Paseo del Prado / Jerónimos

Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid

★★★★★

The Ritz is the most storied hotel in Madrid, and after its long restoration it is once again the city's most glamorous address. It opened in 1910, built on the grounds of a former theatre and pleasure garden at the top of the Paseo del Prado with the encouragement and investment of King Alfonso XIII, who wanted the capital to have a hotel to rival the great palaces of Paris and London; César Ritz himself was involved, and Charles Mewès, architect of the Ritz in Paris, drew the first plans. For a century it hosted royalty, film stars and writers — Frank Sinatra famously serenaded Ava Gardner at the bar's piano — before a major reinvention under Mandarin Oriental, overseen by the Paris designers Gilles and Boissier, restored its Belle Époque grandeur and brought it up to modern standards. The centrepiece is the Palm Court, sheltered under a vast glass ceiling that had been covered for decades and was restored using César Ritz's original drawings; it is a beautiful place for breakfast, afternoon tea or a long lunch. Deessa, the fine-dining restaurant led by the Valencian chef Quique Dacosta, earned two Michelin stars soon after opening and serves inventive tasting menus. The Pictura bar is hung with portraits of Madrid artists and makers, and the white marble spa in the basement has a chandelier-lit pool. Rooms and suites are classically elegant, with soft colours, fine fabrics and marble bathrooms, and the Royal Suite in the turret looks straight across to the Prado. The location, in the middle of the Golden Triangle of Art, is unbeatable for museum lovers: the Prado is across the street, the Thyssen around the corner and the Retiro behind.

Who it suits: travellers for whom the hotel is part of the trip — honeymooners, milestone celebrations, art lovers who want to walk to the Prado at opening time and return for a nap and afternoon tea. The surrounding Jerónimos neighbourhood is quiet, elegant and safe, with the Retiro on the doorstep for morning runs; the old town and the Barrio de las Letras's tapas bars are ten to fifteen minutes on foot, and Banco de España metro station is close. It is less suited to travellers who want to be in the thick of the nightlife, though taxis are quick and cheap.

Living in it: ask for a room facing the Prado or the Plaza de la Lealtad, or a quieter garden side; the suites in the corner turrets have the most character. Book Deessa well ahead, especially at weekends, and reserve the Palm Court for afternoon tea, which is one of the most elegant rituals in the city. In warm weather, the garden terrace is lovely for drinks and dinner. The spa is relatively compact but very calm, and treatments should be booked before arrival. Service is polished and warm, in the Mandarin Oriental manner, and the concierge team can arrange museum tours and hard-to-get restaurant tables.

Value: rates sit at the very top of the Madrid market, and suites far above that, rising in spring, autumn and around big events. Madrid does not currently charge a tourist tax, which helps a little. The value case is history, service and location in one: few hotels in Europe let you breakfast under a Belle Époque glass roof and be standing in front of Las Meninas fifteen minutes later. For a special occasion in Madrid, this is the one.