Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques

The Spanish royal city of Madrid is well stocked with opulent hotels, but one of the most luxurious is this representative of a homegrown brand: Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques. Given the name, it may not surprise you to know that this extravagant city-center hotel was once an aristocratic residence, specifically a 19th-century palace belonging to a pair of dukes. And while the renovation required to bring it up to modern five-star standards was a thorough one, enough of the original architecture remains to ensure that the Palacio still feels like a palace, rather than just another luxury hotel.

The rooms are decorated in a color palette that’s an explicit homage to the paintings of Velázquez, which lends a memorable aspect to all of the lodgings, from the Classic rooms to the Penthouse and Royal suites. The comforts are first-rate, from the baths, beds, and bedding to the soundproofing and lightproofing — the last a particular concern under the blazing Spanish sun. And no fewer than three restaurants deliver on the promise of Spain’s fine culinary reputation — the best of them, Dos Cielos, serves the creations of the Torres brothers, a pair of Michelin-starred chefs.