Kivir History
Origins of Hotel Kivir
A family saga with a hotelier's soul
Hotel Kivir was not born in 2019. It was born a century earlier, in the dream and tenacity of a family that made hospitality their legacy. This is the story of five generations of the Martínez and Fonseca families, united by the same passion: welcoming travellers to Seville with warmth and excellence.
A journey that goes from humble guesthouses in Plaza Nueva to the modern design of a 4-star boutique hotel facing the Guadalquivir. This page is not just our chronicle; it is the explanation of why, at Kivir, you can feel history, commitment and a deep love for this city.
Where it all began
The foundations: Amadora Fonseca and the first guesthouses
Every story has an origin, and ours has a woman’s name: Amadora Fonseca. In the 1920s, with determination and pioneering vision, she founded and managed the first family guesthouses in the heart of Seville. Her entrepreneurial spirit laid the foundations of a philosophy that still guides us today: personal attention and family treatment.
Her legacy took more concrete shape in January 1932, with the launch of the Hotel Cécil-Oriente in Plaza Nueva. An establishment that, despite historical upheavals such as the 1929 crash, remained standing thanks to the tireless work of Amadora, her daughter Manuela Fonseca and her son-in-law, Ramiro Martínez.
Overcoming challenges
From the post-war period to reinvention: Juan Ramón Martínez and the closing of an era
At the end of the 1940s, the torch passed to Juan Ramón Martínez, the first son of Manuela and Ramiro. Under his leadership, the hotel navigated the complexities of the Spanish post-war period. However, in 1970, a change in regulations made the continuation of the Cécil-Oriente unviable, forcing its closure and the sale of the site.
But a Martínez never gives up. In 1971, the family made a bold leap: they acquired a mansion on calle Reyes Católicos. Two years later, in 1973, the Hotel Bécquer opened its doors, an establishment that would quickly become an emblem of Sevillian hospitality and which remains a landmark in the city today.
A dream by the Guadalquivir
Kivir takes shape: modernity, exclusivity and light
The success of the Bécquer fuelled the desire to create something new and special. In 2010, with Luis Miguel Martínez (Juan Ramón’s second son) at the helm, the family conceived a “little treasure” on the banks of the Guadalquivir: a more modern, exclusive accommodation designed for the contemporary traveller.
The vision materialised with the acquisition of two 19th-century buildings on Paseo de Cristóbal Colón (in 2010 and 2014). To transform these historic properties into the dream hotel, the prestigious firm Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos, responsible for iconic works such as the La Cartuja stadium or the intervention at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, was entrusted with the task. Their mission: to fuse the history of the buildings with a cutting-edge, light-filled design.
After two and a half years of meticulous work, the dream became reality.
A new chapter of light
29 April 2019: Kivir opens its doors to the world
On 29 April 2019, Hotel Kivir officially opened its doors. It was not just the inauguration of a new 4-star boutique hotel with 31 rooms; it was the arrival of the fifth family generation in the business, with Andrea Martínez, Luis Miguel’s daughter, joining the management team. A symbol of continuity and future.
Since that day, Kivir has stood tall and luminous on the banks of the Guadalquivir, offering its unique views of the Puente de Isabel II and the soul of the Triana neighbourhood. We are the fruit of a century of experience, reinvented to offer contemporary hospitality where design, light and comfort converse with a deeply Sevillian family history.
