Spain
The Palace Hotel, Madrid
Madrid has always drawn great minds, and few addresses reflect more of their energy than The Palace. Opened in 1912 under commission from King Alfonso XIII, this grand belle époque institution became a natural gathering point for the city’s creative elite. Picasso was a regular. So was Hemingway, who wove the hotel’s storied bar into the fabric of his writing life, returning time and again. Over a century later, that legacy lives in every gilded cornice and marble corridor.
Location
Sitting in the heart of the Barrio de las Letras, within Madrid’s UNESCO-recognized Paisaje de la Luz, The Palace positions you perfectly for the city’s greatest pleasures. The Prado is a short walk away. Retiro Park and Plaza Mayor are equally within easy reach. Everywhere that matters is walkable.
Your Room
Restored in 2025 by acclaimed designer Lázaro Rosa Violán, all 470 rooms and suites have been reimagined from the ground up. Hand-painted wallpapers draw inspiration from the gardens of El Retiro, while bathroom mosaics pay homage to the nearby Royal Botanical Gardens. Marble fireplaces, mid-century chandeliers, and richly layered fabrics conjure a sense of considered opulence throughout. Suites range from the literary-themed Cervantes to the sprawling Royal Suite, with select categories offering private balconies over the rooftops of the Spanish capital and dedicated butler service.
Who It Suits
The Palace accommodates almost any group with ease. Couples seeking a romantic Madrid base will find the newly renovated rooms luxuriously cocooning. Families are well catered for, with interconnecting options available. For groups of friends or extended families traveling together, the suite categories offer generous space and flexibility. Whether you’re arriving as two or twelve, the hotel’s scale and variety mean no one need compromise on comfort or privacy.
Why We Like It
The Palace feels genuinely new, yet the layers of history remain entirely intact. The great glass dome – built from 1,875 individual panes in 1912 – has been lovingly restored and now presides over La Cúpula, the hotel’s celebrated restaurant. The 27 Club bar, a moody literary homage to Spain’s avant-garde Generation of ’27 movement, is one of the finest drinking rooms in the city. The result is a hotel that manages to be both modern and utterly timeless – exactly what this landmark deserves to be.
Sustainability
Sustainability here isn’t a box to tick, but a responsibility woven into how The Palace chooses to operate. The 2025 refurbishment saw 64% of renovation materials sourced from within Spain, while the hotel has since achieved a net-zero carbon footprint across its operations. Beyond the numbers, its past-meets-present rebirth stands as a model for thoughtful refurbishment and the careful preservation of something worth keeping.
