What's New in Madrid
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WHAT’S NEW IN MADRID 2014-2015 Accommodation Dear Hotel Opened: July 2015. www.dearhotelmadrid.com Located at number 80 on Gran Vía, this new boutique hotel has amazing views over the street itself and over Plaza de España. The best place to enjoy them is from a table at the Nice to Meet You Restaurant & Lounge. A panoramic terrace, swimming pool and live DJ lend the space a very cosmopolitan vibe. All of the hotel’s rooms (Deluxe, Premium and Suites) are outward-facing, with plenty of natural light. Its interior was designed by Sandra Tarruella (winner of AD magazine’s 2015 Interior Design Award.) The Principal Madrid Opened: January 2015. www.theprincipalmadridhotel.com This new hotel makes its debut with a unique status, as the first five-star hotel on Madrid’s Gran Vía. Located in one of the most iconic buildings on this century-old avenue, the spectacular views it affords of the city centre are undoubtedly its best feature. They can be appreciated from two locations: the Ático (Loft) and the Terraza (Rooftop terrace). Both boast large landscaped areas where customers can enjoy a cocktail or dishes from the menu designed by chef Ramón Freixa (awarded two Michelin stars). Oth- er amenities include a solarium where guests can sunbathe to the sound of falling water from the overflow pool and all the best mu- sic. The hotel has 74 rooms, including a Wellness Suite (equipped with its own sauna) and treatments for couples or solo visitors. NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding Remodelling: October 2014. www.nh-hoteles.es This elegant and functional four-star hotel, which underwent a complete remodelling in 2014, is located 200 metres from Paseo de la Castellana and has 15 floors and 412 spacious rooms. One of its biggest attractions is its broad range of culinary options. Di- verXO, the three Michelin starred restaurant managed by chef Da- vid Muñoz, leads the pack. Also worthy of note is a restaurant with a menu featuring international dishes and Spanish tapas, devised in consultation with Paco Roncero; 99 Sushi Bar serving Japanese haute cuisine; and famous mixologist Diego Cabrera’s cocktail bar. 2 Urso Hotel & Spa Madrid Opened: August 2014. hotelurso.com This 5-star boutique hotel is situated between the residential neighbourhood of Chamberí and the ever bustling streets of the Chueca neighbourhood. Housed within the headquarters of the former Paper Company, a palatial building constructed in 1915, the hotel’s stained glass and tile façade and its sunny inner cen- tral courtyard lead to a modern establishment with 78 classically elegant rooms and suites, several of which have private balco- nies and overlook the former gardens of Palacio Villagonzalo, the stately home of the Count of Villagonzalo. The hotel’s ground floor features a spa by Natura Bissé, a beauty and wellness firm, which offers a range of exclusive treatments in facilities that include a two-person massage room, an area with water jets and a hot and cold water circuit. The Hat Opened: July 2014. thehatmadrid.com With all of the comfort of a hotel and the central location of a hos- tel, The Hat represents a new vision of accommodation in one of the most central and traditional parts of the city. Occupying a remodelled 19th century stately home, the hotel’s 42 rooms – containing a total of 220 beds – are decorated in a functional and ecological style with vintage touches that bring it into line with the interior decoration seen in the most modern hotels. It offers common areas for use by residents and tourists alike. The most notable of these is the multi-purpose room known as The Cave, used as a venue for exhibitions, concerts and DJ sessions. It also has a solarium for exclusive use by hotel guests, which becomes a sky bar open to the public at night, with open-air barbecues and showcooking offered at the weekend. NH Madrid Alonso Martínez Opened: May 2014. www.nh-hoteles.es Hotel NH Madrid Alonso Martínez, formerly known as NH Emba- jada, has been completely refurbished in 2014. A three-star estab- lishment that combines design, elegance and functionality inside with a beautiful classical facade. It is located in the Chamberí district, just 100 metres from Plaza Alonso Martínez. The new NH hotel boasts 101 rooms, including ten superior rooms and a junior suite. It also provides room service, referred to as Room Apetit, and a lobby that is the real centrepiece of the hotel. 3 Accommodation Hotel Indigo Opened: April 2014. indigomadrid.com This boutique hotel is owned by the InterContinental Hotels Group, present in 100 countries, and is located smack in the heart of Gran Vía. It has a markedly urban air and its 85 rooms are striking in their eclectic décor, with nods to Art Deco and Baroque touches that give each of them a unique personality. The hotel’s modern, energetic vibe is apparent in the elegant terrace on its top floor, which is particularly crowded in the summer months and boasts one of the best views of the city. The hotel’s cuisine is also note- worthy; its gastrobar and restaurant feature food prepared under the supervision of renowned Italian chef Andrea Tumbarello. One Shot 04 Opened: January 2014. www.oneshothotels.com The recently created One Shot chain has two hotels in Madrid that reflect its urban, cosmopolitan ambitions. One Shot 23 is located in the Barrio de las Letras (Literary Quarter), in close proximity to the Paseo del Arte (Art Walk). One Shot 04, for its part, is located in the stately Barrio de Salamanca, and is also very close to Madrid’s main museums and its financial centre. Each of the hotel’s 64 rooms is equipped with a flat screen television, extra-comfy beds with 4 pillows, complementary WiFi and spacious showers with rainfall effect showerheads. Additional services include electric bicycle hire and private transfer services, in addition to temporary exhibitions held on a frequent basis. Innside Madrid Suecia Opened: January 2014. www.melia.com This new hotel is situated right in the centre of Madrid, next to the historical Círculo de Bellas Artes, very close to Calle Alcalá and Gran Vía, and in the fully refurbished Hotel Casa de Suecia, where Ernest Hemingway lived in the fifties. The hotel has 120 rooms and 7 suites, boasts modern, simple and functional decor, and has Wi- Fi, a computer tray to work from bed, flat-screen TV and a mini bar with soft drinks included. Some of the suites also have a lounge and a terrace, especially the Loft Premium, which affords an amaz- ing panoramic view of Madrid. Its facilities include The Balcony, a modern cocktail bar on the top floor; Dado Deli, a restaurant on the ground floor; the Lounge Bar, which is ideal for having a snack any time of day; a fitness centre; a swimming pool on the rooftop; and multifunctional areas for meetings and events, especially its large terrace on the 11th floor, with a spectacular view. 4 Restaurants El perro y la galleta Opened: June 2015. www.elperroylagalleta.com Although the style is Victorian, the market-sourced food is mod- ern, with a single-minded focus on quality produce. The menu at this new restaurant combines the already classic dishes served at Bar Galleta in Malasaña, also under the ownership of Carlos Moreno Fontaneda, with other more sophisticated cuisine. So you can savour chicken flautas, aubergines coated in biscuit, Russian salad with prawn carpaccio and much more. Make a note – it’s open all day. Atalanta Opened: May 2015. www.restauranteatalanta.com Located on the first floor of the Grassy building, the large picture windows allow diners to feel part of the hustle and bustle of Gran Vía during the day and experience its magical lights at night, infus- ing the restaurant with a romantic atmosphere. Atalanta serves interesting signature cuisine, featuring dishes such as marinated sardines with passion fruit. Tatel Madrid Opened: May 2015. www.tatelmadrid.com This Art Deco style restaurant serves traditional dishes with a modern twist. Some particularly enticing menu options are the filleted anchovies seasoned with garlic and fried “backwards”, whose final preparation is carried out at the table, and the truffled potato omelette. Celebrities Rafa Nadal, Pau Gasol and Enrique Iglesias are among the restaurant’s co-owners. 5 Restaurants Lovnis Opened: April 2015. lovnis.com When designing their latest culinary endeavour, Iván Morales and Álvaro Castellanos, the owners of La Taberna de Arzábal, gave free reign to their nostalgia. Located in the heart of the neighbour- hood of Salamanca, the restaurant is a celebration of childhood that aims to bring back the traditional mixed platter using only top-quality ingredients. Options include fried free-range eggs, chistorra sausage, Gernika peppers and double-fried chips. For dessert, there’s chocolate pudding with whipped cream served in a glass. La Tasquería Opened: January 2015. latasqueria.com Chef Javi Estévez has set himself the task of bringing gastrono- my back into fashion at his newly opened restaurant, where he serves up food that’s well-prepared, fun and above all, different. He loves tradition, but with contemporary flair. You simply must try the tripe. La Lonja & Raw Bar Opened: January 2015. www.lalonjadelmar.com The Hapsburg quarter of Madrid sees two new eating places opening in the same venue. Raw Bar, at street level, is a lively, in- formal spot with a spectacular bar. Salads, steak tartare, cebiches and cocktails are its specialities. La Lonja, on the first floor, serves some of the best seafood in town. The market determines the menu each day at this restaurant, enabling it to offer the freshest fish and seafood, the best Galician red meat –aged to varying de- grees– and organic vegetables, all of which are cooked on a char- coal grill over a low flame.