BE 360 Case study

The opportunity

Nestled in the mountains of Asturias in Spain, the Parador de Corias had recently undergone an extensive renovation and was ready to be presented as a symbol of the best of region. The only hitch: It did not have any decoration. The team from be360 was brought in to discover a way to find partners to finance and decorate the interior, offer an authentic story to both consumer and media, and create a long-lasting bond with the local villages as a driver of tourism to the destination. 

The inspiration

Asturias hides unique stories in each village. Mountains. Flowers. Sheep. Skies. Cheese. Crafts. Culture. Architecture. Cider. Forests. Snow. Light. Emotion. For this campaign, we needed to promote both the hotel, but also an awareness and appreciation of traditions. Our aim was not to launch a place to sleep, but to create a destination capable of showcasing the hidden treasures of Asturias. 

The solution

be360 created the "Paradores Partners in Design" campaign to bring Asturias' tourism marketing team, international media, and leading interior designers together to uncover the secrets of the region and inspire the decoration of the hotel and the stories behind it. 

A group of five international journalists or descubridores travelled to the Principality de Asturias and took one of the five routes designed by the Asturias Tourist Board. These routes and the ensuing narratives – expressed in written reports, photos, watercolor paintings, collages and poems – were used by the decorators as groundwork and notes in their creative decorating process.

After visiting the Parador fresh from its restoration works and receiving the brief on the project Paradores Partners in Design, the interior designers submitted their design proposals in a public bid. As all the spaces to be decorated had to reflect different areas and references of Asturian culture, the bedrooms are named after Asturian Kings, cathedrals and churches, eminent personalities, architectural and natural landmarks, and ocean villages.

Renowned interior decorators Luis Galliussi, Erico Navazo and Pepe Leal were chosen to decorate the common areas and the three suites, one each. Twelve bedrooms were decorated by the Asturian sisters Covadonga and María Teresa Clavería, of “El 30 de Campoamor” studio in Oviedo.

The results

The Parador Monasterio de Corias has received numerous accolades since its opening as one of Spain's finest hotels, and was covered extensively in leading publications including AD, Conde Nast Traveller, ELLE Decor, deViajes, Robb Report, and more. As Financial Times writer Paul Richardson wrote in his review Spain’s Parador de Corias: simplicity for the soul, "The truth is that Corias is a good example of what made paradors such a great idea in the first place. A building of splendour and importance has been rescued for the nation. And in a region whose economic base, coal-mining, is dying on its feet, a project like this can only be welcome."