A Rococo Palace

It seems that a trip to the Europe of Alfonso the XIII was fruitful. Just as we told you about Hotel Ritz, the Hotel Palace, as well, was born out of the King’s idea that Madrid had to have accommodations like those he had slept in. Healthy envy that today reaches us in the form of neoclassical luxury of the highest class.

Luxury. Luxurious and rococo. This is what the Palace is. One of the most emblematic hotels in the capital that, along with its exclusivity and its extremely privileged location (a few metres from Madrid´s world renown Museum Triangle of the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen Museums), offers something that the rest do not: neoclassical décor, absolute luxury and in the heart of the city. Beyond tastes and colours there are two things guaranteed not to drive you crazy: waiting and wanting. Making you wait is not one of their specialties. They are at your beck and call and with expediency unknown in most parts of Spain. As well, you shall be at want for nothing.

One thing to note, in all hotels there are classes, here as well. Without going under fifty thousand pesetas (three hundred €uros) anyone can purge themselves of their sins here in one of their 417 rooms, have a tasty cup of coffee in their famous bar (frequented by various famous persons and numerous executives) and make themselves happy. But this is not the Palace in all its glory: you could opt for one of their 21 Grand Deluxe rooms, dine in La Rotonda (their informal restaurant with a buffet prepared to the individual sights of each customer) and be as happy as one can be.

But beyond even this there is the domain of he who doesn’t bother to look at price tags because he has no need. He can choose one of 27 suites, for only eighty thousand pesetas (four hundred and eighty €uros) if he were to chance upon the price tag. Or have a meal in La Cúpola restaurant where Didier Montarou will serve him a puff pastry sea-bass with a lobster mousse and Mousline sauce for two people come out to be only ten thousand pesetas (sixty €uros)), per person of course. And for those that want to spend an extra half day in the hotel and check out at 18:00 instead of customary 12:00 hour? It’s as simple as paying for one half day extra. And no questions asked.

That said, this is staying at the Palace in such style and you won’t be alone. The list of great company is extensive, including all of the following: Pablo Picasso, Buster Keaton, Sarah Bernhard, Rita Hayworth, Ernest Hemingway, Mata-Hari and Salvador Dalí whom even donated, unsolicited, his skills to spice up a wall.

Finally, we have the Royal Suite which is not for those that come to the Palace, but rather the Place comes to them. One of the most lavish in the world, more than Jacuzzis, highest-fi stereos and the like, this humble room comes with a personal butler included.

No, neither you nor I will ever touch down in this fantasy land.

Chosen as one of the 99 top hotels in Europe by Condé Nast, since 1998 it has belonged to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., who via their prestigious chains such as Sheraton, Westin, The Luxury Collection, Four Points and Caesars Hotels have attained the status as the most important hotel provider accommodations worldwide with more than 650 hotels in 70 countries and with y 125.000 employees.

”In aseptic, impersonal, functionality-driven hotels designed for executives, the rooms have no surprises waiting for you. You know if you are staying at the Hilton or an Intercontinental in Asia you’ll find a bathroom that’s the exact duplicate of a Hilton or an Intercontinental in the United States. You know that in the closet of a Melía Hotel in Spain you’ll find the same shoehorn as in a Melía Hotel of South America.

But those older historic hotels have a world of surprises waiting for you. The closets, oh the closets… with everything that was forgotten. With a bar on the backside of the door, for hanging ties. With the front of the drawers made of glass, so that you can see where you have put the shirt you’re looking for…” (Antonio Burgos; El Mundo Spanish daily newspaper; October 24, 1999)

PALACE HOTEL
Plaza de las Cortes, 7
28014 Madrid
tel. 91 360 80 00
fax: 91 360 81 00

RESERVATIONS:
tel . 91 360 77 77
fax. 91 360 77 78
e-mail: reservations.madrid@westin.com
BANQUETS:
tel. 91 360 77 75
fax. 91 360 77 74
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