MEMORABLE TRAVELLERS OF LA FONDA DE LOS PRÍNCIPES
Before your arrival, we have had many other memorable travellers.
Since 1861 we have welcomed royalty such as King Rama V of Thailand, artists such as Sarah Bernhardt and writers such as Jorge Luis Borges.
Featured guests
1878 – 1883Ferdinand II of Portugal
Ferdinand II of Portugal was one of the most loyal and distinguished guests of the former Hotel de la Paz. We have four different stays on record, always…
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1881David Kalākaua, King of Hawaii
In August 1881, David Kalākaua stayed with us, sovereign of the then independent Kingdom of Hawaii, which the Spanish press still called the Kingdom of the Sandwich…
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1881Tomás Guardia, President of Costa Rica
In September 1881, General Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez, President of the Republic of Costa Rica, arrived at the Hotel de la Paz, accompanied by his country’s diplomatic…
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1884Rafael Zaldívar, President of El Salvador
On 18 June 1884, Rafael Zaldívar, President of El Salvador and one of the most decisive figures in 19th-century Central American history, arrived at the Hotel de la…
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1863José Rodríguez Losada
Of all the guests who have passed through this house, none is more closely bound to it than José Rodríguez Losada. In September 1863 he returned to Madrid and…
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1862Hans Christian Andersen
The first memorable traveller to visit La Fonda de los Príncipes was Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish writer who stayed in 1862, just one year after the building…
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1880 – 1881Adelina Patti
On 7 December 1880, Adelina Patti arrived at the Hotel de la Paz, one of the greatest stars in the history of opera. Born in Madrid, she was returning to her home…
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1882Sarah Bernhardt
In April 1882 we had the pleasure of welcoming Sarah Bernhardt, the diva of Belle Époque theatre and one of the first global celebrities. She was the most famous…
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1882Prince Napoléon Bonaparte
For eight days in October 1882, Prince Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte stayed with us under the discreet title of Count of Moncalieri.
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1882Marcella Sembrich
In November 1882, Marcella Sembrich stayed with us, one of the great international sopranos of the late nineteenth century.
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1886Pierre Loti
Shortly after, in 1886, the French writer and naval officer Pierre Loti, on his honeymoon, stayed at our hotel between 24 and 27 October before continuing his…
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1897Chulalongkorn I — Rama V
In 1897 we welcomed Chulalongkorn I, the King of Thailand, then called Siam. He came to Madrid in October 1897 at the age of 44, and his visit revolutionised the…
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1919 – 1921Jorge Luis Borges
The most internationally known guest is the Argentine writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges, who between 1919 and 1921, staying at what was then called the Pensión…
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Other travellers, year by year
- 1866
Henry Blackburn
Four years later, in 1866, Henry Blackburn, art critic for the London Society, stayed here to write his book «Travelling in Spain in the Present Day». From these…
- 1902
Paul Bourget and European royalty
On 17 May 1902, during the celebrations for Alfonso XIII’s coming of age, Madrid was filled with ambassadors, representatives and foreign princes. Of these…
- ~1910
Titta Ruffo & Giuseppe Anselmi
Around 1910, our rooms also welcomed Titta Ruffo, the most famous baritone in the world at the beginning of the 20th century, known as «the voice of the lion», and…
And now, you.
Sources
- I Spanien (A Visit to Spain), by Hans Christian Andersen, published 1863.
- Travelling in Spain in the Present Day, by Henry Blackburn, published 1866.
- Hombres y cosas de la Puerta del Sol, by Luis Araujo-Costa, published 1952.
- Ma Double Vie (My Double Life), autobiography of Sarah Bernhardt, published 1907.
- Letter from Sarah Bernhardt written on 30 April 1882, sold at auction at Christie’s, Paris, 29 November 2011.