Madrid's Design Hotels: A Renaissance of Historic Grandeur

Madrid is experiencing a hotel renaissance, reviving historic buildings into design-forward accommodations. The Mandarin Oriental Ritz, originally opened in 1910 by King Alfonso XIII to host his wedding guests, reopened in 2021 after a restoration by architect Rafael de La-Hoz and designers Gilles & Boissier. The hotel features a garden that has become a coveted lunch spot and Deessa, a dining room by three-Michelin-star chef Quique Dacosta. Meanwhile, the Mexican group Nômade opened its first city hotel in a 1917 building on Gran Vía, designed by Cesáreo Iradier. The hotel, formerly the Hotel de las Letras, now offers 90 rooms with incense-route textures by in-house studio Oneness, a live-fire restaurant, a café, and a spa with hammam and cryotherapy. Madrid holds the 2026 European Best Destination title and will host Formula 1 in September 2025 after a 45-year absence. The city's art scene includes the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, and Reina Sofía museums along the Paseo del Arte, as well as ARCO and Madrid Design Festival. Neighborhoods like Salamanca, Las Letras, Chueca, and Chamberí offer distinct experiences.