The London Lounge

Any suggestions for a good hotel in Madrid, downtown close to the museums and galleries?

DTD

Villa Magna.

The Santo Mauro.

Its strange because I've noticed that it is often hard to recomend hotels in your own city, as you normally never happen to be to them (at least to stay in them: you might dine at their restaurants, which I have). However, if you want something near the museums and in the centre the best options in my opinion would be the Palace Hotel or the Ritz Hotel, both of which are in the same square (The Cibeles). The Prado museum is a few meters away, the Thysen museum a couple of streets and the Reina Sofia museum not far either. You also have the Parque del Retiro very near, the district of Salamanca (best for shopping, restaurants....) and in the opposite direction not far form Habsburg Madrid (the old city centre, with many things to visit too). Nevertheless, both the Villa Magna and the Santo Mauro are great hotels, very near from each other and in the Salamanca district, so also very well situated.

Guille wrote:The Prado museum is a few meters away

Among other treasures, the Prado has one of the most sublime Fra Angelico Annunciations. Celestial perfection.

DDM

DD MacDonald wrote:

Guille wrote:The Prado museum is a few meters away

Among other treasures, the Prado has one of the most sublime Fra Angelico Annunciations. Celestial perfection.

DDM

From the Prado my favourite part is Goya's black paintings. Last October they opened the new section (a whole new building in fact) of the museum, which I still haven't visited but will soon (since it was opened, on weekends and festives it has been full of people and with long queues.

Whether you stay at the Ritz or not, if you are in the neighborhood on a warm day, have an early evening drink at its terrace bar. Then stroll down to the Cafe Gíjon for a blanco y negro. The Bar Museo Chicote on Gran Vía is also worth a visit to see a well-preserved example of the Spanish version of a style moderne interior.

DDM, you are right about that annunciation. In '78-'79 I lived just across the park from the Prado and followed Hemingway's counsel to spend a couple of hours every midday in the museum when cash was short for lunch--many of them seated in front of that picture.

But then, unlike most great museums, the Prado has almost no bad pictures on display. It's just one stunner after another--even the less famous items. Raphael's portrait of an unknown cardinal is burned into my retinas for life, I think.