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This time last year, Madrid didn't have any five-star 'design' hotels: the closest it got was the four-star Bauzą. Now it has two: the AC Palacio del Retiro, in an early-20th-century palace opposite the Retiro park; and Hotel Urban, a six-storey new-build in 'Habsburg Madrid', a great location halfway between Puerta del Sol (the centre of the Madrid universe) and the unmissable Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. The industrial feel of Hotel Urban's architecture (the 83 rooms and 13 suites are set round a central atrium of grey-steel girders and glass elevators) contrasts strongly with the grand old palacetes typical of the area. Inside, Art Deco styling has been combined with striking materials: an alabaster tower in the atrium, lit from within, scales the full height of the building; the Europa Decó restaurant has a black-granite floor; the staircase walls are clad in gold mosaics; and there's an all-glass oyster-and-cocktail bar, complete with underlit floor. But the Urban's most memorable feature is its art collection, which ranges from late 19th-century totems from Papua New Guinea (in the atrium and restaurant) to small Hindu statues in the bedrooms, Chinese antique cabinets in the suites and a 'museum' of Egyptian Art in the basement. Owned by Derby Hotels' president Jordi Clos, the art gives personality to the moodily contemporary bedrooms which have black-leather chairs, beds encased in teak, and shimmering curtains. The forthcoming rooftop swimming pool and restaurant should prove popular in the choking heat of high summer.
WHEN TO GO
Now, while the introductory rate of euro 150 for a standard double applies
ROOM TO BOOK
One of the five open-plan corner suites (the 38 numbers) over the Glass Bar
CONTACT
Hotel Urban, Carrera de San Jerónimo 34, Madrid, Spain (00 91 787 7770; fax: 787 7799; www.derbyhotels.com). Doubles from euro 150 |
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