Originally it was the residence of the first Marquis of Santillana, Don Íñigo López de Mendoza. Today it is a charming five star hotel with an exquisite decoration which helps bring out the best of this historical building. By crossing the threshold of this hotel, the client will have the feeling of going back to medieval times but with all modern commodities.

As soon as you walk into this fully-equipped hotel with a long history, you will be surprised by the one-piece staircase which was made from an oak tree which was more than 700 years old. This staircase was left untouched during the careful restoration of the building.

This was the house of the first Marquis of Santillana, D. Iñigo Lopez de Mendoza, born in Carrion de Los Condes in 1398, son of Admiral Don Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Doña Leonor de la Vega. He married Dña. Catalina de Figueroa and he visited Las Asturias de Santillana for the first time in 1430. Then, in 1445, King Juan II gave D. Iñigo Lopez the title of Marques de Santillana.

The house is a splendid Gothic building which dates from the 15th century. The main entrance has two doors with a pointed arch. The iron work on the doors is worth mentioning as well as the four windows on the facade, which are of Plateresque style.

Here you can also see the Vega Family’s coat of amrs with the inscription “Ave Maria”. According to the legend, when the marquis was fighting against the moors, one of these shields saved his life.