Destination: Madrid

Madrid is having a moment. Though this imperial city still bears the scars of the European debt crisis and the crushing effects of COVID, it’s coming out of the gate like a pent-up bull.

The city of Madrid is spending 13 million euros this year with the aim of becoming “one of the world’s top city destinations,” according to the tourism bureau. They’re off to a running start: In July 2022, Spain welcomed 9.1 million international tourists, which is more than double than in the same month in 2021, according to the National Statistics Institute.

Many in the hospitality industry saw this coming and prepared for it. Back in 2020 when the world stopped traveling, Madrid was littered with distressed properties looking to sell. Hotels were shuttered and real estate was cheap. Seizing the opportunity, real estate developers — with and without prior plans to invest — swooped in and rebuilt in such a spectacular fashion, even the boulevards seem to have a brand-new shine.

In the heart of the city, historic landmark buildings and architectural marvels have reopened their doors as hotels and are rapidly becoming social hot spots. Setting the tone are the Rosewood Villa Magna, the Mandarin Oriental Ritz, the Four Seasons Hotel Madrid and a new outpost of the Marriott-owned Edition — each of which received multimillion-dollar redesigns within the past three years. More openings are coming. Madrid currently hosts 803 hotels, with 15 more slated to open by 2024, including buzz-worthy brands like Thompson, Sonder and Nobu.

Though Madrid was once seen as a stopover to other, more popular coastal attractions, such as Barcelona or Mallorca, that perception is changing. Madrid is known for modern connectivity; its massive high-speed rail network called Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) is second in length only to the tracks in China, and its international Madrid-Barajas Airport is the second-largest airport in Europe.

Now, instead of a place to pass through, Madrid is giving us more reasons to stay. Here are just a few of the not-to-miss highlights:

Eat

On weekends, the lead-up to dinner involves a Spanish tapas bar crawl, which can last until morning. Locals call this ritual “tardeo,” and its fullest expression can be found on a colorful, festive street called Calle de la Cava Baja. No reservations are required, just an ambling attitude and an adventurous palate.

Amós

For a fancy fine-dining experience, head to Amós, led by Michelin-starred chef Jesús Sánchez. Here, locals don their finest attire to carouse over the course of an eight-plate prix fixe menu that showcases Cantabrian cuisine from the northern coast of Spain.

It’s a gastronomic performance, staged in a dining room furnished with spacious banquettes, royal-blue velvet chairs and soft gold pendant lighting. The show begins with tiny bites, like a quarter-sized anchovy sphere, which leads to a few spoonfuls of pickled-mussel pâté before an entr’acte of small plates featuring caramelized foie gras on black-olive sponge cake — all of which crescendos to the main dish: a fall-apart hake filet swimming with Cantabrian cockles in a pool of delicious green sauce.

And if you have any room left, tuck into the almost too-divine-to-eat assortment of desserts, such as almond cake with caramel ice cream or a cloud of white-chocolate cream topping seasonal fruits.

Dani Brasserie

There are a few eateries you really should not miss. Dani, on the rooftop of the Four Seasons hotel, is one of them. Cut through the lobby and take the elevator to the seventh floor. There awaits one of the best views of the city, beneath a glorious 19th-century bell tower perched at the precipice. Stand here and watch all the grand boulevards and historic monuments of Madrid sprawl out before you, illuminated by the city lights.

Madrileños adore this spot, too. They come for the views, but also for the excellent craft cocktails, tapas and full Andalusian menu, the creation of Spanish chef Dani García. If you’re in the mood to snack on acorn-fed ibérico ham, pick apart a rosette of bluefin tuna or photograph the edible flowers in your cocktail, this is the place to satisfy your cravings.

Stay

Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid

After a three-year renovation, this gilded dame has been restored to her circa-1910 grandeur. This is largely thanks to the work of Spanish architect Rafael de La-Hoz Castanys and French interior design agency Gilles & Boissier. Most strikingly, the great steel and glass dome above the Palm Court restaurant, which had been hidden for 80 years, has been recovered — bringing blue sky and natural light into the social heart of the 153-room hotel.

It’s everything you might expect from a Mandarin Oriental in a major metropolis. Sophisticated refinery broadly nods to Anglo-Saxon, European and Asian cultures, which is a delicate balancing act. But they are rewarded for it with strong brand loyalty. Regulars can expect proper English afternoon-tea service set to live piano music, gold-leaf accents adorning the delicate desserts and an ultra-luxe Champagne and tapas bar that seats only eight. And that’s just the restaurant.

This classic property manages to stay contemporary because it’s self-aware. Management knows the median age of their wealthy clientele, and they’re working to attract the next generation of travelers, who don’t want to stay cosseted in goose-down bedchambers — they want to be out discovering Madrid! Peruse the hotel’s Instagram account and you’ll find promoted “MOExperiences,” which include private museum tours (the Prado is steps away), visits to the Liria Palace and day-trip itineraries that highlight the city’s best gourmet markets, art galleries, clubs, restaurants and shops. This kind of golden-key access is what you should expect from a five-star concierge, and this staff does not disappoint.

Rosewood Villa Magna

Some hotels envelop you in their world and color your impressions of a destination. Rosewood Villa Magna is one of those. Built on the site of the 19th-century Anglada Palace, it first opened as a hotel in 1972 and attracted Spanish aristocrats. Following a 210 million euro investment by RLH Properties, the 154-room building underwent extensive renovations led by Spanish architect Ramón de Arana and reopened in October 2021.

Today, the hotel still evokes a sense of royalty, with an aged-brass façade that reflects the sun and a white stone porte-cochère entrance that opens onto a spectacular garden courtyard, which you can see from the comfort of your hotel room. The Villa Magna suite, for example, overlooks the Paseo de la Castellana boulevard and features a king-size bedroom with a writing desk and chaise lounge, a marble bathroom and a luxurious living room flanked by a breakfast table and in-room bar.

But it’s the smaller details that make it memorable. A copy of painter Francisco Goya’s biography sits on the foyer table. Fresh flowers have been placed in each room. The bar is stocked with crystal glassware, plus a gin-and-tonic kit with all the trimmings. Even the fine linen pillow has your initials embroidered onto it. If that doesn’t make you feel welcome, I don’t know what will.

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