Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid

The Hotel Ritz Madrid was born from King Alfonso XIII's vision who, after a trip through Europe, understood that the Spanish Court lacked a hotel worthy of European royalty. The inauguration took place on October 2, 1910, officiated by the king himself and Queen Victoria Eugenia. César Ritz, despite his delicate health, personally supervised the project to guarantee his standards of elegance and service. The hotel was a pioneer: 24-hour room service and ten bathrooms per floor. During the Spanish Civil War, the Ritz remained open serving simultaneously as a war hospital. The iconic glass dome of the winter garden suffered damage and was closed in the 1940s, remaining hidden for eighty years until Mandarin Oriental restored it in 2021.

Designed by Charles Mewès, architect of the Paris Ritz, and executed by Spanish architects Luis de Landecho and Lorenzo Gallego, the building was Spain's first with a steel structure and one of the first to use reinforced concrete. After three years of meticulous restoration, Spanish architect Rafael de La-Hoz and French design studio Gilles & Boissier have transported the hotel into the 21st century, preserving the original Belle Époque character while adding cutting-edge technology and elegant residential aesthetics. The most notable change is the recovery of the glass skylight over the Palm Court, restoring the splendor of César Ritz's original vision.

Located in Madrid's Art Triangle, the Mandarin Oriental Ritz occupies a privileged position facing the Prado Museum and next to Retiro Park. Plaza de la Lealtad, its address since 1910, represents the cultural heart of the Spanish capital. Steps away are the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofía, making every stay an immersion in art. The Jerónimos neighborhood, one of Madrid's most elegant, offers strolls among nineteenth-century palaces and historic gardens, while the capital's lively life beats just minutes away.