The Hostal dos Reis Católicos (in Galician), also called the Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos (in Spanish) or Parador de Santiago de Compostela, is a five-star Parador hotel, located in the Praza do Obradoiro of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It is widely considered one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the world, and has also been called the "most beautiful hotel in Europe".
In 1486, after a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, decided to build a hostelry and hospital for pilgrims at the very end of the Way of St James. They provided the necessary funds in 1499, construction began in 1501 and it took over ten years. It continued with this function for four centuries. In 1953, the hospital was moved to a new location nearby, and in 1954 it opened as a hotel after undergoing a renovation. In 1986, it was incorporated to the Paradores network. Nowadays, with its 137 rooms it is the finest and largest by capacity parador of the network, and continuing its hospitable tradition, it provides free services to a limited number of pilgrims every day.
