Grupo Pestana has submitted the best financial proposal for the competition for awarding the contract for managing the future 5-star hotel based in Casa de la Carnicería, owned by Madrid City Council and situated in Plaza Mayor.
The Portuguese chain, currently in the process of internationalising the brand in Europe, will be operating the luxury hotel in Plaza Mayor for at least 40 years.
Casa de la Carnicería stands in the centre of the south side of Madrid’s iconic square, Plaza Mayor. The four-storey building is topped by angular towers on the sides, a gabled top floor and an arcaded ground floor. It is very similar to Casa de la Panadería, just opposite, although the latter’s walls are decorated with frescoes, whereas the walls of Casa de la Carnicería are red. Nobody knows exactly how far back the original building dates, but it is thought that it was rebuilt in 1631 after a fire.
Its name comes from the fact that, in its early days, it was the general meat storage warehouse serving the city’s markets. In the past it has also housed the Mayor’s Office, the first-aid centre for the Audiencia district, the Third City Hall and the Municipal Press Archive. Casa de la Carnicería has stood empty since 2008.