Set against the walls of Ávila, Sofraga Palacio Hotel occupies an ancient palace built in the 16th century and refurbished in the late 19th century. Restored first in 2015 and then in 2020 for its current use, this boutique hotel-restaurant combines the old with the modern, making it the ideal place to enjoy a refreshing rest and delicious gastronomy. Culture and monumental heritage are part and parcel of the city.
The monumental city of Ávila, with one of the best-preserved walled enclosures in the world and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985, is one of the most important monumental sites in Spain. Walking through its streets and squares allows you to discover and admire a magnificent catalogue of civil and religious architecture in the midst of a peaceful atmosphere full of mysticism.
The origins of the Sofraga Palace
Through St. Vincent’s Gate, very close to the Romanesque jewel of the Basilica of St. Vincent and the Cathedral of the Saviour, is the Sofraga Palace. Founded in 1479 by Doña Elvira González as a beaterio, it belonged to the Águila family, whose power and influence was very notable in Castile during the Middle and Modern Ages. The building was ceded by Don Diego de Ávila in the 16th century to the congregation of the Poor Clare nuns, where they lived until they moved to the current monastery of the Encarnación. Saint Teresa of Jesus joined this community in 1535.
El Palacio Sofraga en la actualidad
In 2015 the building underwent the first of the restorations with the aim of allowing locals and visitors to enjoy a café, terrace and restaurant in a very attractive setting. Later, in 2020, the upper floors were converted into rooms and a breakfast area.
With all the historical features of the building intact, such as the ashlar walls, the exposed Castilian bricks, the wooden coffered ceilings, the balconies and, of course, the walls of the ramparts that serve as the walls of some rooms, corridors and halls, the intervention was carried out by the prestigious architecture and decoration studio Requena y Plaza. The firm was able to perfectly combine the original elements of the palace with a modern proposal, in which old doors, which have been converted into sliding doors to separate rooms, blend perfectly with white marble and taupe tones and efficient LED lighting, leaving the sky blue tones in the upholstery and pale pink and olive green to bring light into the rooms.
The 4-star superior hotel has twenty-seven exclusive rooms and suites in five categories: superior double, premium king, junior suite, suite and presidential suite, all equipped with every luxury detail. Decorated in neutral and elegant tones, all rooms feature 43-inch Smart TV with Chromecast, air conditioning, safe, Nespresso coffee machine and high quality bedding. It also offers attractive views of the palace and its surroundings. Guests can enjoy every morning a full and varied breakfast a la carte and served at the table, with a selection of sweet and savoury dishes, 100% Iberian ham, cheeses from Ávila, eggs prepared to taste and freshly squeezed juice, among many other delicious proposals.
Unforgettable gastronomic experience
Sofraga Palacio has an interesting restaurant where you can enjoy the best Castilian gastronomy. Set in a glassed-in courtyard overlooking 19th-century gardens and presided over by a five-century-old cedar tree, it offers signature cuisine, as well as undisputed dishes from Avila. Based on tradition and quality local produce, it offers delicacies such as kidney beans with slaughter or suckling lamb sweetbreads sautéed with tender garlic. It also has a section of rice dishes such as the grilled Avila T-bone steak or Calasparra rice with mushrooms and vegetables. The fish menu is irresistible with the cod cocochas al pil pil with rosemary potatoes or the grilled cod loin with Biscayan sauce, while also of note are the traditionally roasted meats such as the shoulder of suckling lamb from Castilla y León or suckling suckling pig with confit and potatoes, and grilled the T-bone steak, entrecote or sirloin of veal from Ávila, the 60-day matured beef steak or the suckling lamb chops. This culinary experience is completed with delicious desserts, all of them homemade, such as fried milk, creamy cheesecake or pomace cream ice cream.
In the winery there is no shortage of classic references that make a tour of the main national designations of origin, without missing the wines of the PDO Cebreros, made from red Garnacha and Albillo Real grapes. It also has a selection of unique wines of very limited production and organic wines.
Multi-purpose rooms for events and banquets, one of them with a large glass dome, complete the hotel’s facilities, where free talks and meetings of general interest are also organised as part of Sofraga Cultural.
For a more informal lunch or dinner, Sofraga Palacio has a gastrobar where you can enjoy raciones or tapas with a choice between patatas revolconas with torreznos of Soria, spicy grilled ear or a cheese platter of barraqueños cheeses and of La Adrada with quince jelly from Santa Teresa, all accompanied by wines from the region.
When the weather permits, the open-air terrace is the ideal place to enjoy the restaurant’s dishes or the tapas menu, not forgetting its chill-out corner where you can relax and enjoy a wide range of drinks.
And if it gets cold, which is common in Avila’s winters, the glassed-in area invites you to enjoy a lively chat or enjoy the views of the palace façade in the warmth of the cookers.
If you do not have the privilege of knowing the city of Ávila or if you know it and you have fallen in love with it, Sofraga Palacio Hotel is the perfect accommodation to discover it. Warmth, comfort and exquisite gastronomy in the heart of the capital of Ávila.
