Hostal dos Reis Católicos Monument

Address: Hostal dos Reis Católicos (Parador de Santiago) - Praza do Obradoiro 1, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain

Website: https://www.parador.es/en/parador-de-santiago-de-compostela

Hours: Hotel open 24 hours; public areas accessible during hotel opening hours

Admission: No general admission (operates as a Parador hotel)

The Hostal dos Reis Católicos is a historic building and state-run parador hotel in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, founded in 1499. It occupies a principal position on the Praza do Obradoiro opposite the Cathedral of Santiago.

The building houses preserved historic public rooms, a courtyard and guest accommodations within a late 15th-century structure, and it operates both as a luxury hotel and as a heritage site visited for its architecture and connections to the pilgrimage to Santiago. Decorative stonework and an enclosed arcade are among the architectural highlights seen by visitors.

Commissioned by the Catholic Monarchs as a hospital and shelter for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, the complex was completed in the early 16th century and has since been repurposed; in the 20th century it was adapted to function as Spain’s Hostal dos Reis Católicos, a state parador hotel preserving much of its historic fabric.

Sited on the eastern side of the main square of Santiago de Compostela, Praza do Obradoiro, the building directly faces the cathedral and lies in the historic centre of the city in Galicia.

• Position: Occupies the eastern side of Praza do Obradoiro directly opposite the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and functions today as a state-run parador hotel.
• Founding and use: Construction began in 1499 under the Catholic Monarchs as a royal hospital and pilgrims’ hospice; the building was later converted to a parador hotel while retaining historical interiors and decorative elements.

The Hostal dos Reis Católicos (Parador) sits directly on Praza do Obradoiro beside Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in the city centre. From Santiago de Compostela railway station it is about a 1.5 km walk (roughly 15-20 minutes) or a short taxi ride; the hotel is immediately adjacent to the cathedral so walking from the old town is straightforward.

Santiago is served by RENFE regional and long‑distance trains; from Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport the city centre is about 12-15 km and reachable by a 20-30 minute taxi or by the scheduled airport bus/shuttle services into town.

• Visit outside peak pilgrimage hours - early morning or late evening - to see the Hostal's façade and Obradoiro square with far fewer people and to enjoy quieter access to the hotel's public areas.
• Enter from Praza do Obradoiro so you immediately face the Hostal's historic façade and can easily combine a short visit with the Cathedral and Pilgrim's Office next door.
• Ask at reception about viewing the cloister and the ground-floor public rooms; the Parador keeps historic interiors open to visitors and its restaurant is a good place to see the building's decorated dining spaces.
• If you want to experience the site without staying overnight, try the hotel's restaurant or check for temporary exhibitions - many visitors miss these accessible interiors while rushing from the Cathedral.