Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid

Arrival is an occasion. The cream Belle Époque façade — the bronze "Hotel Ritz Restaurant 1910" plaque still in place — gives way to a circular marble rotunda crowned by the restoration's signature flourish: a vast canopy of gilded metal leaves and branches suspended overhead, glinting against a soft blush ceiling. It is theatrical without being heavy, and it sets the tone perfectly. Off the rotunda, the hotel's original staircase sweeps upward behind an ornate black-and-gold wrought-iron balustrade, spiralling through the floors above a patterned runner. Even the lift lobbies are an event — book-matched marble, brass doors and gilded Louis XV consoles.

The heart of the hotel is the Palm Court — the glazed central courtyard, restored under a magnificent Belle Époque glass canopy that floods the room with daylight. Beneath it, palms, pale marble, painted plasterwork and towering floral arrangements make it one of the most beautiful hotel rooms in Madrid, and the natural setting for coffee, lunch and afternoon tea. The surrounding salons carry the same refined hand — silk-upholstered seating, crystal chandeliers and contemporary textile art — and, tucked into a gilded domed alcove, an intimate Champagne & Caviar Bar for a pre-dinner ritual.

Our room was tucked up in the eaves, a top-floor retreat with a mansard skylight and dormer windows over the rooftops toward the Prado. Gilles & Boissier's palette is soft and grown-up — cream panelling picked out in fine mouldings, dark timber, warm brass and patterned carpet — calm, classic and beautifully made. The Mandarin Oriental service touches are everywhere: personalised monogrammed pillowcases, and a welcome that is changed daily — the signature Ritz almond cake, a bowl of fruit, chilled water and champagne, and, on our arrival, a delicate white-chocolate menina nodding to Velázquez's paintings in the Prado just across the square.

The bathroom is a study in marble — pale Carrara panelling and dark emperador floors — with a freestanding tub behind a slim glazed screen, a separate rainfall shower, twin vanities and Mandarin Oriental's signature fan detailing. Classic, generous and kept immaculately.

The kitchens are overseen by three-Michelin-star chef Quique Dacosta across five concepts: the fine-dining Deessa, the all-day Palm Court, the Champagne Bar, the Pictura cocktail bar, and El Jardín del Ritz — the leafy garden terrace that is one of Madrid's favourite al-fresco addresses. The garden-facing dining rooms, with their soaring windows onto the greenery, are a lovely spot at any hour. Breakfast is served à la carte under the Palm Court's glass canopy. In all honesty the plates themselves are on the restrained, lighter side rather than a lavish spread — but the room it is served in is glorious, and that goes a long way first thing in the morning.

For the first time in its century-long history, the Ritz has a spa — an intimate subterranean retreat reached along corridors wrapped in moody verdure-tapestry walls. At its centre is a serene indoor pool set beneath a fibre-optic starlit ceiling, alongside a vitality pool, steam and treatment rooms run with Mandarin Oriental's wellness expertise. A genuinely calming counterpoint to the grandeur upstairs.

The fitness centre is bright and fully equipped — a spread of Technogym cardio, a cable and functional-training rig, free weights, medicine balls and a stretching area, with natural light along one side. More than enough to keep a routine going between museums.

The Mandarin Oriental Ritz is a flawless restoration of Madrid's most storied hotel — Belle Époque grandeur brought back to life with Mandarin Oriental polish and a serious culinary and wellness offering, in quite possibly the best location in the city, facing the Prado and moments from the Retiro. Perfect for: Culture-lovers who want history, grandeur and a faultless address in the Golden Triangle of Art, with world-class dining under the same roof Skip if: You prefer a small, contemporary boutique feel, or want a resort rather than a grand city palace Book the: A top-floor room for the skylight and rooftop views — and don't leave without afternoon tea in the Palm Court and an apéritif at the Champagne Bar.