Plaza de España / Gran Vía

Hotel Riu Plaza España

★★★★★

The Edificio España is one of Madrid's landmark skyscrapers, a 1950s tower of brick and stone at the end of the Gran Vía that loomed over the Plaza de España for decades before falling empty. After a long restoration it reopened as the Hotel Riu Plaza España, and the result is one of the most popular hotels in the city, combining a famous building, a central location and, above all, views. The address is Gran Vía 84, where the boulevard meets the Plaza de España, recently remodelled as a green pedestrian square. From here, the Royal Palace, the Temple of Debod and the theatres of the Gran Vía are all within a short walk. The hotel's crowning glory is the 360 Rooftop Bar on the twenty-seventh floor, a terrace that wraps around the top of the building and looks out over the whole of Madrid — the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral, the green expanse of the Casa de Campo, the Gran Vía's domes and the mountains on the horizon. It serves drinks and tapas, and is one of the most visited rooftops in the city, open to non-guests for a fee. Below, the hotel has an outdoor pool, unheated in winter, a gym, a buffet breakfast restaurant, a gastrobar called El Edén and a lobby bar. Rooms are modern and comfortable, with categories ranging from deluxe rooms to junior suites with terraces and a presidential suite; higher floors have the best views. The hotel is large, well run and geared to both leisure and business travellers, with conference rooms and efficient service.

Who it suits: first-time visitors who want a reliable, comfortable, well-located hotel with a wow-factor view, families who appreciate the space and the pool, and anyone who loves a rooftop. It works well for exploring both the old town — the Royal Palace is ten minutes on foot — and the Gran Vía, Malasaña and the theatre district. The Plaza de España metro station on lines 3 and 10 is right outside, giving fast connections across the city.

Living in it: request a high-floor room facing the Royal Palace or the Casa de Campo for the best views, and consider a junior suite with a terrace in good weather. As a hotel guest you have easier access to the rooftop bar, which otherwise draws queues of visitors, especially around sunset; go early or late to enjoy it calmly. The outdoor pool is a real asset in summer, when Madrid is very hot. Breakfast is a large buffet. The hotel is big and busy, so it lacks the intimacy of a boutique hotel, but it compensates with consistency and facilities.

Value: rates are in the middle to upper-middle range for central Madrid, and often good value given the location, the pool and the views, with peaks during big events and in spring and autumn. Madrid does not currently charge a tourist tax. Choose it if you want the best rooftop in Madrid as part of your hotel, a pool in the city centre, and the Gran Vía on your doorstep.