Story of Hotel Carlos V
Since 1947

Story of Hotel Carlos V

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KNOW OUR HISTORY

Our first impression, how can we explain it?

They say that in hotels, just like in people, the first impression is the one that counts, the one that leaves a mark and the one that shapes the future relationship, in this case the hotel-guest relationship.

The designer, Diane von Furstenberg, referred to that first contact in the following way:

“That moment when you enter your hotel room, you close the door and you know that it contains a secret, a luxury, a fantasy. There is comfort. There is tranquillity.”

You may have seen us whilst walking around the old town of Toledo or by the Alcázar. Or on the Internet, on this very website. All we can say is that we cannot even begin to explain the impact it has on the traveller when he or she crosses the Neo-mudejar entrance which leads to our reception desk.

Nevertheless, we will try. Let’s start at the beginning.

One day in 1951

One day in 1951

Hotel Carlos V opened for the first time and later became, without knowing it, the oldest hotel out of all those which are open today in Toledo.

The building, which was originally meant to be a hospital, has always been flanked by the spectacular Alcázar and the grand theatre, located a stone’s throw from our door.

Another day in 1961

Another day in 1961

The world-famous film director Luis Buñuel came to Toledo to film Viridiana, a film which our event room is named after.

Almost ten years later he returned to film Tristana with Catherine Deneuve as the protagonist, and the French movie star stayed in one of the rooms at Hotel Carlos V during the shooting.

From then on, and thanks to the proximity with the theatre and the international success Toledo has enjoyed, famous movie stars such as John Wayne, Rock Hudson, Rita Hayworth, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Emma Cohen, Arturo Fernández and a young Johnny Depp have all stayed at our hotel.

What about the current charm?

What about the current charm?

There is something going on.

Perhaps it is because the building was originally going to be a hospital. Or perhaps because it has accommodated famous movie stars and sports personalities such as the footballers Alfredo di Stéfano and Francisco Gento and the cyclist Federico Bahamontes. Or maybe it is because we are the oldest operating hotel in the city. Or because we serve breakfast in a Mudejar-style restaurant which has hosted an endless list of celebrities.

We don’t know. But even though Hotel Carlos V now has a modern decoration, it still preserves a magical atmosphere that makes all of us inside of it feel as if time is standing still.

Why Hotel Carlos V?

Why Hotel Carlos V?

Charles I of Spain and V of the Holy Roman Empire ruled his empire during the Sixteenth century from Toledo, on a high hill surrounded by the Tagus river: an impregnable stronghold and a Catholic bastion.

Which name other than his could we have chosen to refer to an accommodation which is located in the shadows of the Alcázar, a fortress which was ordered to be built by the old emperor who best represents the military power that Toledo always had?

We are Toledo

We are Toledo

Hotel Carlos V and Toledo have always gone hand in hand. Since its foundation in 1951 and up until today, the best days of the old imperial capital have always coincided with the splendour of our hotel.

Today, Toledo is a destination chosen by travellers like you who, throughout the year, come in search of history, legends, leisure and an exquisite cuisine.

We want you to discover it with our help. We want you to feel that unfathomable first impression we referred to beforehand. We want you to experience for yourself the pleasure of sleeping in one of our 68 rooms. We want you to have breakfast in the morning in a Mudejar-style room and be amazed by the decoration rather than by the food. We want you to go on our rooftop terrace and admire the beautiful views of Toledo whilst you touch the sky with your fingertips. We want you to have an unforgettable memory of your stay, because if you do, we will have achieved our objective.