Best Historic Palace Stays in Avilés
Avilés' old town holds one genuine architectural showpiece: Palacio de Avilés, a 17th-century building converted into a hotel right on Plaza de España, opposite the town hall. Around it, a mix of old-town hotels, aparthotels and family-run houses fill out a historic-palace stay with their own character, stone walls at one, a garden and hot tub at another, parquet-floored family rooms at a third. This is Asturias rather than Andalusia, so the architecture leans Baroque and civic rather than Moorish, but the old town's centuries of layered history, port, church, palace, still shape almost everything within walking distance.
Avilés wears its history in layers rather than a single preserved district: a medieval and Baroque core around Plaza de España, 19th-century houses on its edges, and a 20th-century industrial identity that reshaped the waterfront before the Óscar Niemeyer Cultural Centre arrived to reshape it again. The palace at its centre, now a hotel, was built for a noble family rather than tourism, and that civic, lived-in feel carries through the old town's theatre, its ruined monastery and its working port. History here is functional, not roped off behind glass.
Where to stay
Palace Walls and Riverside History
Is a converted palace always worth the premium over a standard old-town hotel? In Avilés, largely yes, since Palacio de Avilés occupies an actual 17th-century building rather than a themed reproduction, with classically decorated grounds and a restaurant built around traditional Asturian dishes. But the historic-palace theme in this city extends beyond one landmark hotel: the old town's narrower streets, its 19th- and early-20th-century houses like the one behind La Casita de El Montan Baja, and civic buildings near the Teatro Armando Palacio Valdés all carry real architectural weight for a history-focused stay.
Palacio de Avilés, Affiliated by Meliá is the obvious anchor for a historic-palace stay: a genuine 17th-century building on Plaza de España, opposite the town hall and overlooking Ferrera Park, with suites that open onto classically decorated gardens rather than a modern courtyard. The restaurant's reinterpretation of traditional Asturian dishes matches the setting, and the Óscar Niemeyer Cultural Centre, 2.1 km across the river, offers a deliberate contrast: centuries-old stone against 21st-century curves, both walkable from the same old-town base. Few Asturian cities let a guest cover four centuries of architecture on a single afternoon stroll.
History runs through smaller properties too. Alda Palacio Valdés sits directly across the river from the Niemeyer Centre in the old town proper, a modern hotel built into a historic streetscape rather than a period building itself, while Hotel El Balcón and Hotel el Horreo de Avilés put families within a couple of kilometres of the Ruinas del Monasterio de Santa María, letting a history-focused day trip start from the hotel rather than requiring a drive across the city first. Both keep the theatre and the old town's civic buildings within easy reach as well.
SUITE 1907 AVILES and La Casita de El Montan Baja take the theme in a different direction, older residential buildings converted into aparthotel-style rooms and a full house, both within a couple of kilometres of the Teatro Armando Palacio Valdés. The setting is domestic rather than palatial, but the streets and buildings around them carry the same 19th- and early-20th-century character that defines much of Avilés outside its single grand palace. A kitchenette and a private garden suit a longer, history-focused stay better than a hotel room built for a single night.
A historic-palace stay in Avilés works best paired with the old town's other landmarks on foot: the theatre, the ruined monastery a few kilometres out, and Plaza de España itself, still the civic heart of the city centuries after the palace was built. Two or three nights gives enough time to see the palace hotel's grounds, walk the old town's older streets, and still make the short trip out to the monastery ruins without rushing. A longer stay leaves room to add a day at the coast or a drive inland toward Oviedo's own historic quarter.
A traveler's perspectiveI stayed inside Palacio de Avilés itself for two nights and kept returning to the garden between meals, a genuine 17th-century courtyard rather than a modern add-on. The five-minute drive to the coast filled an afternoon, but most of my time went to Plaza de España just outside the door, where the palace's opposite neighbour is literally the town hall. It's a short walk that spans four centuries.
Historic & PalaceLa Casita de El Montan Baja
A two-bedroom house with a garden, solarium and barbecue
Why guests love itHaving two real bedrooms and a living room, rather than one hotel room, made a genuine difference for a family stay: the kids had their own space, and the washing machine meant packing lighter for a longer trip. The solarium and barbecue turned a couple of evenings into stay-in nights instead of always eating out, and the coast's windsurfing and snorkelling were an easy add-on during the day. This isn't a hotel with a front desk and daily service, so it suits travellers happy with self-catering independence.
Historic & PalaceHotel el Horreo de Avilés
Family rooms with parquet floors near the monastery ruins
Why guests love itThe family rooms here are the real draw: private bathrooms, proper showers and parquet floors that hold up well to kids tracking in sand or mud from a day out. Staff at the tour desk, all Spanish-speaking, were genuinely helpful about arranging boating nearby, an unplanned highlight. Being 2.6 to 6 km from the main old-town sights means a car or short taxi is worth budgeting for, but the comfortable, well-run stay makes up for the distance.
Historic & PalacePalacio de Avilés, Affiliated by Meliá
A 17th-century palace on Plaza de España with garden-view suites
Why guests love itStaying inside an actual 17th-century palace, rather than a modern building dressed up to look historic, changes the whole feel of a visit: the garden views, the classical decoration and the restaurant's take on Asturian dishes all read as authentic rather than staged. Being right on Plaza de España, opposite the town hall, puts the old town's best walking on the doorstep, and the coast is a five-minute drive out. Anyone expecting minimalist, ultra-modern rooms should know this is a period building, quirks included.
Historic & PalaceSUITE 1907 AVILES
Kitchenette rooms with a hot tub and garden terrace
Why guests love itThe kitchenette and dining table make this a genuinely practical base for a longer stay, cooking a simple breakfast instead of hunting for an open café, and the hot tub and garden terrace give a reason to stay in some evenings rather than always going out. The 600-metre walk to Teatro Armando Palacio Valdés is easy with kids in tow, and the soundproofing means naps aren't derailed by street noise. Travellers wanting full hotel services, daily room service included, should look at a more traditional property instead.
Historic & PalaceHotel El Balcón
Family rooms and a dietary-friendly restaurant near the ruins
Why guests love itThe restaurant's dietary range, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options all on the same menu, made mealtimes far less stressful than at properties with no flexibility at all, and the family rooms with tiled floors held up well to daily wear. Free on-site parking and full-day security were reassuring extras for a one-star property at this price. The sun terrace became a regular coffee stop before the 2 km trip to the Monasterio de Santa María ruins. It's a modest hotel, but it delivers on what families actually need.
Historic & PalaceAlda Palacio Valdés
Old Town rooms a short walk from the river
Why guests love itA stay here works best as a base for wandering Avilés on foot rather than a destination in itself: the Old Town's cafés and tapas bars sit on the doorstep, and the walk across the river to the Óscar Niemeyer Cultural Centre takes only a few minutes. Rooms are compact but well kept, with air conditioning that earns its keep in high summer. Families with older children exploring independently will find the location safe and walkable; those with buggies may prefer a ground-floor room.
Local tips
- 1Book Palacio de Avilés well ahead if you want a garden-view suite, the property's real historic rooms sell out first for weekend stays.
- 2Walk the old town's smaller streets around Calle Galiana to see the 19th-century houses that surround the main palace, not just the landmark itself.
- 3Plan a half-day for the Ruinas del Monasterio de Santa María, a few kilometres from several old-town hotels, rather than a rushed stop.
- 4Compare a stay in the palace hotel itself against a modern old-town room nearby if budget matters, the history premium is real but avoidable.
- 5Ask staff at family-run properties like La Casita de El Montan Baja about the building's own history, it's often as local as the palace.
- 6Visit the Teatro Armando Palacio Valdés area on foot, several historic-stay hotels sit within a couple of kilometres of its 19th-century architecture.