Gran Vía / Barrio de las Letras

Iberostar Las Letras Gran Via

★★★★★

The Iberostar Las Letras Gran Vía occupies one of the elegant early twentieth-century buildings that line the first stretch of the Gran Vía, the boulevard's most handsome section, just up from the Metrópolis building and the junction with Calle de Alcalá. It takes its name and personality from the Barrio de las Letras, the literary quarter that begins just to the south, where Cervantes, Lope de Vega and Quevedo lived and wrote. Literature runs through the hotel: the design plays with words and books, there is a guest library, and the history of the building adds character, as the lobby was once a shop selling tiles and Andalusian mosaics, and some of that decoration survives, while the spaces now used for events once housed a well-known Madrid printing house. The rooms mix period features, such as high ceilings and tall windows, with a contemporary, comfortable style; the best look out over the Gran Vía. The hotel has three restaurant spaces focused on traditional Madrid cooking and a fitness centre, and on the sixth floor there is a swimming pool, a real asset in a Madrid summer. The rooftop terrace is the hotel's social hub, a popular spot for evening drinks with views across the domes and rooftops of the Gran Vía, and it attracts locals as well as guests. The location is excellent for almost everything a first-time visitor wants to do: the Puerta del Sol, the Plaza Mayor, the Real Academia de San Fernando and the Círculo de Bellas Artes are within a few minutes' walk, the Thyssen and the Prado are a short stroll down Calle de Alcalá and the Paseo del Prado, and Chueca and Malasaña are just to the north.

Who it suits: first-time visitors who want a central, characterful base on the Gran Vía; couples who enjoy design and a rooftop drink; book lovers drawn by the literary theme; and travellers who value a pool in a city-centre hotel. It is less ideal for those looking for silence, as the Gran Vía is busy day and night, although the building's thick walls and double glazing help. Families can be accommodated, but the hotel's mood is more adult and design-led than family-oriented.

Living in it: ask for a room facing the Gran Vía for the views, or an interior room for more quiet. Spend a sunset on the rooftop terrace, which can get busy with non-guests at weekends, and use the sixth-floor pool on hot afternoons between sightseeing. The Gran Vía and Sevilla metro stations are close by, and the hotel is easy to reach by taxi from Atocha or Chamartín stations. Breakfast is served in the hotel's restaurant, and the surrounding streets are full of cafés if you prefer to eat out.

Value: rates are upper mid-range for central Madrid, reflecting the location, the building and the rooftop, with peaks during major events and in spring and autumn. Madrid does not currently charge a tourist tax. Choose it for a stylish, central base with a rooftop and a pool, and for the pleasure of walking out of the door straight on to the Gran Vía.