In 2024, The MICHELIN Guide is announcing the first ever MICHELIN Keys — a brand new distinction that recognizes the most outstanding hotels across the world. Head here for everything you need to know about the new Key distinction, and visit this page to explore the full list of Key hotels in Spain.
The Three Key distinction is the highest hotel honor in The MICHELIN Guide. Earning One Key (80 properties) or Two Keys (12 properties) is difficult enough, but only five hotels received the Three Key distinction in Spain. These hotels — the most outstanding in Spain — crisscross the country, from the capital of Madrid and to the spectacular Montsant National Park.
In any location, our Three Key hotels excel in all five criteria used to judge hotels by our Inspectors. But in this series, we thought it fitting to focus on just one of those criteria — the most photogenic of the five — architecture and interior design.
Below, take a look at the interiors and exteriors of each of our Three Key hotels in Spain.
Mandarin Oriental Ritz
Mandarin Oriental Ritz
Mandarin Oriental Ritz
Madrid, SpainMore 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. 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.
Terra Dominicata — Hotel & Winery
Terra Dominicata — Hotel & Winery
Terra Dominicata — Hotel & Winery
Escaladei, SpainIn the 12th century, in the foothills of the mountains two hours west of Barcelona, a group of Carthusian monks established a monastery and a farm, growing grapes, olives, and other fruits. The location is a jaw-dropper — and it’s today’s hotel guests who reap the benefits, as the old monastery, now thoroughly updated, is now open to travelers in the form of Terra Dominicata - Hotel & Winery.
The merest glance inside reveals that this is a considerably swankier establishment than it would have been in its monastery days. The style is upscale modern elegance, and the rooms retain more than a little bit of rustic character, from the beamed ceilings to the hardwood floors to the occasional original stone wall.
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Torre del Marques
Torre del Marques
Torre del Marques
Teruel, SpainBetween Barcelona and Valencia, set back on the inland side of a small mountain range, is the Aragonese region of Matarraña, home to the beautifully restored 18th-century tower that is the Torre del Marques. Today, after a thorough renovation, it’s an 18-room luxury boutique hotel that offers a farmhouse-style escape, with views of olive groves and vineyards, as well as an environmentally friendly approach and a zero-kilometer cooking philosophy.
The rooms are a perfect marriage of weathered stone walls and contemporary interior design, with high-end comforts including ultra-modern bathrooms; the look is somewhat minimalist, in a palette of warm neutrals, and the textures are where the action is, from the sisal rugs to the bare timbers and knotty pine paneling.
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Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine
Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine
Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine
Valladolid, SpainBuilt from the carefully preserved buildings of a 12th-century abbey, Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine is as historically evocative as any château in France — and, thanks to the work of architect Marco Serra, it’s a first-rate contemporary luxury boutique hotel. It’s set on a vast estate in Valladolid that’s home to some 500 acres of vineyards, and it counts among its attractions the Michelin-starred Refectorio restaurant, as well as the more casual Vinoteca.
There’s a spa that combines wine-country products with the precepts of Tibetan medicine, and tours of the estate’s vineyards or the neighboring wineries can easily be arranged.
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Atrio Restaurante Hotel
Atrio Restaurante Hotel
Atrio Restaurante Hotel
Cáceres, SpainThe Three Star restaurant at Atrio Restaurante Hotel is a destination in itself. As the name attests, its an integral part of the experience here — but the hotel itself merits its own consideration. Architecturally striking, the fourteen modern, clean-lined rooms have been masterfully integrated into the stone facade of a much older building in Extremadura’s ancient walled city of Cáceres.
If there’s a single bit of ornament, it’s the art; original works by Andy Warhol and Georg Baselitz are the highlights of an impressive collection. Meanwhile, accommodations provide plenty of space, both physical and mental, for contemplation. Just about everything is vivid white: crisp bedding, painted wood-panel walls, the curtains and lamps, and spacious bathrooms with big round tubs.
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Hero Image: Torre del Marques
