Bless — Madrid, Spain
![A hotel sitting area with green chairs, a green sofa, a mirror topped coffee table, a floor lamp, round ottomans and tree drawings on the walls.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oYQPDhpmAcTgr2otby5Hi3-415-80.jpg)
A hotspot for Madrid's elite when it first opened in 1946, the iconic Gran Hotel Velazquez has been given a second lease of life as the first outpost of Bless, a new collection of stylish urban retreats and beachside destinations from Ibiza-based Palladium Hotel Group.
Located in the city's upscale Salamanca District, an energetic half-hour stride from attractions such as the Museo del Prado or Plaza Mayor, the 111-room property is the work of prolific Barcelona-based designer Lázaro Rosa-Violan, who layered the building's original details, from the grand marble staircase to the glass dome, with contemporary touches that give a true sense of place – like the bed headboards and wall murals in the guestrooms that reference 19th-century Madrid with hunting scenes and country landscapes.
On the ground floor in Versus – originally called Ruleta – sip on cocktails under a roulette wheel ceiling installation, while in Etxeko, which is dominated by a central crystal pen that holds a life-size bull, cast in silver alloy, chef Martín Berasategui justifies his 10 Michelin stars with a menu based on the Basque standards of high quality raw ingredients, like the delicious oxtail cannelloni served on a bed of mashed potatoes and drizzled with a tempraillo bordeaux sauce, or the red tuna hot off the Josper Grill.
Come summer, Pico Pardos Sky Lounge will be the best place for a nightcap and views of the Golden Metropolis and beyond.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Calle de Velázquez, 62
Lauren Ho is the Travel Director of Wallpaper*, roaming the globe, writing extensively about luxury travel, architecture and design for both the magazine and the website. Lauren serves as the European Academy Chair for the World's 50 Best Hotels.
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
This Nova Lima apartment is a Brazilian family oasis with striking Minas Gerais views
A Nova Lima apartment designed by Jacobsen Arquitetura celebrates its long, natural Minas Gerais vistas
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
Retreat to Casa Montelongo, a modern Fuertaventuran guest house filled with Canarian warmth
Courtesy of Spanish architect Néstor Pérez Batista, Casa Montelongo is the perfect contemporary shelter to enjoy Fuerteventura
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Soak up Barcelona vistas from the redesigned Grand Hotel Central's rooftop pool
Grand Hotel Central, designed by Sagrada, opens its doors in the heart of Barcelona’s old town
By Agnish Ray Published
-
Madrid bars: a local’s guide to sipping in style
Discover the best design-led Madrid bars, as sampled by local travel and culture writer Agnish Ray
By Agnish Ray Published
-
Tour the new Mondrian Ibiza, chic sophistication by the Balearic Sea
Mondrian opens in Ibiza with a bold and inventive design by Madrid-based Cuarto Interior
By Lauren Ho Published
-
It’s a Paul & Shark summer at Juvia restaurant in Formentera
Paul & Shark dresses Formentera restaurant Juvia for the summer season, with suitably nautical nods
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
The free-spirited Hyde brand opens its first European outpost in Ibiza
Hyde Ibiza is a laid-back, modern hideaway right by the locally-loved beaches of Cala Llonga Bay
By Lauren Ho Published
-
Brutalist restaurant opens at The Cantabrian Maritime Museum
The restaurant at The Cantabrian Maritime Museum is a concrete-garnished space designed by Zooco Estudio overlooking Santander Bay
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Still got it: Marbella Club celebrates 70 years of uninhibited glamour
Marbella Club announces a summertime of parties, retreats and collaborations to celebrate its platinum anniversary
By Tianna Williams Published