Hostal dos Reis Católicos

The Hostal dos Reis Católicos, also called the Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos or Parador de Santiago, is a 5-star Parador hotel, located in the Praza do Obradoiro, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. The hotel was constructed as a religious work in 1486, by Ferdinand and Isabel, the Catholic Monarchs. It is widely considered the oldest continuously operating hotel in the world, and has also been called the "most beautiful hotel in Europe".Pilgrimage trailThe Hostal dos Reis Católicos sits at the very end of the famous pilgrimage trail, the Way of St. James, next to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.Pilgrims from all over Europe, throughout the Middle Ages, both rich and poor, followed the Way of St. James, and arrived in Santiago de Compostela. In the late 15th century Ferdinand and Isabel themselves completed the pilgrimage across northern Spain. As a sign of their religious piety, and their growing economic and political might, they began a program to improve the infrastructure and support services on the pilgrimage trail in Spain. They built new hostels, bridges, churches, and public wells.The most improvement project by Isabel and Ferdinand was the Hostal, right next to the great cathedral at the very end of the pilgrimage trail. The Hostal de los Reyes Católicos served as a hospice and a hospital, where pilgrims could recover and rejuvenate after completing the pilgrimage. The Hostal had a multilingual staff of doctors, nurses, and priests on call 24 hours a day; and provided all services free of charge. Pilgrims were allowed to recover at the Hostal for 3 days in the summer, and 5 days in the winter.