The history of the Hotel Palacio de Oriol dates back to 1902.
It all started when Lucas de Urquijo, II Marquis of Urquijo, a family that made a fortune in electrical companies, banking and mining, had a luxury residence built on a plot of land they had in Santurtzi.
The commission was made to the architect Severino Achúcarro, one of the most prominent of the time, who in 1902 built a magnificent mansion on the main road that connected the seaside town with the jarrillera town.
At the beginning of the 20th century, towns along the entire left bank suffered rapid and sudden demographic growth that led to an urban planning change in all towns.
Santurtzi was the only one of them that managed to preserve in those first decades the residential character that had made it a preferred destination for the Biscayan, Basque and Spanish bourgeoisie, with villas and palaces for their summer rest. Many of these businessmen became quickly rich through the exploitation of minerals and steel, new rich people who wanted to demonstrate their wealth and power through monumental constructions that were located mainly in the Campo Grande and Peñota area.
Of all of them, one of the few that has managed to remain standing is the Oriol Palace, located on the old cliff that overlooked the Portugalete beach, in the watchtower over the Abra bay, next to a place formerly known as the Fort of Santa Barbara.
Eclectic in style, influenced by romanticism and the English style, this mansion served as the home of this important industrialist and financier who died in 1912, a decade after being built, passing the building into the hands of his only heir, his daughter Catalina de Urquijo and Vitorica, wife of the also prominent businessman Jose Luis Oriol, whose last name is the one that currently gives its name to this chalet.
This stately building, equipped with stone on the outside, whose interior does not lack any luxury, is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and important architectural jewels of Bilbao, a tourist attraction that was on the verge of disappearing. Disused and abandoned since the 70s, it lost its roof and was completely covered by ivy, until 2003 when it was rehabilitated and opened to the public as a Hotel.
It currently has 88 rooms, a restaurant, terrace, bar and several rooms where all types of celebrations can be held. Both the passage of time and the work that was done on it, giving it greater depth, largely modified this unique property, but always respecting the personality of the building and restoring as many objects as possible from the old mansion, its large interior wooden staircase , the old altar and several pieces of wood distributed throughout several rooms of the hotel.
