Barceló Alba de Layos

This luxurious spa hotel is located in the countryside of La Mancha, to the south of the historic city of Toledo. It occupies the Iberian Peninsula and is bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Cantabrian Sea. Its extensive wellness facilities allow you to relax in style. 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. The Barceló Alba de Layos is built in an impressive, contemporary style which matches the 21st-century facilities found within. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Relax in the spa with a thermal circuit, made up of an indoor swimming pool, saunas, ice showers and relaxation rooms. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating Civil War (1936-39). There is also an on-site gym and beauty facility, proving facials, massages and other medical and cosmetic treatments. In the second half of the 20th century, it has played a catch-up role in the western international community. Each evening you can head to the hotel restaurant to try the range of authentic Mediterranean dishes offered. 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. Then, finish off the night in the stylish cocktail bar or out on the terrace with views of the golf course. 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.