Since 1085, the year in which king Alfonso VI of Castile conquered Toledo from the Muslims, the area of battlements near the old Bisagra Gate (Puerta de Bisagra) was left under the control of the first Cardinal of Toledo after the "reconquista" (military reconquest of the Iberian peninsula by Christian rulers), whose name was Bernardo de Cluny, from the Order of Cistercians (White monks)

In the following centuries, having lost the outer wall its defensive character, the area was transformed into a "Quinta” (country house) for enjoyment of the Cardinals. In the latter years of the 18th Century, Cardinal Lorenzana ordered the construction of a pavilion overlooking the garden which, following a careful restoration, is nowadays used as the mainstay of the hotel.

In the remaining rooms, the Botin family of Madrid, recreated the style of an old "Mansión Toledana", characterized by its diverse rooms and outbuildings decorated with Mudéjar style ceramic tile work, wooden carvings and antique wooden coffered ceiling, along with a formidable kitchen with its wood-fired oven, which provides that unique flavour to the roasts.