HOTEL Rock ’n’ real star
Hard Rock, Madrid
Vibe
If your only experience of Hard Rock is the cafes then you are in for a massive surprise.
Unlike the Hard Rock Cafes, many of which are franchises, this hotel was purpose built from the ground up seemingly with the sole purpose of celebrating music.
The vibe is summed up by the hotel’s foyer which has a ceiling eight floors up with a huge piece of artwork in the shape of an electric guitar hanging from the top.
You may notice a nice cooling breeze after the heat from the street and that is because the roof is actually more of a canopy with air able to cascade down from the rooftop bar.
If you thought it would seem jarring to walk off a Madrid street into an indisputably cool celebration of all things music, it doesn’t.
The hotel is set in a vibrant and diverse area of the city and seems to have been embraced by the locals with many sat in the lobby bar enjoying a drink while bashing away on their Apple laptops. Despite the overwhelming sense of Americana that you would associate with the Hard
Rock brand, there is still something overtly Spanish in the feel of the hotel.
Style
There are a lot of little touches that add to the look. It was only the second night that I noticed that my duvet was actually made up of thousands of tiny electric guitars.
As you would expect, every floor has a large display of memorabilia. Just outside my room there were some of David Bowie’s boots and a jacket from Lady Gaga. The music theme infuses every part of the hotel with an impressive attention to detail. You can personalise your own playlist on the TV in the room or take part in one of their digital yoga experiences – “Rock Om”.
Food and drink
This is where the hotel really shines. There are a few gimmicks which are good fun (brunch served in a guitar case for one) but the crowning glory for the hotel is The Green Room experience.
Up to six people are taken into an area which is separate from the rest of the restaurant. What follows is nine courses with drinks, featuring the best local and regional ingredients, curated by the hotel’s chef. Yes the food is delicious and drink pairings are outstanding but what really makes this is the fact the chef prepares the food in front of you.
He explains why each ingredient was selected, how it links to his native Venezuela and was inspired by his culinary experiences all around the world. The word “immersive” is overused when it comes to experiences. However, here it is appropriate.
Truly understanding where your food has come from in every sense makes The Green Room a real treat if you are staying in the hotel (around £128 per person, inclusive of three cocktails and wine). The main restaurant, Sessions, has a great range of food with the eggs Benedict at breakfast and the Wagyu steak lunch particularly outstanding.
Activities
Hotel-wise there are a lot of options. The neatly presented garden area is a great sun trap which manages to drown out most of the noise from the city. There is also a pool and a gym area with free weights and machines.
In the evening you can relax in the rooftop bar RT60 which comes complete with a jamon carving station which will likely obliterate any hope you had of not gaining weight this trip. Away from the property, the premium cultural delights of the city are right on your doorstep as the hotel is at the heart of the Golden Triangle of Art with the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums.
Top of the list should be the Reina Sofía which is directly opposite the hotel. Home to Picasso’s genuinely stunning Guernica painting (worth the £8.50 entry alone, museoreinas fia.es/en) it also houses some of the best art in the world.
If you fancy really engaging with the local area the guided tour of street art is an absolute must. It drops you straight into the real Madrid, and after months of lockdowns, experiencing something genuine and different is good for the soul.
There were some of David Bowie’s boots and a jacket from Lady Gaga