Streets made for shopping
Madrid’s ritzy Salamanca district is home to one of the most expensive streets in Spain, writes Siobhan Downes.
It's the perfect base for stepping out and rubbing shoulders with well-heeled Madrilenos.
The place
Totem Madrid, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. The 64-room, four-star hotel opened its doors in June 2016.
Location
Right in the heart of Madrid’s most exclusive neighbourhood, Salamanca – where house prices per square metre are said to be the highest in Spain. The hotel shares its quiet, tree-lined avenue with fashion boutiques, foreign embassies, and stately homes. It’s close to one of the city’s largest parks, Parque del Buen Retiro, and a 20-minute walk from Madrid’s ‘‘golden triangle’’ of art museums: the Prado, the Reina Sofia, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza.
The space
Totem is housed in a grand 19thcentury building, but the heritage exterior belies its slick, thoroughly modern interior. There’s an achingly stylish restaurant and bar, Hermoso y Malditos (The Beautiful and the Damned, like F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel), where you can sink into one of the plush sapphire sofas and sip on an expertly mixed cocktail.
Room
The decor is simple and functional, with wooden floors, a corner sofa, and a floor-to-ceiling window that looks out over the leafy neighbourhood. The bathroom is finished in black marble, and there’s a walk-in rain shower.
Stepping out
Expect your credit card to get a workout. Just one block from the hotel is Calle de Serrano, Madrid’s ‘‘Golden Mile’’ (it’s one of the top-three most expensive streets in Spain), and considered on par with New York’s Fifth Avenue. On your doorstep are more designer brands than you could shake a Swarovski-encrusted stick at – Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton. You can even have a Carrie Bradshaw moment and visit the showroom of that Spanish god of shoes, Manolo Blahnik. It’s just like a museum – no photos allowed. Consider buying a Paseo del Arte pass online. It gives you access to the ‘‘golden triangle’’ for 28.80 euro (a 20 per cent discount).. . Set aside half a day for each museum.
Verdict
This hotel is all about understated luxury. It’s the perfect base for stepping out in your best stilettos and rubbing shoulders with well-heeled Madrilenos.
Essentials
Prices start from 142 euro ($213) for a double room. Book via slh.com.
Highlight
In place of a boring hotel buffet, everything is made to order from the a la carte menu. My favourite? A platter of jamon iberico (Iberian ham) and cheese. Ham for breakfast is the best way to start the day.
Lowlight
Being too jetlagged to stay up late enough for dinner. In typical Spanish dining style, the hotel restaurant doesn’t offer its evening meal until 9pm.
❚ The writer travelled as a guest of Small Luxury Hotels and Cathay Pacific.