Top 10: The Best Five-Star Hotels in Madrid

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by Annie Bennett, The Daily Telegraph, July 29, 2016

An insider's guide to Madrid's top five-star hotels, including the best for rooftop bars, pools, Michelin-starred restaurants and urban spa retreats, in locations including the Chueca and Salamanca districts, near the Gran Vía, Retiro Park and Prado museums.

Hotel Ritz Madrid Madrid, Spain

9 Telegraph expert rating

The Ritz has undergone extensive renovations but has managed to hang onto a lot of its original features, so expect classic luxury at every turn. Sumptuous carpets made down the road at the Royal Tapestry Factory ensure that every step you take is in cushioned comfort. There are 167 rooms and suites, and no two are the same. Some have balconies overlooking the square or the hotel’s gardens, others have chandeliers and silk canopies over the bed, and most are furnished with antiques and decorated with original artworks. The Goya restaurant is one of the best in the city. Read expert review From £241per person Check Availability Rates provided byBooking.com

The best hotels in Madrid

Barceló Emperatriz Madrid, Spain

8 Telegraph expert rating

The five-star, ultra-stylish Barceló Emperatriz takes inspiration in its style and colour scheme from Eugenia de Montijo, a 19th-century empress who was a staunch supporter of equality for women. The hotel is feminine without being girly, which translates as a fresh approach that will appeal to frequent travellers. It feels grand and palatial but not at all fussy or stuffy. The Mutis restaurant is named after the 18th-century botanist Celestino Mutis and features striking floral panels reflecting some of the species he brought to the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid from Colombia. Read expert review From£121per person Check Availability Rates provided byBooking.com The Principal Madrid Madrid, Spain

8 Telegraph expert rating

The hotel is at the beginning the Gran Vía, the main drag through the centre of Madrid. The grand early-20th century building has been transformed inside into a cool oasis with a soothing palette of dark tones in the rooms and public spaces. It has the feel of a private club in New York or London. With comfortable rooms and a calm colour scheme, it is a handy haven in the heart of the city and the chic roof terrace is one of the most coveted spots in Madrid for a drink in summer. The restaurant is overseen by Ramon Freixa, who has two Michelin stars at his restaurant at the Único, which is The Principal’s sister hotel in Madrid. Read expert review From£157per person Check Availability Rates provided byBooking.com 

Westin Palace Madrid, Spain

9 Telegraph expert rating

The Westin Palace sits opposite the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. This is one of those hotels where you step through the door and enter a different world. La Rotonda, as the restaurant and lounge area under an ornate stained-glass dome is called, is a circle of elegance where locals and guests meet for coffee and drinks at all times of day. There are 467 spacious rooms and suites with classic decor, marble bathrooms, deep carpets and a bed you won’t want to get out of. The bar has been a meeting place for the great and the good ever since it opened a century ago. Read expert review From£203per person Check Availability Rates provided byBooking.com

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Hotel Orfila Madrid, Spain

8 Telegraph expert rating

The hotel’s location, on the edge of three districts, is perfect for seeing the many sides of Madrid. The hotel is a mansion dating back to 1882, and the décor has been tailored to retain this air of the past. Some of it is done to effect: framed Loewe scarfs adorn the walls, Chinoiserie vases line corridors and the rooms offer cosseting furnishings. In the 1920s the hotel used to stage plays: the irony of this is not lost; at times the main lobby can feel like a stage set. Each of the 32 rooms is different, though all share the same traditional styling. The Jardín de Orfila restaurant offers seasonal menus to coincide with the best produce. Read expert review From£174per person Check Availability Rates provided byBooking.com 

Hesperia Madrid Madrid, Spain

8 Telegraph expert rating

The Hesperia was revamped by Pascua Ortega, one of Spain’s most well-known interior designers. The ground floor lobby, restaurants and bar are all soothing sleekness in natural tones and materials. The 171 rooms and suites combine traditional style with Art Deco features and contemporary touches. Santceloni has two Michelin stars and is one of the best restaurants in Madrid. Chef Óscar Velasco combines the best ingredients from all over Spain to create imaginative, original - although still recognisable - dishes, while sommelier David Robledo comes up with some intriguing wine pairings. Read expert reviewFrom£118per person Check Availability Rates provided byBooking.com 

Hotel Único Madrid Madrid, Spain

8 Telegraph expert rating

The Único is on one of Madrid’s most exclusive streets in the swish Salamanca district. With its pale gray façade, swirling black and white mosaic floors combining Bardiglio, Carrara and Thassos marble, a dramatic red sculpture hanging in the stairwell and embossed wood in geometric patterns throughout the hotel, the Único is nothing if not dramatic. The property was originally a grand residence and it still has a discreet, private feel. Ramon Freixa’s restaurant in the hotel has two Michelin stars, making this a top choice for foodies. Read expert review From£194per person Check Availability Rates provided byBooking.com

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URSO Hotel & Spa Madrid, Spain

8 Telegraph expert rating

The Urso is in the elegant Alonso Martínez area of Madrid, a few minutes’ walk from the oh-so-trendy neighbourhoods of Malasaña and Chueca. The architect, Antonio Obrador, has conserved many original features, such as the tiles on the façade, the fabulous mahogany lift and the stained-glass windows on the staircase. Although it is in the centre of Madrid, a muted palette of cool green, grey and cream tones and delicate Japanese prints create an air of calm and discreet chicness. The Natura Bissé spa at the Urso is everything an urban spa should be, with no fussy nonsense. It offers a great dining experience too. Read expert reviewFrom£130per personCheck AvailabilityRates provided byBooking.comHospes Puerta de AlcaláMadrid, Spain

8Telegraph expert rating

Overlooking the Puerta de Alcala, one of Madrid’s most important monuments, and opposite the Retiro park, the Hospes is handily located without being in the thick of the hectic downtown area. Outside it’s a handsome 19th-century townhouse, inside it’s all soothing grey and mauve tones. With a great Bodyna spa, the hotel is very much a chic sanctuary where you can escape from city life. There are 41 rooms and suites, all different. The distinctive cornicing and mouldings are vestiges of when this was a grand private residence. The Independencia restaurant & tapas bar has pavement tables and is popular with non-guests. Read expert review From£147per person Check Availability Rates provided byBooking.com 

Hotel Urban Madrid Madrid, Spain

8 Telegraph expert rating

If it’s central you want, this is the hotel for you. Sexy Art Deco lair meets beguiling anthropological den. The first thing you will notice about this unusual hotel is its form — a glass-encased tower studded with black Zimbabwe stone, and seamed with champagne-coloured steel beams. The lobby is a tribute to the more austere Art Deco embellishments that were de rigeuer in the 1930s: geometric and angular shapes, yes, but subdued colours; lashings of chrome. The main restaurant here is Europa Decó. Think iguana-textured leather chairs, and a chimney made of gold leaf. Dishes on the menu include hake and peas, and roast rack of lamb with creamy saffron rice. Read expert review From£141per person Check Availability Rates provided byBooking.com

The best hotels in Madrid

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This article was written by Annie Bennett from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.