Murcia's first 5-star hotel opens, with chef Fernández

Barceló Hotel Group has opened Palacio San Juan, a Royal Hideaway Hotel, the first five-star hotel in Murcia's historic center. The property occupies the Palacio de Floridablanca building, owned by Grupo Fuertes, and has been fully restored, preserving the Arch of San Juan and the original neoclassical architecture.

The 70 rooms and suites, the panoramic rooftop with pool, and the dining areas occupy the spaces of the eighteenth-century building, converted without altering its historic structure.

A palace returned to the city

The restoration, led by Murcian architect Jesús Zafra, combines fine woods, marble, and natural materials with the building's original elements. It was the city residence of the Count of Floridablanca, minister of Charles III.

Barceló Hotel Group's COO for Southern Spain and the Algarve, Gaspar Sáez, said: "With Ocra, we have created an experience that celebrates local produce and the richness of the Murcian huerta, designed for the citizens of Murcia as well as those staying at the hotel."

Grupo Fuertes president Tomás Fuertes described the building's renovation as a project linked to the development of tourism in the Region of Murcia, carried out in collaboration with Barceló Hotel Group.

The Murcian vegetable garden in the kitchen

The Murcian huerta is the irrigated plain that extends along the Segura River, between the municipalities of Murcia, Alcantarilla, Beniel, and Santomera. The system of canals, acequias, and norias dates back to the Muslim era, between the 9th and 13th centuries, and is still regulated by the Consejo de Hombres Buenos del Segura, the water tribunal recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage site. It is therefore not a generic term for the region's countryside, but a specific agricultural landscape, historically cultivated with vegetables such as lettuce, peppers, and chard, now diminished by urban sprawl.

The Ocra restaurant spearheads the hotel's culinary offerings, with a menu by chef Juanlu Fernández, a two-Michelin-starred chef with two Best Chef Awards. The cuisine showcases the produce of the huerta, the traditional agricultural land surrounding Murcia that has been the cornerstone of local cuisine for centuries.

At the Royal Heaven rooftop, the panoramic pool and cocktail menu overlook Murcia Cathedral.

Royal Hideaway brand debuts in Murcia

Palacio San Juan is the first hotel under the Royal Hideaway Hotels & Resorts brand in Murcia, where Barceló Hotel Group is already the leader in accommodation capacity. The group, founded in 1931 in Mallorca and still owned by the Barceló family, operates 288 hotels in 30 countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East.

An induced effect for the territory

According to the group's estimates, the new facility could generate around 100 jobs and boost the local economy through tourism, catering, and services. Eighty percent of the hotel's suppliers will be local, with 22% being locally sourced.