NH Madrid Zurbano

The NH Zurbano is a contemporary business hotel that's part of the NH hotel group, which manages almost 400 properties in Europe, the Americas, and Africa. It is housed in two adjacent buildings that look like apartment blocks from the outside, with exposed red brick facades, rows of windows, and wrought-iron balconies. Each building has its own reception area, but amenities are spread out over both, with the restaurant located in the main building, and the gym in the annex. 

The hotel underwent full renovations in 2015 and features fresh contemporary interiors with minimalist furniture, a soft neutral palette, and clean lines. The lobbies have a soothing combination of pale tile floors and dove gray rugs and chairs, while big chocolate brown couches and silver-colored pillars are stylish touches. This soft color scheme creates simple but appealing spaces, and large windows let in lots of sunlight. This decor style carries over to the rest of the common spaces, and more specifically to the restaurant, which features minimalist natural wood and dark chairs, silver tufted benches, and gray walls.

During the week the atmosphere here is quiet and mostly business-oriented, but on weekends the hotel draws couples and small families with its spacious family rooms, contemporary interiors, and location near public transport.

NH Zurbano is located a block from Paseo de la Castellana, Madrid’s second longest street and one of its major thoroughfares. This neighborhood is right between the city center and the financial district, which allows for easy access to both major attractions and the business areas around Plaza de Castilla. While Paseo de la Castellana is generally busy, the smaller streets behind the hotel are quieter, with a mix of apartment buildings and offices. The area is busiest during business hours, but its many restaurants and bars make it a popular after-work hangout spot. There are no major attractions within easy walking distance, but the heart of the tourist area in Madrid is a 15-minute metro ride away. Most main sights -- including the Prado Museum, Sol, the Royal Palace, and Retiro Park -- can all be reached within 20 to 25 minutes, and a metro station can be found two blocks from the hotel. It takes half an hour to get to the airport by both metro and car. 

The hotel has 257 rooms, all featuring stylish contemporary decor with laminate floors, gray and white furniture with clean lines, and a few pops of aquamarine. King- or queen-size beds are topped with white duvets and soft turquoise bed runners, and large silver padded headboards add some texture. Standard and Single Rooms are a little compact, but all are big enough to fit a tufted aquamarine chair, a bench, and a spacious work desk with a comfortable office chair. All rooms are equipped with flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, minibars, and safes, but only Superior Rooms and Junior Suites have coffeemakers, robes, and slippers. A few rooms have a balcony, but these units have to be requested on check-in, as they are not a different room type that can be booked online. Interior rooms get little natural light. 

Bathrooms are clean and modern in all rooms, with spacious walk-in rain showers and large black-and-white mural photos of a Mediterranean-style arched colonnade. Professional hairdryers, facial tissues, and an array of toiletries are provided in all rooms. 

The restaurant serves a varied buffet spread for breakfast and lunch and a la carte dinners with local, Mediterranean and international options. The lobby bar is a popular spot for casual meetings, and offers an array of coffees, sodas, drinks, and snacks. For more formal meetings, the hotel features seven fully equipped boardrooms, some with large windows overlooking the street. Catering services are available for on-site corporate and private events. 

The fitness center is modern but tiny, with just a handful of cardio machines and a mini-fridge with free bottled water and mineral sports drinks. Additionally, guests get discounted rates at a high-end gym located a block away and complete with dozens of daily classes, a wellness area, and massage cabins. While there is no on-site parking, the hotel has partnered with a nearby private parking lot where guests get a small discount. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.