Madrid is no stranger to the finer things in life. Home of the Prado, which celebrated its bicentennial last year, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, which form the three corners of the so-called Golden Triangle, the city is a treasure trove of art and culture. But Madrid is often overlooked in favour of other Spanish cities, an unfortunate trend that will surely be reversed by the opening of two luxury hotel giants in time for the peak autumn season.
The Belle Epoque façade of Hotel Ritz will once again ring with the clinking of champagne glasses and the popping of corks when it reopens as Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid in the summer, breathing new life into the 110-year old icon. Paris-based design due Gilles & Boissier have reimagined the interior spaces, carefully balancing the hotel’s original architectural features and collection of antique furniture and art with more contemporary touches in the 153 guestrooms and suites. Two signature suites will occupy the hotel’s familiar turrets, with private balconies looking out over the Prado and Lealtad Square.
Chef Quique Dacosta, whose cuisine has been awarded three Michelin stars at his eponymous restaurant in Denia, Alicante, and two Michelin stars at El Poblet in Valencia, has overseen the creation of five restaurants and bars at the hotel, which will feature a signature Quique Dacosta restaurant, Ritz Bar and a Champagne Bar.
www.mandarinoriental.com
A few blocks away, Four Seasons is also putting the finishing touches to a major renovation that will convert seven historic buildings into Four Seasons Hotel Madrid. Among the 200 rooms and suites, guests will find the ultimate luxury experience in the triangular Royal Suite, with double-height ceilings edged with original mouldings and shimmering chandeliers.
Celebrity chef Dani García, whose signature Marbella restaurant was awarded its third Michelin star in 2018, will present an Andalusian menu at Dani, a sophisticated indoor-outdoor rooftop space created by London and New York-based designer Martin Brudnizki. The hotel’s four-level spa and 14th-floor swimming pool and sun terrace will be the largest wellness escape in the city, and guests and residents of the neighbouring Four Seasons Private Residences will have easy access to the Galeria Canalejas luxury shopping mall when the hotel opens in May.
