April 21, 2023

A hotel with a lot of history in the centre of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

The Boutique Hotel Plaza Mayor de Santa Ana restores an old modernist building to achieve a timeless balance of old and new

The Boutique Hotel Plaza Mayor de Santa Ana, located in the square of the same name in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, stands out as one of the most unique urban and architectural spaces in the city. It's a pre-existing construction, rebuilt in 1915 with a historical and cultural heritage and submitted, as part of the historic district of Vegueta-Triana, as a candidate for recognition as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Originally designed as a residence for wealthy families, the Boutique Hotel Plaza Mayor de Santa Ana rises atop a building next to the cathedral. This location has maintained its initial layout intact, serving as the epicentre of the city's social and economic life and combining flamboyant family homes and buildings with aesthetic and cultural values.

The Kaferrer Asociados and Ambar Arquitectos architecture studios were responsible for transforming this structure that was once home to the parallel worlds of family and service; with separate entrances, rooms and internal connections, both horizontally and vertically. The new space maintains part of that layout, with 20 rooms accessible by two staircases, while respecting the heritage as much as possible and without falling for uncontextualised recreations. One of them, the main one, extends to the roof, occupying much of it, with a terrace featuring with a charming bar that offers fabulous views of the surrounding area.

As for the interior design, Marta Tabar Marrero and Becordial Hotels & Resorts did a meticulous job with the renovation, which sought to strike a timeless balance between the original elements and the new ones. The original fine flooring - marble, wood and coloured hydraulic tiles - was recovered; the oculus was restored with coloured glass that bathes the main staircase and respects the primitive load-bearing wooden walls that in some areas merge with the walls of the courtyards and metal beams secured by rivets imported from England. In stark counterpoint is the backlit reproduction of the plaza's skyline in reception, made with Krion®.

The interior of the rooms features Deco Linz wall tiles by Porcelanosa and Noken bathroom fittings with toilets, washbasins and accessories in matt black. Slope shower trays and Krion washbasins have also been installed, together with the furniture from the Aro collection of estudi{H}ac and mirrors from the Pure collection designed by the Yonoh studio for the same brand.

The opening of the Boutique Hotel Plaza Mayor de Santa Ana means restoring a modernist building for environmentally friendly use as a boutique tourist accommodation to revitalise the city's economy.