The Principal, Madrid - hotel review

Nicola Trup checks into the luxurious Principal hotel in Madrid’s Gran Vía
Bedtime storeys: the Principal Hotel
Nicola Trup22 April 2015

There’s not much that’s subtle about Madrid’s Gran Vía. Blasting through the city centre, it’s studded with designer shops, hotels and nightclubs. But hidden away at the street’s eastern end, where there seem to be more banks than boutiques, is a new, less flashy addition.

The Principal occupies a grand, old Spanish Renaissance-style corner building, with its main doorway discreetly placed down a side street.

Arriving — at least, late on a friday night as I did — feels a little like getting into a private members’ club. Just inside the entrance, with its dim lighting and low-key signage, you’re greeted by a doorman with a list. This isn’t the reception but a sort of prereception; hotel guests are sent up in one lift to check in, while drinkers and diners are ushered into another.

Both tiny lifts eject their passengers just metres apart on the sixth floor, but I enjoyed the pseudo-exclusivity all the same.

In keeping with Gran Vía’s reputation as “the street that never sleeps”, music was blasting out from the bar area as I checked in, though few people were around to make the most of it — perhaps word hadn’t quite got out to the Madrileños yet, this being just a few weeks after opening.

Luxury comforts: the crisp, white linen in an Executive room

As a member of Design Hotels, The Principal couldn’t be anything other than tasteful in the extreme fifty shades of grey coat the walls, set off by gold-framed portraits, heavy red curtains and classic pieces of furniture in muted tones.

Two dining rooms sit either side of reception — on one side an elegant space best suited to long, boozy dinners, and on the other a more casual, conservatory-style area with wicker furniture, pot plants and floor-to-ceiling windows. All around the outside runs a narrow terrace dotted with tables.

Headed up by Ramón freixa, who earned two Michelin stars at sister property Hotel Unico, the Atico restaurant is open 24 hours a day to both guests and walk-ins. The eclectic à la carte menu includes a few Spanish cameos, while breakfast is a modest but delicious Continental spread with the addition of local favourites such as tortilla and jamón Ibérico.

Stunning views: the conservatory-style restaurant

The seventh-floor roof terrace and solarium weren’t fully open when I visited, though I did go up to admire the view of the delightfully over-the-top BeauxArts Metropolis building, just across the street. In summer I imagine the sun loungers and umbrellashaded tables will be heaving with guests making liberal use of the cocktail bar.

The only thing missing is a pool — there is a large water feature but jumping in would probably be frowned upon.

The 76 rooms and suites come in six categories, and even the entry-level executive accommodation, in which I stayed, is perfectly spacious, with large windows. Again, grey is the shade here, although the furniture is more contemporary than in the public spaces: think smooth wooden headboards, banquette seating and minimalist lighting. The overall effect is pleasantly intimate, without trying too hard to be seductive.

Abstract ink drawings adorned the wall of my room, and the king-size bed with its crisp, white linen was very inviting after a long day. The pillows, however, proved totally impractical: twice the normal length and extremely plump, they were more like bolsters — great to look at but not at all comfortable. The bathrooms, meanwhile, were all slick black metro tiles, gleaming white sink and Gilchrist & Soames toiletries. No bath, but the monsoon shower was very hard to leave.

There’s complimentary wi-fi, and newspapers can be downloaded to your device free of charge, using a special app. Rooms also come with a TV and Bluetooth sound system, and if you would rather spend time indoors than see the Spanish capital, PS3s are available to borrow from reception.

If you do want to explore, the hotel sits just off Plaza de Cibeles, a square of neo-classical buildings, marble sculptures and fountains. Among them is the wonderfully elaborate Palacio de Cibeles, now used as the city hall.

Other top tourist attractions, such as the Museo Reina Sofía with its collection of Spanish art, busy Puerta del Sol and Retiro Park, are also within walking distance. And for an offbeat alternative to Gran Vía, stroll five minutes north of The Principal to Chueca, a lively area of chic design shops, cosy cafés, tapas joints and gay-friendly bars.

The Principal Hotel, Marqués de Valdeiglesias 1, Madrid, Spain (00 34 91 521 87 43; theprincipalmadridhotel.com). Doubles start at €204, B&B.

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