The images shared by Francisco José Eguilbar Padrón in La Vanguardia Readers’ Photos portray the old and iconic Posada del Peine, the oldest hotel in Madrid and one of the oldest in Spain, built in 1610, with more than 400 years of history.
As is evident, this establishment has gone through different owners and historical moments, it has been renovated several times, and it was even closed for more than 30 years.
The curious name comes from a tradition that the hotel had: they left a comb in each room for the client’s disposal, of course, attached to the sink so that they could not take it away.
And if we look at its façade we will see a small temple with a clock that was placed there in 1892 to commemorate the fourth centenary of the discovery of America.
Juan Posadas was the first owner of the hotel. He saw an opportunity to make a living by settling tourists who came to visit.
This simple inn gained prestige and reputation, so much so that in 1797, some brothers named Espino took over the reins of the hotel and annexed the building next door and little by little it took shape.
The success of this inn was due to both its central location and its generous price. In the early 1900s, you could stay at the inn for one peseta and, furthermore, at that time there was not much competition. Its popularity began to falter when luxury establishments such as the Palace and the Ritz began to arrive.
