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This hotel, one of the most famous and prestigious in the city of Murcia, opened in 1925, was renovated in 2005 and has been operated since 2013 by Tryp, one of the urban brands of Meliá Hotels International with over 100 establishments in the most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities in the world.

Housed in its facilities is an excellent restaurant (city reference by its modern version of murcian kitchen), a casino and a pub in the arab defensive wall of XII century. Combined, this constitutes an unquestionable attraction for the city visitor.

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However, it was required also to bring a fresher image according to the new hotel market niches which new standards set by boutique hotels, trying to capture the attention of younger customers where design factor is a differentiating element.

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A more contemporary image that preserves at the same time the loyalty of its usual clients and maintaining the same room price.

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Our refurbishment project includes hall redesign, furniture, and installations adding work to improve operations, new facilities for the user and accessibility improvements.

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In the hall hotel case, the design concept was the creation of an interior abstract landscape where continuities, flows, and reflections were able to make disappear the rigid geometry and the size of the eight columns in the central space.

In that way, a PVC stretched white ceiling would make the effect of a moving cloud under a starred sky, a sort of chain link curtain would be the rain and a satin brown floor with dark furrows would be the effect of a cultivated land where plants grow.

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The casino hall, is a wood box over a higher level with views over this hotel landscape. 

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We reconfigured the existing casino reception, to an areas closer to its entrance. The counter of this reception is the main element and tries to simulate giant casino chips.

Some difficulties have been encountered in this work.

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Firstly, is the intervention in old building that has suffered a lot of extensions during the time.

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Differences in floor levels, redundant installation removals and the need of compile technical information that describes in detail the existing situation.

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Another difficulty was the challenge to complete the refurbishment without disrupting the existing hotel operations, for both staff and clients.

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The work was divided in phases. Speed and coordination were crucial because it was necessary to respect and minimize noise levels.

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Refurbishment projects usually begin with short notice and difficulties come if base built conditions are not clearly defined.

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Design Credits:

Architecture and interior design by CLAVEL ARQUITECTOS

Partners in Charge: Manuel Clavel Rojo / Luis Clavel Sainz

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Team: Rafael de Giles González, Cristina Jódar Pérez, Adrián Riquelme Martínez, Diego Victoria García, David Hernández Conesa

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Photography: David Frutos (BISimages)

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