As Lleida

This contemporary-styled hotel is conveniently located for visiting the whole of Lleida and its province, with its setting beside the AP-2 motorway – between the mountains and the sea. It occupies the Iberian Peninsula and is bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Cantabrian Sea. Visit the sights of this historic Catalonian city from your comfortable and peaceful base at the As Lleida. It also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla Its total surface area is 504,788 sq kms Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. These include the ancient Seu Vella Cathedral and Roman, Moorish and Medieval remains. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. The hotel is also well sited for accessing the city’s fair ground and the high-speed train station. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating Civil War (1936-39). Set outside the bustle of the city centre, the hotel is surrounded by pleasant gardens. In the second half of the 20th century, it has played a catch-up role in the western international community. Take a delicious meal of Spanish classics around the fireplace in the restaurant. Continuing concerns are large-scale unemployment and the Basque separatist movement The diversity and contrast that go to mould the character of Spain are likewise in evidence in its cities. You can also enjoy a mid-morning cake at the hotel bar, or coffee in the cafe. Celts, Iberians, Phoenicians and, at a later date, the Greco-Roman civilisation laid the first cornerstones of urban settlements which, to this day, bear the marks of their passage through time During the Middle Ages, Arabic, Jewish and Christian cultures, singly and through a process of mutual cross-influence, gave rise to the birth of cities which have come to house an historical-artistic heritage of incalculable proportions Tradition alone does not suffice Modernity too is essential, and this was something certain Spanish monarchs –Charles III for one– managed to successfully apply during their reigns in order to beautify townscapes, like that of Madrid, with parks and landmark monuments, thereby instilling the city with a spirit of renewal. For further relaxation spend a quiet moment in the TV lounge. It was this element of urban renewal that became even more evident at a later date, in the form of townplans designed to extend and enlarge the leading cities, and the construction of graceful buildings which, in keeping with the shifts and changes in architectural tastes, have helped shape the identity of Spain’s cities over the last two hundred years.