The five-star Hotel Palafox is located in a residential neighbourhood just a few metres away from one of Saragossa’s main shopping and business thoroughfares: the Paseo de la Independencia. It is also close to the main government buildings and just 10 minutes’ walk from the Basílica del Pilar – one of the city’s main landmarks – and just over 1 km away from the Palacio de Congresos. The hotel combines tradition, prestige and design and is decorated with a painstaking eye for detail in minimalist shades, and offers the most modern amenities. Pascua Ortega, who has overseen the decoration and furnishings, has used elements from regional Aragonese arts and crafts. This is shown in the atrium, a space featuring a replica of the former city gates which frame the entrance to the Salón Victoria. The Hotel Palafox has a Fitness Centre which includes two saunas, a fitness suite featuring the latest equipment, and an outdoor swimming pool with a sun deck. The Hotel – which is also home to the Casino de Zaragoza – also has a Business Centre and banqueting rooms.

CLUB BUSINESS

One of the hotel’s main amenities is its Business Centre (Compañía Real de Zaragoza), which covers a surface area of 1,000 m2. It has a reception area, private offices, meeting rooms of different capacities and layouts (from 20m2 to 120 m2). It is equipped with modern communication systems: ADSL connections, TV sockets, fax and modem, videoconferencing, as well as a secretariat service, simultaneous translation service, couriers, hostesses and personalised assistance to ensure every need is catered for.

CLUB GOURMAND

The hotel’s dining possibilities include the Restaurante Aragonia Paradis, located in the atrium, which can seat 70 people. It has a private dining room, the Reina Petronila, and a street entrance. The Botica Aragonia tapas bar specialises in hams, cured meats, preserves and produce from Aragon which are served together with pâtés and cheeses and accompanied by wines with different Quality of Origin designations. The menu is based on Mediterranean cuisine and contemporary Aragonese dishes. The cellar at the Restaurante Aragonia Paradis stocks over 20,000 bottles and over 1,500 types of wines, spirits, sparkling wines and champagnes. In short, it offers a wide and plentiful range of wines so that diners can choose the one that best suits each dish.

The accommodation at the Palafox comprises 179 rooms on seven floors, made up of three Hotel-class floors, three Club-class floors, one Ducal-class floor. In addition to the services you would expect of a five-star hotel, the rooms at the Hotel Palafox have queen- and king-size beds.

ROOM TYPES

Hotel-class floor: the three floors in this category have individually controlled central heating and air-conditioning, direct-dial telephone, interactive TV system (Canal Satélite Digital, radio-alarm, videogames, internet connection, private video channels, general information system), mini-bar, separate fax/modem connection, safe, iron, bathroom with magnifying mirror, hairdryer and anti-mist mirrors. 24-hour room service is provided.

- Club-class floor: The rooms on the Club-class floor feature additional amenities such as thermostatic showers, bathrobes and piped music in the bathrooms, special work desk and tea and coffee service. They also have queen-size beds.

 - Ducal-class floor: The rooms on the Ducal-class floor are decorated in warm colours and meet the needs of the most discerning guests.

 - Suites: Metal, wood, marble and glass are among the materials used in these rooms. The largest is the Pignatelli Suite, which has over 200 m2 of floor space, and is located on the Ducal-class floor. It consists of a reception area, two spacious sitting rooms, two bedrooms with en-suite bathroom and a master bedroom with a jacuzzi and thermostatic shower unit.

Take the Avenida de Navarra to the city centre and turn right on to the Paseo María Agustin as far as the roundabout in the Plaza Aragón, where you will see the signpost for the hotel.

The most important remnants are preserved on the Paseo de César Augusto, opposite the Puente de Santiago, and a section on the Avenida de Echegaray. Another of Saragossa’s landmarks is the 15th-centuryPuente de Piedra, or stone bridge. Gothic in style, it is located behind the Basílica del Pilar and La Lonja – the former merchants’ exchange – and spans the mighty River Ebro.

Visitors can also stop and marvel at the 11th-century palace and fortress of the Alfarería in the El Portillo district, which is one of the most important buildings in the Western Islamic style from the era of the Taifas. La Seo, the foremost example of Saragossan Gothic style, is the local name for the Catedral del Salvador, a valuable architectural legacy consisting of a number of styles which have been superimposed throughout history. You can’t talk about Saragossa without mentioning tapas, fine wine and narrow streets… In short, a visit to the Aragonese capital wouldn’t be the same without stopping off at El Tubo, one of the most famous and popular areas in the city’s old quarter.

This maze of narrow streets is crammed with restaurants, bars, bookshops and cake shops. The meeting place for locals, particularly at night, its bars are the city’s temples to the art of the tapa. The Fiestas del Pilar, which have been declared a festival of National Tourist Interest, are Saragossa’s most important celebration. On 12th October, thousands of locals and visitors flock to worship La Pilarica.