The 7 Best Hotels in Madrid

Posted: 4/1/24 | April 1st, 2024

Madrid has it all: incredible food, world-class museums, stunning architecture, non-stop nightlife, and picturesque winding streets. The vibrant capital of Spain, here you can spend your days exploring iconic landmarks like the Prado Museum and your evenings luxuriating over glasses of wine in bustling tapas bars.

While my first visit to the city was a bit ill-fated (I was sick and spent most of the time in bed), I’ve been able to visit many times since then.

Over the years, I’ve stayed at lots of hotels here. To help you plan your visit, here’s my list of the best hotels in Madrid:

1. Petit Palace Puerta del Sol

This three-star hotel is housed in a 19th-century building a few steps from Puerta del Sol, Madrid’s central plaza. It’s a bargain given its amenities and location. The overall design is minimalist but cozy, with a warm color palette of salmon and peach tones. In the mornings, there’s an expansive buffet breakfast that caters to all diets with a wide variety of pastries, cold cuts, and fresh fruit.

The soundproofed rooms are compact (to be expected in such a central location) but optimize the space with flatscreen TVs, Wi-Fi, parquet floors, small desks, and minibars. The rooms are are minimalist with no real décor to speak of, though they’re clean and comfortable. Some rooms have a lot of natural light, while others are windowless, so if that matters to you, be sure to book a streetside room for a lovely view. The recently renovated bathrooms have rainfall showers with excellent water pressure.

2. Radisson RED Madrid

Located in Madrid’s Art Triangle (home to the city’s world-famous art museums), this four-star hotel is just steps away from lush green spaces like the botanical gardens and Retiro (the city’s main park). The hotel is very chic, with pops of their signature red color and fun artwork throughout. There are a ton of amenities here too, including a co-working space, fitness center, and three eateries designed by a Michelin-starred chef. The breakfast buffet is a bit pricey for Madrid, but it’s quite varied, including eggs, pastries, and fresh juice. I love the fact that it starts at 6:30am too (a lifesaver if you’re an early riser, as you won’t find anything else open for hours).

The rooms have a beautiful contemporary design, with artwork on the walls and ample amounts of natural light. Each room has a flatscreen TV, work desk, Nespresso machine, AC,…