Φωτογραφίες

Comb Inn (La Posada del peine)

La Posada del Peine is a hotel of Madrid, one of the oldest hotels in Spain. Dates back to 1610, but remained closed to the public since the 1960's, being rehabilitated in the XXI Century High Tech chain, reopening in 2006.

His name is no accident. Is given by a very peculiar fact: in the beginning, to prevent passengers it carried in its rooms had a comb attached to a rope, as an additional service to their customers.

La Posada del Peine was founded in Madrid in 1610, the former Vicar Street Viejo, Widower of Pontejos Marquis today. The first owner was Juan Posada, who opened their doors to the public in that year. In 1796, the new owners, brothers Espino, Francisco Alvarez Acevedo commissioned the expansion of the Inn, with a license that allowed building a new plant on both sides of the building. This work was carried out under the supervision of local architect Juan de Villanueva. Around 1800, it expanded its facilities with the construction of an adjoining house. After these additions, was again amended in 1863. This new project has improved the structural condition of the Inn, and rose again the height of the building, counting from then on three floors. The project was carried out by the architect Juan Antonio Sαnchez.

In 1868, the year that Elizabeth II was dethroned, Madrid had several hotel establishments but growing demand could not be covered. Although the construction of the first hotels in the early twentieth century, the Posada del Peine is maintained and strengthened as the establishment's most prestigious Madrid. At the time, Posada had 150 rooms. Later in 1892, to improve aesthetics and to commemorate the fourth centenary of the discovery of America, the oldest building was crowned with a temple in order to put a clock, which currently retains only the empty space of the sphere . After passing through several hands, the Inn was sold to the watch house Girod who included in his workshop building through the reform wing of the first floor.

Its doors were reopened under the same old name in 2006. It is located a few meters from one of the entrance arches to the main square of the capital, near the Puerta del Sol and in front of the Palacio de Santa Cruz, the current headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At first, next to the Posada del Peine was the main stagecoach stop in the capital, still remembers the name of Post Street, which houses the hotel.




Its architectural structure is also unusual. The hotel is housed in three adjoining buildings, with three different architectural styles that correspond to different times.

Currently the old Posada only retain the facades of the three original buildings, which can be seen writing their name. Throughout the history of literature we can find numerous references to Posada del Peine. Stayed within its walls, among others, the widow of Gustavo Adolfo Becquer, Casta Esteban, and the painter Josι Gutiιrrez Solana. The building was also the subject of the inaugural address at the Academy of the Language of Camilo Jose Cela.

The Inn was open to the public in a modest way until about 1970, a period which closed its doors. In 2006 the hotel again recovered all their former splendor thanks to the investment and effort of the hotel chain High Tech Madrid, which this year runs from Posada. In his hands, the old Inn has become a landmark and historic tourism in Madrid.