Gran Hotel Ingles

Gran Hotel Inglés is the oldest luxury hotel in the city; when it opened, a local newspaper praised the mere existence of “a lift, bathroom on each floor, lighting, steam heating and all of the advances that make life more comfortable.” Over the years, Gran Hotel has drawn writers, politicians, and even esteemed bullfighters. Restaurante Inglés became a meeting point for socialites, intellectuals and artists. It was a time of splendor that lasted well into the 1900’s. British writer Virginia Woolf stayed here, as did French painter Henri Matisse and tango legend Carlos Gardel. Ernest Hemingway´s favorite sherry bar, La Venencia, is directly across the Street. Restoring and renovating Gran Hotel Inglés was a labor of hoteliers Carmen Cordón and Ignacio Jimenez team whose mission is to discover and renovate one-of-a-kind historic lodgings in their native Spain. After a USD $20 million investment and long months of renovation by the Rockwell Group that included re-configuring the existing 72-room layout to create 48 spacious rooms and suites. The hotel reopened again in March 2018 becoming one of the most under-the-radar and convenient hotels in town. Clients who stay in the hotel appreciate local authenticity. With the hotel’s age comes plenty of hospitality wisdom. The staff here welcome guests as if this were their own home. Gran Hotel Inglés lies in Barrio de las Letras. This is the city’s literary quarter, the heart of Madrid. Guests plunge into the seventeenth century, the Golden Age of Spanish Literature, the main Spanish authors, had their homes here – hence the name. Some of the streets in this neighbourhood pay tribute to this and other brilliant chapters of Spanish history, culture and art. It also boastcasts first class neighbors living in its surroundings: The Prado Museum, The Thyssen Museum, The Reina Sofía Arts Centre… This artistic spirit makes the neighborhood a very special place to be, and also marks it as the place with the best Madrid has to offer: the so-called Art strip, that leads to the Madrid de los Austrias-Plaza Mayor-Puerta del Sol, and it is also very close to the Alcalá-Gran Vía area, as well as Paseo de la Castellana, Colón and Serrano. It is the best place to enjoy one of its numerous cafés, its colourful outdoor terraces, as well as the exquisite national or international cuisine.