Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid

More than a century after its founding by the legendary hotelier César Ritz, this Belle Époque palace remains central to the Spanish capital’s hospitality scene. And though it’s now a member of the Hong Kong–based luxury chain, Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid is still one of a kind. Its location, within the Golden Triangle described by the city’s most famous museums, is as auspicious as they come — it helps that King Alfonso XIII was instrumental to its establishment — and the architecture, both inside and out, is nothing short of monumental.

The hotel’s rooms and suites, even today, are suitably old-world in their inspiration, though a 2021 renovation has ensured they’re anything but old-fashioned. The named suites, naturally, are the most ornate, and the most over-the-top luxurious; even the entry-level rooms, however, are first-rate in their comforts, and subtly modern in their details.

Newly added is a lavish subterranean fitness and wellness complex, arguably the only element missing during the first century of the Ritz’s existence. Its restaurants and bars, however, have always been a strength, and remain so — from the swanky Pictura cocktail bar to Palm Court’s afternoon tea to Deessa, a modern Mediterranean restaurant recognized with two MICHELIN Stars.