The story begins in 1607, when an elegant manor house was built in the small village of Alzórriz. Known as La Gran Casa, it was used as a private residence until the first half of the 20th century, passing through several owners over the years.
In 1965, the Marquis of Villamar, Lieutenant Colonel Trino de Fontcuberta, bought La Gran Casa with the intention of turning it into a hotel. His mission involved a major challenge: moving the building to Berrioplano, 35 km from Alzórriz. This location was considered advantageous, being just five km from Pamplona and near the road to San Sebastián. The building was dismantled and successfully reconstructed, faithfully reproducing the original façade and structure. Consequently, on 14 September 1968, the Hostal del Toro was officially opened in a ceremony attended by important personalities of the time, such as the Minister of Information and Tourism, Manuel Fraga Iribarne.
The hotel was decorated with ornate furniture and valuable collector’s items, some of which are still preserved today. It is worth noting that the floors of the communal areas are the original terracotta tiles, still in good condition and with the name of the hotel and a bull’s head engraved on them. In order to enhance the artistic value of the hotel and to attract the attention of tourists, the sculptor José Luis Martínez Ripollés was commissioned to create a group of sculptures that would pay homage to the running of the bulls in San Fermín. The monument, originally made up of two bulls and four runners and costing more than 271,000 pesetas, was made to scale in bronze and placed on cobblestones sourced from Calle Estafeta.
The following years were economically uncertain and the inability to recoup the substantial initial investment led to the closure of the hotel just 7 years after it was opened. The building was left neglected and became the target of looters and thugs. The most valuable items that remained were moved to another guesthouse belonging to the estate, although many had already disappeared, including two of the bull runners from the San Fermín monument.
In 1988, the Navarrese businessman Antonio Catalán reached an agreement with the Fontcuberta family and reopened the hotel after a major refurbishment. It was reopened as Hotel El Toro***.
These were years of prosperity. The hotel became an emblem of the city’s hospitality industry, hosting important clients such as the Banesto and Once teams, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rappel, Camina Ordoñez, Rafael Moneo, Ana Botella and Ortega Cano. Special events at the hotel became so famous that it was said in Pamplona that “a couple only gets married when both the chapel of San Fermín and the restaurant of the Hotel El Toro are open at the same time”.
The difficult years came with increasing hotel competition in the city, a decline in the number of events, the need to refurbish the facilities and the national economic crisis, which led to the closure of the hotel on 9 January 2017.
It was then that Jesús Ángel Berisa, a businessman from Navarre with extensive experience in the sector, signed a purchase agreement with the Fontcuberta family. After a major refurbishment of the facilities, the new Pamplona El Toro Hotel & Spa****, now Hotel Luze El Toro, was inaugurated in June 2017.
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Carretera Guipúzcoa, km 5
31195 Berrioplano – Pamplona (Navarre)
Carretera Guipúzcoa, km 5
31195 Berrioplano – Pamplona (Navarre)
Carretera Nacional 232, Km 83.400
31590 Castejón (Navarre)
Calle Julián Besteiro, 37
28020, Madrid
This company has received funding co-financed at 50% by the European Regional Development Fund through the Navarra ERDF Operational Programme 2014-2020.
This company has received a grant from the Government of Navarre as part of the 2019 call for proposals for funding to improve competitiveness.
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operación o el servicio no podrá realizarse. Estos datos se conservarán por tiempo indefinido en tanto no manifieste su voluntad en contra.
Sus datos no se cederán a ninguna entidad sin su consentimiento salvo las cesiones previstas legalmente. Podrá ejercitar los derechos de acceso, rectificación, limitación de tratamiento, supresión, portabilidad y oposición al tratamiento así como revocar el consentimiento prestado, dirigiendo escrito con copia de su DNI a Crtra. Nacional 232, Km 83,4, 31590 Castejón (Navarra). También podrá en caso de no ver atendidos sus derechos presentar su reclamación a la Agencia Española de Protección de Datos. Encontrará información detallada sobre el tratamiento de sus datos personales en www.luzehoteles.com
And enjoy exclusive benefits
And enjoy exclusive benefits
And enjoy exclusive benefits
