The Best of Madrid, Spain
Madrid, Spain
I recently went on a trip to Madrid, Spain in the Spring time and spent three magical days surrounded by the beautiful architecture, history and the most delicious tapas plates! I flew over with Norwegian Airline, the world's best low-cost, long haul airline from Boston directly to Madrid! The airline is affordable and I was able to fly on their state of the art 787 Dreamliner. The in-flight experience was the best past of it. I had plenty of leg room space and optimal cabin pressure making jet leg less of a problem. The plane also offered smart mood lighting which allowed me to sleep through my entire flight, I was very thankful for that! It was such an easy and comfortable experience and I can't wait to fly with them again. I partnered with Madrid Destino who nicely put together a 3-day itinerary of all the sights to see in Madrid for my group and we had the time of our lives seeing all the amazing sights! I already can't wait to go back one day as the city stole my heart.
Best Hotels in Madrid:
I was fortunate enough to stay at two different properties while in Madrid thanks to Small Luxury Hotels of the World who organized my accommodations for me. I am so happy that they did because both properties were beautiful and unique in their own way! Another great thing was that they were both central in the city making both of them an optimal choice when visiting Madrid.
Urso Hotel & Spa Madrid
Urso Hotel & Spa is a 5 star boutique hotel located between the central districts of Chamberí, Tribunal and Chueca. The former palace boasts with royal character and bourgeois style architecture. The hotel is a perfect combination of old meets new as it has been revamped into a modern luxury hotel while maintaining some of it's original pieces such as colorful stained glass windows and decorative tiles. The Urso spa is small and perfect oasis that is open to the public and the perfect place to relax from the bustling city. I made sure to treat myself to a massage and I am so glad I did as I left feeling incredibly relaxed and refreshed.
I dined at The Conservatory and enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet with a wide range of traditional and international plates. The ambiance was airy and the roof was made of beautiful stained-glass windows that brought in natural light and made the space tranquil. I also had the opportunity to dine at Media Ración for lunch having the finest seasonal cuisine and classical recipes! I also indulged in some fine wine and left feeling completely satisfied!
TOTÉM Madrid
TOTÉM Madrid is a boutique cosmopolitan hotel located in the Salamanca District. The area is known for it's iconic shopping filled with high end designer boutiques.The hotel is a heritage building that has been beautifully restored. It is contemporary and elegant. You feel this as soon as you walk through the doors as the interiors have dark wood paneling, parquet flooring and dramatic beautiful curtains. The hotel is small, with 64 rooms which gives a more personal feeling to your stay and also made it seem a bit more homey which is always nice when you travel.
The thing that I really loved about this hotel is you can really feel the vibrant energy and love for the city with the people that work there and also in the food. Upon arrival, we had tapas and sangria and it just made for the perfect start to the rest of the day. I was able to indulge in Ibérico Jamón for the first time and I still remember the feeling of it just melting in your mouth. I also had their croquettes which are fried goodies filled with ham, cheese and a béchamel like sauce. I could not get enough of these for the remainder of my trip!
I also had the opportunity to dine at El Pimiento Verde , a new Basque Cuisine restaurant. It was a beautiful space filled with greenery, flowers and even lemons! I highly suggest ordering their artichokes as they are cooked to perfection and have the perfect touch of olive oil and seasoning!
Things to do:
Madrid is such an amazing city and everywhere you turn there is architecture, history and culture. I truly found the best way to see the entire city is by walking and getting lost in all the beauty! I also find that by doing it this way you naturally stumble across more and you never know what you may find off the beaten path. I will do my best to give you my list of recommendations of must sees :)
1) Retiro Park and Crystal Palace (pictured above)- The park itself is stunning and Madrid's largest park! There is a beautiful lake in the park and you are able to rent a boat and row the day away. You can also visit Madrid'd oldest tree in this park!
2) Platea Madrid- The largest gastronomic and leisure center in all of Europe. The space alone wows as it was once a grand theatre and has been transformed into a eclectic "food court." The food options range from traditional Spanish tapas, Peruvian, Mexican, Asian and there are even Michelin Star restaurants inside!
3) Take a city tour and also take a tapas tour- I can't recommend the tapas tour enough and you don't need an official tour for this one. We hopped from one restaurant to the next trying samples from each place we visited. There was also plenty of yummy sangria along the way :)
4) Visit the Museums and appreciate the Arts - My personal favorite museum was Museo Nacional Del Prado which was filled with world famous art. I was able to see the Prado Mona Lisa and it was definitely worth seeing. Also known as "the other Mona Lisa."
5) Teatro Real - Visit Madrid's largest Opera house. It is regarded as the most important cultural institution in Spain. I was lucky enough to get a behind the scenes tour and was in awe to see how much work goes into each show! It is a massive production and I was thoroughly impressed by all the performers.
6) Old Town - Visit the oldest part of the city, which is very vibrant and has a medieval feel to it. Make sure you make your way to Plaza Mayor, a square in the center and if you are lucky you might see street performances!
7) Flamenco Show - You cannot leave Madrid without seeing a Flamenco show! It is filled with fire and passion. I attended a show at Corral de la Morería that has nationally recognized performers. This show is world famous and known as the oldest flamenco tablao. I was truly taken back by the performance and was genuinely in love with every moment of my time while attending. You also get served dinner and drinks at the show :)
Lemon skirt by: Faithful the Brand
Dress by Faithful the Brand
Dining + Tapas:
Madrid is known for its amazing food scene and tapas! There are so many incredible restaurants that it is hard to compile a short list of favorites. My suggestion would be to try as many of them as you can having small bites at each place and hopping off to the next spot. Another great suggestion would be to ask the locals their favorite spots and where they go. Here is a small list of places that stood out to me :)
1) Cinco Jotas- Has the best Ibérico ham that I had and is very well known for it! It is Spain's national treasure.
2) Taberna Arzabal- A enchanting outdoor space perfect for an afternoon lunch with a crisp glass of wine on a sunny day! It also has a great location, The Museo Nacional Museum :)
3) Hotel Emperador Madrid- Amazing rooftop space with breathtaking views of the city. You can enjoy crafted cocktail drinks and delicious small plates.
4) Restaurant Sobrino de Botin - Visit the oldest restaurant in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records known for it's suckling pig.
Thank you again to Norweigian Airlines, Small Luxury Hotels and Madrid Destino for the most amazing time in Madrid, Spain. I genuinely recommend visiting and I can't wait to go back one day :)
