Where to stay in Madrid
Belle Époque grand hotels, literary streets and three great museums
Specific guides to Madrid
Focused comparisons to choose the right area and hotel for the trip you actually want.
Spain in December: where to go, from the first snow to winter sun
December is the month Spain stops pretending to be a beach country. Four kinds of trip — snow in the Pyrenees, sun in the Canaries, a city lit for Christmas and a dinner worth the journey — nine hotels, and the dates that move everything.
13 October 2026 · 10 min read
Spanish cities in winter: Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Granada and Córdoba
The months when the cities belong to the people who live in them: shorter queues, lower rates, museums at their best and a sun that still comes out at lunchtime.
22 September 2026 · 7 min read
MICHELIN Key hotels in Spain: every one we rate, by region
The 71 hotels in Spain with a MICHELIN Key that we rate, by region — from the Ritz in Madrid and three wine estates with three Keys to townhouses from €160 — and how to use the Key when choosing.
13 September 2026 · 11 min read
Madrid: good to know
Which is the best area to stay in Madrid?
The Paseo del Prado or the Barrio de las Letras for museums and the old centre on foot; Salamanca for shopping and a quieter, elegant grid; the Gran Vía for being in the middle of everything; Chamberí for a residential feel.
What is the best hotel in Madrid?
The Mandarin Oriental Ritz, across from the Prado, is the only hotel in Madrid with three MICHELIN Keys. For character in the old centre, the Gran Hotel Inglés, the city's oldest, reopened in 2018.
How many days do you need in Madrid?
Three days cover the three great museums, the Retiro, the old centre and a long dinner or two. Add a fourth for a day trip to Toledo or Segovia by train.
When is the best time to visit Madrid?
Spring and autumn. July and August are very hot, and many locals leave the city in August.