Petit Palace Lealtad Plaza

The Petit Palace Lealtad Plaza is a refurbished 19th-century townhouse in one of the capital’s most exclusive areas. As part of the high-tech Petit Palace chain, there’s great attention to detail, and laptops and iPads are available for guests to use. The intimate Georgian lounge-like lobby makes a great first impression. Think: marble staircases with gold balustrades, elegant white wainscoting against deep blue walls, plush studded loungers and Eames-inspired chairs, and quirky art pieces like modern takes on Victorian portraits. Guests can help themselves to tea and coffee in the lobby, but there are no such facilities in the rooms. While the lobby and rooms have a more clean-and-classic style, the front desk is a futuristic speckled blue marble affair, and blue-lit corridors have a distinct design with swirly silver wallpaper, whitewashed walls, and subtle gold finishes. The hotel draws couples and business travelers, as well as a high number of families due its rooms that sleep three-plus adults.

The Petit Palace Lealtad Plaza has a great location right by beautiful Retiro Park, the city's most famous park, in the upscale neighborhood behind the Prado. There are plenty of excellent cafes, restaurants, nightlife around, plus easy access to the surrounding boulevards of Paseo Del Prado, Paseo de la Castellana, Gran Via. Palacio de Cibeles -- home to art and history exhibitions and a great viewpoint across the city -- is just around the corner. In fact, the hotel is perhaps best situated for culture seekers. Some of Madrid’s finest arts institutions can be reached within a 10-minute walk of the hotel. It’s five minutes from the Museo Nacional del Prado and Thyssen-Bornemiza Museum, and 10 minutes on foot to the Reina Sofia Museum. Madrid-Barajas Airport is a 15-minute drive away, or 45 minutes by metro. The hotel is also a 10-minute walk from Madrid's Atocha Station, which has trains across Spain and Europe.

Rooms are tranquil, stylish, and elegant on the whole, with most showcasing a muted color palette, alongside plush carpeting or handsome herringbone parquet flooring. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the rooms with light, and some rooms have period details like cornicing and wall paneling. Air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, iPod docks, and free Wi-Fi are standard, and guests just need to ask reception if they want iPads for the duration of their stay. Minibars are available, but coffee- and tea-making facilities are lacking. Bathrooms vary between rooms, but tend to be compact and fully tiled and feature hydro-massage tubs or walk-in showers. Hairdryers and toiletries are provided. It’s worth opting for a higher-category room -- Superior and above -- for the full stylish experience. The 430-square-foot (40-meter-square) Junior Suites have a large terrace overlooking Madrid’s skyline. All rooms can sleep at least one child. There are also triple, quadruple, and quintuple rooms for larger parties, plus apartments that can sleep up to five guests on double beds, bunk beds, and sofa beds. Downsides? The apartments -- which come with kitchenettes -- have far more basic decor, and some rooms don’t have a view. 

The few features at the Petit Palace Lealtad Plaza add just enough value to a stay here. The lobby -- with 24-hour reception -- is one of the highlights, largely thanks to the decor and comfy sofas. Free tea and coffee is available here. El Foro is a simple bar and breakfast room that offers a generous buffet spread, with fine-looking hot and cold options, Nespresso machines, and plenty of fresh juices. Though breakfast isn’t included, it’s worth the cost. The hotel has free Wi-Fi throughout, and ‘Mi-Fi’ -- which gives guests access to Wi-Fi when out and about in the city -- is available at a fee. Bikes are free to explore the city. For business travelers, a small business center has laptops and photocopiers, and there are three meeting rooms. Street parking is available a couple of blocks away at a fee.