SOMOS
Historia
WE ARE
TRADITION
Since the first half of the 20th century, our unique setting has truly witnessed the passing of history. Voramar was born in 1930 and, to this day, it has hosted some of the most important events in the area. First a bathhouse, then a restaurant, and finally a hotel, Voramar has even been used as a military hospital and a movie set. Today, our facilities continue to adapt to the times. We change, we improve, and we write our own history.
1887
THE FIRST VILLA IN BENICÀSSIM
Joaquín Coloma Grau, the engineer in charge of the construction of the Northern Railway, decided to build a villa where his wife could rest while the construction work was being carried out. The villa was called ‘Villa Pilar’, as it was built with the 15,000 pesetas that Pilar Forts Mas had contributed to their marriage as her dowry.
1930
RESTAURANTE VORAMAR OPENS
Juan Pallarés Picón, a local businessman, had spoken with other holidaymakers about the desirability of creating a social club where they could meet. As they did not reach an agreement, he took on the project alone, and in 1929 he applied for a license to build a bathhouse and a café-restaurant on Las Villas Beach in Benicàssim. In May 1931, he applied for an extension to build a hotel and a terrace facing the sea.
1933
FROM A RESTAURANT
TO A HOTEL
In 1933, what has become the oldest hotel in the province was officially opened: Hotel Voramar.
1936 - 1939
THE VORAMAR RESTAURANT OPENS
The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in the summer of 1936 made the owners of the villas abandon their properties as they were frightened by the seriousness of events. Due to the perfect communication routes around the hotel and the excellent conditions of both the climate and location, the military authorities seized the villas and rented the hotel. In May 1937, a large hospital complex was set up, which would preferentially treat the troops of the International Brigades who were wounded in the Battle of Teruel. A year later, the occupation of Benicàssim by the Nationalists meant that Voramar changed hands. Yet, it did not change in its use, as it remained a military hospital until the end of the war.
1940 - 1950
THE POSTWAR
During the post-war period, Voramar became a residence for the Nationalist organizations Social Aid and later the Female Section. In the meantime, Benicàssim gradually recovered its regular population and, by 1950, it was once again a meeting point for summer holidays. In this decade, the Pallarés family regained the management of the hotel, with Juan Pallarés Soldevilla, the son of its founder, taking over the property.
THE 1950s AND THE 1960s
The end of the 1950s and the entire 1960s witnessed one of the greatest social revolutions of the 20th century: mass tourism. Benicàssim ceased to be a place of leisure exclusively for people from València and Castelló and started receiving an increasing flow of foreign travelers who visited Spain in search of sun, beaches, and low prices. These were years of unstoppable housing development along the Spanish coast. The construction of flats began, new hotels were created, and existing hotels expanded their facilities.
1967
THREE MORE FLOORS
After the death of Juan Pallarés Soldevilla, his son, Juan Pallarés Tena, decided to give the hotel a modern boost and extend its facilities to cope with the increase in demand. The renovations were carried out in record time, as the hotel closed at the end of the summer season but reopened the following June. This meant that regular guests were able to visit the hotel as they did every year.
FROM THE 1970s
TO THE 1990s
During this period, there was a change in the origin of visitors and holidaymakers. Foreign tourists gave way to national tourism and the construction of hotels came to a standstill as holidaymakers either stayed at their own flats or rented them out. Urban development transformed the traditional landscape entirely, so much so that the oldest photos of Benicàssim are barely recognizable.
THE 21st CENTURY
Since the 1990s Benicàssim has been committed to improving its tourist image. The creation of the promenade by the sea, the improvement of beaches and the construction of sports facilities are only a few of the changes that have taken place in the town to improve the experience of its visitors. In the tourist industry, renewing the tourist offering has become a priority. Our clients demand the highest quality service and modern facilities, and we want to meet their expectations.
For the current management of Voramar, the continuous improvement of its facilities with a focus on sustainability and the economy for the common good is a top priority. For that reason, the hotel holds the Quality Certification for Tourist Companies.
WE ARE
PRESENT & FUTURE
We are committed to society through constant dialogue with our stakeholders. Our HR policies aim to protect the interests of our employees, we favor sustainable suppliers and we allocate part of our profits to social action projects. Through our Sustainability Plan we have developed five lines of action to improve our commitment to sustainability year after year.
We are committed to reducing the use and consumption of natural resources through strategic plans that favor environmentally friendly materials. For some years now we have been growing our own vegetables in an environmentally friendly way.
We are committed to reducing energy consumption by adopting energy efficiency policies, promoting good practices among our employees, and raising awareness on the matter.
We are committed to reducing waste generation not only through a conscious choice of products that have minimal packaging but also through recycling, separating waste, and re-using as much waste as we can.
We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint year after year and establishing emission reduction plans. Among other initiatives, we use electric cars and have solar and photovoltaic panels.
We are committed to society through constant dialogue with our stakeholders. Our HR policies aim to protect the interests of our employees, favor sustainable suppliers, and allocate part of our profits to social action projects.
WE ARE
PRESENT & FUTURE
We are committed to society through constant dialogue with our stakeholders. Our HR policies aim to protect the interests of our employees, we favor sustainable suppliers and we allocate part of our profits to social action projects. Through our Sustainability Plan we have developed five lines of action to improve our commitment to sustainability year after year.
We are committed to reducing the use and consumption of natural resources through strategic plans that favor environmentally friendly materials. For some years now we have been growing our own vegetables in an environmentally friendly way.
We are committed to reducing energy consumption by adopting energy efficiency policies, promoting good practices among our employees, and raising awareness on the matter.
We are committed to reducing waste generation not only through a conscious choice of products that have minimal packaging but also through recycling, separating waste, and re-using as much waste as we can.
We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint year after year and establishing emission reduction plans. Among other initiatives, we use electric cars and have solar and photovoltaic panels.
We are committed to society through constant dialogue with our stakeholders. Our HR policies aim to protect the interests of our employees, favor sustainable suppliers, and allocate part of our profits to social action projects.
