Train Station From WWII Re-Opens Its Doors As A Swanky Hotel

The Canfranc Station, located in the Aragon Valley in Spain, first opened its doors in 1928 with the King of Spain and the President of the French Republic in attendance to mark its historical beginning.
 
After a long and tumultuous life during the Second World War that saw spies traveling through the station, persecutions by the German regime, and a Nazi gold smuggling operation, the station was neglected for a long time before finally closing its doors for good in 1970. However, all may not be lost for this opulent rail hub as the Barcelo Hotel Group is giving it a second life as a new chic hotel.

Its somber history has attracted many photographers and explorers to come and check the dilapidated station out, snapping eerie photos of the structure and soaking in the past by wandering around its walls.
 
Hopefully, they’ll now have a place to rest their heads come nightfall. 

The new and improved Canfranc Station was reimagined by Madrid-based design studio ILMIODESIGN, which has taken to marry the structure’s 1920s aesthetics with modern facilities. The hotel is bathed in neutral color tones with pops of green and blue to match the surrounding Pyrenees mountains that encapsulate the building.
 
There are 104 rooms, restaurants, bars, and wellness spaces for guests to use during their stay. 

If you make the trip down, the staff are also trained in Canfranc Station’s story if you’re looking for a little history lesson to go with your continental breakfast.
 
 
 
[via CNN and Barcelo Hotel Group, images via Barcelo Hotel Group]