages renovated in the classic style of 20^th-century railroad dining cars.

© ANTONIO BAUZÁ

The hotel’s reception and lobby area are located in the historic hall of the station, and the ground floor will also include a wellness area with a heated indoor pool and library.

Madrid-based interior design studio Ilmiodesign designed the hotel’s interior. It was inspired by the aesthetics of the old railway stations and luxury long-distance trains of the early 20^th century, but with a contemporary twist.

© ANTONIO BAUZÁ

Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2002, the transformation of the historic station into a deluxe hotel respects the building’s valuable architectural and cultural heritage.

Hotel Canfranc Estación offers both summer and winter recreational opportunities as some of the highest mountains in Europe are found nearby in the Aragon-Pyrenees, offering hiking and biking trails during the summer, and excellent skiing venues just minutes away.