Plaza de España - adjacent
Gran Via (shopping and cinema) – adjacent
Royal Palace – 500 meters
Plaza Mayor – 2 kilometers (1.2 miles)
Puerta del Sol – 2 kilometers (1.2 miles)
Casa di Campo Park - 5 kilometers (3 miles)
Rastro Flea Market – 5 kilometers (3 miles)
Prado Museum – 5 kilometers (3 miles)
Thyssen Bornemisza Museum – 5 kilometers (3 miles)
Reina Sofia Museum – 5 kilometers (3 miles)
Retiro Park – 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles)

Minibuses and taxi cabs are available for transfer from the airport to the center of Madrid. Metro line 8 also serves the airport and takes passengers into central Madrid.

The extensive Metro system connects the hotel with the rest of central Madrid within 30 minutes. The Underground station closest to the hotel is Plaza de España. There is also a wide choice of buses. The hotel can order taxis on request.

This hotel has 306 guestrooms, all of which have high-speed Internet access (fee), trouser presses, desks, separate seating areas and a gentle color-scheme of caramel, dove blue and flashes of maroon. Views are over the leafy Plaza de España, the white-domed Royal Palace and Casa de Campo Park. Thanks to the refurbishment completed in 2003, the original 1950s wooden furniture is beautifully restored, including the inlaid oak doors. The en-suite marble bathrooms, all feature large mirrors, magnifying mirrors and a red light, which shines out at night. Some of the bathrooms have bathrobes. All rooms up to and including the eighth floor have double-glazing to protect against the noise from the bustling Plaza de España.

Mirador de la Plaza de España - Spanish Mediterranean cuisine is served at lunch and dinner in a formal setting overlooking the Plaza de España. Decorated with a dark green carpet and wood paneled pillars, this is a favorite spot for local businesspeople and hotel guests. The emphasis is on fresh seasonal produce rather than one signature dish, but there is always a choice of fish, meat and salads. Desserts are imaginative, and can include Violet Ice-cream or Toffee Soup.

Los Lagos - Daylight pours into the airy breakfast room, which seats over 200 guests. The décor is vibrant – green, mustard and maroon striped curtains are complemented by white linen tablecloths and green and maroon fabric covered chairs.

Plaza Cocktail Bar - The most colorful public space in the hotel, this bar overlooks the lobby and is lined with red-leather stools. Cocktails, drinks (soft and alcoholic) and tapas are served all day to guests relaxing or business people talking shop.

What to expect: The hotel occupies one third of a landmark, three-tiered high-rise building, towering over the Plaza de España. Inside the hotel, the gleaming marble lobby, with mirror-lined pillars and huge chandeliers, is frequented by businesspeople, politicians and leisure travelers. While the style is distinctively 1950s and very international, the gentle-toned sofas and chairs, and clientele relaxing in the bar overlooking the lobby with tapas and drinks, keeps the atmosphere Spanish.

Amenity highlights: The naturally lit conference rooms extend over a whole floor, centered by an attractive lounge area with comfortable, fabric covered sofas, ideal for an intimate meeting or coffee break. The largest room – Salon Toledo – has capacity for 250 people banqueting style. This space, with views over the Plaza de España, is a favorite for Spanish weddings.

Insider tip: The Plaza de España overlooks the Royal Palace, built from 1738 as a two thousand-room home for ‘enlightened despot’ Charles III. Some of the rooms are open to the public, others are used for plush state functions. The Reception Room and State Apartments are highlights of the visit but all rooms are full of art treasures and antiques. On Wednesday at noon, there is the changing of the guard ceremony.

The eight conference rooms are naturally lit and range from intimate spaces for meetings of ten people to large banqueting rooms with a capacity for several hundred people. At the center of the meeting and banqueting floor, known as the Planta Noble, there is a lounge area with comfortable, fabric-covered sofas and views over the Plaza de España. The largest rooms are popular for international business meetings and lavish Spanish weddings. All meeting rooms have ISDN lines for video conferencing, computer connection and adjustable lighting. There are two computers available for guest use with high-speed Internet access (fee), fax and photocopying service (fee). Audiovisual services, simultaneous translation and secretarial support are available on request.

The gym has cardiovascular equipment, free weights and a sauna. The hotel opens out onto a small shopping mall, with jewelry shop, newsstand, hairdressers and travel agent.