4 Best Hotels in Chueca, Madrid

The Ibizan owners of this hotel bring that island's mix of glamour, energy, and cutting-edge music and design to one of Madrid’s most happening neighborhoods. The Mediterranean-blue palette, interspersed with dashes of colonial style, shows up all over the hotel in studded velvet headboards, floor tiles, and wall art. All 10 room categories boast natural light; the most distinctive among them is the Suiteheart, distinguished by a sloping beamed ceiling and tiled sundeck. Breakfast is à la carte and includes lactose- and gluten-free dishes.

Whether you're a solo traveler looking to make friends or a cash-strapped couple (or group of friends) trying to do Madrid on a budget, consider holing up at Bastardo, a designer hostel with communal and private rooms that doubles as a cool-kid hangout. Steps from all the action in Chueca and Malasaña, it has industrial-chic rooms with funky backlighting and exposed brick; upgraded digs add wrap-around balconies. 

Dozens of hotels flank Gran Vía, Madrid’s main artery, but the five-star Principal rises above the fray—and not just on account of its swanky rooftop cocktail bar (a quiet alternative to the mobbed Círculo de Bellas Artes across the way). Accommodations feature soothing gray tones and minimal furnishings, design touches that make the compact rooms feel slightly more commodious than they actually are.

In a neoclassical building so stunning it was featured in Almodóvar's 2021 film Parallel Mothers, URSO boasts old-world comfort and avant-garde design to satisfy alternative types and jet-setters alike. It is within walking distance of the city’s top attractions yet removed enough to lend it an air of exclusivity. Upgraded rooms feel like a sanctuary, with high ceilings, minimal wall art, taupe blackout curtains, and impeccable soundproofing. Deluxe and superior rooms come with complimentary passes to the Prado.