10 Best Hotels in Barrio de las Letras, Madrid

The regal cobblestone corridor leading to the reception desk, the atrium with granite ashlar walls, and the magnificent wooden staircase (presided over by a lion statue) reveal this building's 18th-century origins. Other common areas, including the restaurant and a reading room with a small library, have less character. Dark wood paneling, parquet floors, and charcoal pillows and throws lend hotel rooms an air of corporate blandness, though you can overlook a little blah for spaciousness (rooms start at 225 square feet; some can sleep a family of four) and value.

This DoubleTree may appear corporate, but any stuffiness is mitigated by a warm staff eager to help with every need. Perks include a state-of-the-art fitness center, a location two blocks from the Prado Museum, and a phenomenal Japanese-Mediterranean fusion restaurant. Rooms are minimally decorated with flinty blue headboards and marble-walled bathrooms. 

This legendary hotel, inaugurated in 1853, is the oldest in Madrid—and after a long, painstaking renovation by Rockwell Group, it reopened in 2018 to great fanfare. The soaring lobby and cocktail bar are now suffused with plush fabrics and calming earth tones; other new perks include private dining rooms, a literary salon (with hand-picked titles by renowned publisher Zenda), and a fitness center decked out with all the latest Technogym equipment.

In a late-18th-century palace formerly owned by the Duke of Noblejas, this hotel, a few yards from Plaza de Santa Ana, still bears traces of opulence and grandeur. It has a gorgeous winder staircase, painted Ionic columns, ethereal frescoes, and stained-glass windows, but the classic feel is neither ostentatious nor overwhelming. Rooms are cozy and classic with taupe walls, white wainscoting, and sturdy hardwood furniture. There's nothing trendy about these digs, which ooze self-assured old-world elegance.

A five-minute walk from Puerta del Sol and Parque del Buen Retiro (El Retiro Park), Hotel Urban blends buttoned-up business aesthetics with tropical accents in the form of Papua New Guinean artifacts and other rare museum-grade works. Public areas are distinguished by alabaster pillars, tile-and-gold-inlaid walls, and art deco banisters. The newly renovated rooftop pool (summer only) and cocktail lounge are decorated with palms and banana trees and make for chic sunbathing and photos. Rooms are decidedly more dated and less polished than public spaces, with green-marble bathrooms, dark-wood floors, and wispy charcoal curtains. Note to sybarites: don't miss the hotel's Michelin-starred CEBO restaurant serving exquisite regional Spanish cuisine.

The building housing the NH Collection Madrid Suecia was once home to Ernest Hemingway and Che Guevara; today’s guests are decidedly tamer, but the retro aesthetic lives on in the hotel’s brown velvet couches, towering tropical plants, and suave concierges. Renovated rooms feel fresh and sumptuous with evocative wall art and neutral tones. Get a bird’s-eye view of the city from the expansive rooftop bar, a destination in itself.

Surprisingly boutique-y for a Radisson, this hotel has a streamlined urban feel that suits its middle-of-it-all location. Cross the street and you’re gazing at Goyas at the Prado. Walk three blocks and you’re catching rays in El Retiro Park. Of course, such central real estate comes with its usual trade-offs—in this case, occasional street noise, compact rooms, and a tiny lobby—but perks like in-room espresso makers, pool and spa access, and lavish breakfasts outweigh the property’s faults.

Room Mate Alicia's all-white lobby with curving walls, backlit ceiling panels, and gilded columns oozes early 2000s, but its prime location and competitive rates make up for the passé aesthetics. Carpeted rooms are modern if compact; the black-slate bathrooms, most of them shower-only, are separated only by a glass door. For a few more euros, upgrade to an executive room with a terrace or to a mini-suite with large windows overlooking the action on the plaza.

Popular with Americans, this basic yet comfortable apart-hotel is situated steps from the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and Plaza de Santa Ana. It has attractive attic studios on the fourth floor (with sloped wood-beam ceilings) and larger suites downstairs; all apartments are brightly decorated and have marble bathrooms and basic kitchens. It also serves breakfast at no charge, which can be ordered as room service. Triples and quadruples are a great deal.

A metropolitan outpost of the Blue Sea resort chain, URBANSEA Atocha 113 is a basic 36-room hotel just north of the eponymous railway station. Interiors are compact and cozy, and there’s a rooftop terrace with gorgeous views—a rarity at this price point. With all the minimalist, all-white decor, it’s easy to forget you’re in a charming turn-of-the-century building—though the hotel’s timeworn spiral staircase is a pleasant reminder.