Mad for Madrid
The Spanish capital is often overlooked as a holiday destination
When choosing a Spanish city break, the same destinations tend to be eternally popular: Barcelona, Bilbao, Seville, Granada and Valencia. However, the capital, Madrid, is so often not considered for a city-based holiday - unlike London, Paris and Rome - yet very much should be.
It boasts heaps of culture, fabulous nightlife, a huge range of impressive restaurants, delis, tapas bars, bodegas and cafes, as well as hotels for all budgets. It is one of Europe’s leafiest cities, with lots of attractive parks and gardens. And on top of that, it possesses a great climate, enjoying more cloudless days per year than almost any other European city, with dazzling blue skies much of the year.
It has vibrant, diverse barrios, or neighbourhoods, with distinctly different characters, from the elegant grandeur of its more stately quarters such as Salamanca, the more relaxed Chueca, and multicultural Lavapiés. Its beautiful architecture spans through medieval mansions, a few Renaissance examples, elegant 19th century palaces and Belle Époque buildings, and outdoor sculptures abound.
The buzzing, understated Malasaña neighbourhood is a great one to explore, a student-friendly area of the city with lively, lovely bars and shops, from bakeries to vintage clothing stores. You could take in some traditional flamenco here at Teatro Flamenco Madrid. Just by the theatre is a vibrant bar with tables spread over the little square, La Mucca De Pez, at Plaza Carlos Cambronero 4. The Plaza del 2 de Mayo is another popular meeting spot, an historic square lined with bars and weekend market stalls.
Art lovers will love Madrid’s impressive array of galleries, most prominently its ‘Golden Triangle of Art’, encompassing the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, and the huge Prado Museum. At these you can see works by Picasso, Dalí, Velázquez, Goya, and much more.
The city’s architecture is no less broad, spanning medieval mansions, grand Renaissance houses, buildings constructed during the Hapsburg and Bourbon times, 19th-century palaces, flamboyant Belle Époque creations and some striking modern designs.
It’s an attractively leafy city, with plenty of parks and gardens to explore. The most famous park is El Retiro, located conveniently close to the Prado. Originally reserved for Spanish royalty and the aristocracy, it has a lake, Madrid’s oldest tree, planted in 1633, open air cafés, a rose garden, French-inspired manicured lawns and tree-lined pathways.
Shoppers should head for Gran Via, lined with department stores, while Salamanca Barrio teems with fashion boutiques. In the old quarter of La Latina, on Sundays you can find El Rastro, a large flea market.
Bless Hotel, located on the sophisticated 'Golden Mile', amongst exclusive shops in the luxurious Salamanca neighbourhood, is a great place to go in the evening. It has a welcoming cocktail bar, Versus, offering imaginative cocktails, and restaurant Salvaje combines fantastic Japanese fusion cuisine with a fabulous buzzing atmosphere, pulsing music, and in the evening bursts of colourful, stunning circus-type performance and dance. It really is an experience you won’t forget, and completely reinvents the idea of dining out.
Further information
Bless Hotel, C. De Velazquez 62, 28001, Madrid; +34 91 575 2800; blesscollectionhotels.com; BOOK IT
Recommended hotels
The Pavilions
This attractive hotel is centrally located in a smart yet non-touristy area of the city, near the Plaza de Colón. There’s a real art gallery feel here, with artworks from the renowned Álvaro Alcázar gallery and original Madrid exhibition posters dating from the 1960s in both guest rooms as well as the corridors. The decor features bold splashes of colour and guest rooms have curving banquettes upholstered in fabrics depicting historical Madrid scenes. Some rooms have terraces overlooking the plaza. There’s a gym on the top floor with panoramic views, and the attractive restaurant/bar has plants trailing along a glass-panelled ceiling.
Calle Amador de los Rios 3, 28010 Madrid, Spain; +34 91 310 7500; pavilionshotels.com; BOOK IT
Hotel Orfila
Housed in a mansion dating back to 1882, this elegant Relais & Châteaux hotel is located in one of Madrid's most prestigious districts close to the Paseo de la Castellana, the Prado museum and the upmarket shopping streets of Goya and Serrano. Ornately decorated public areas have such features as trompe l’oeil frescoes and Chinoiserie vases. There are 32 rooms including 12 suites, traditionally styled in soft earthy tones, with artworks and 19th-century antique furniture. Some rooms have a balcony. Two-Michelin-star chef Mario Sandoval helms the restaurant, with has a lovely terrace and very good value five course set menu.
Calle de Orfila, 6, 28010 Madrid, Spain; +34 91 702 7770; hotelorfila.com; BOOK IT
Heritage Madrid Hotel
Situated in the smart Salamanca neighbourhood away from the main tourist districts, both high end shopping and plenty of restaurants are nearby. A five-star hotel within an early 20th-century Belle Époque building, Lorenzo Castillo, one of Spain’s most respected designers, has created the elegant interiors. Soft greens in some areas and grey and blue tones in others, there are touches such as hand-painted silk panels, antique vases and artworks dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries. Some of the 46 guest rooms and suites have terraces, and all feature antiques and artworks.
Calle Diego de León 43, 28006 Madrid, Spain; +34 91 088 7070; heritagemadrid hotel.com; BOOK IT
I loved Madrid! One of my favorite cities in Europe. I don't think it is less popular than other Spanish cities, and the weather is extremely hot during summer, cloudless but very hot!