Spanish Family Restores 18th-Century Historic Homes and Transforms Them into Hotels
Spanish doctor Víctor Madera and his wife María Obdulia Fernández have been acquiring and restoring historic homes across Spain for the past 15 years. Their properties include a 13th-century castle in Extremadura and a modernist villa from the 20th century in Asturias. Three years ago, they decided to create the Vestige Collection hotel chain to preserve these buildings.
Inspired by Spain's Paradores, a network of state-owned hotels founded by King Alfonso XIII in 1928, the Madera family aims to preserve the national heritage while offering comfortable accommodations for guests. Their first hotel, Son Vell, opened last June in northwestern Menorca.
The hotel features 34 rooms, most of which are located in stone bungalows that were previously used as farm buildings. The hotel also offers various services, including horseback riding along the Camí de Cavalls route and access to Cala Son Vell beach, which is a 10-minute walk away.
The second hotel in the network, Palacio de Figueras, is located in Asturias and has 11 rooms. Guests have access to a chef and housekeeper, as well as organized excursions to the Picos de Europa and nearby beaches. María Obdulia Fernández is responsible for the design and strives to restore the buildings' original materials as accurately as possible. For Palacio de Figueras, she searched for period-appropriate doors and found craftsmen who could fit small frames into the narrow window openings.
This year, the family plans to open two new hotels in Menorca: Son Ermitá and Son Binideufá, as well as a six-room villa for exclusive use in the foothills of the Tramuntana Mountains in Mallorca. Future projects also include properties in Almería and Extremadura.
The goal of the project is to attract travelers to less-known corners of Spain while preserving the country’s historical and cultural heritage. Claudia, the second eldest daughter of Víctor and María, noted that the family is pleased with the opportunity to save and restore historic buildings while providing unique experiences for guests.