Former palace offers a touch of the Prado
Luxury hotel combines works of art by Velazquez with avant-garde design
MADRID— Standing in front of Diego Velazquez’s Las Meninas in the Prado Museum, I have an odd feeling that I’ve seen this Spanish masterpiece before.
When I return to my room at the recently opened Gran Melia Palacio de los Duques, I clue in: a reproduction of the painting is blown up to cover the entire wall behind the bed — just one example of how the works of Velazquez have been incorporated into the design of this swanky fivestar hotel, which combines Madrid’s history and tradition of arts with avant-garde design elements.
The building: Smack-dab in the centre of Madrid’s artistic and cultural centre next to the Royal Palace, the Opera House and the Almudena Cathedral, this 180-room boutique hotel is inspired by art and history — right down to its four walls.
The building is a blend of two historical buildings: the 19th-century palace of the Dukes of Granada de Ega y Villahermosa and the-13th-century Santo Domingo convent.
An extensive renovation by Melia Hotels (to the tune of $26 million) combines its historical Isabelline Gothic façade and original 19th-century features — such as a glass dome cloister and a wrought-iron and wooden staircase — with modern touches, including oak floors and Italian furniture designed by Molteni.
The brand: Melia Hotels has more than 20 hotels in Madrid alone, which fall under various brand names and hotel categories, including Innside, TRYP and ME.
The five-star Gran Melia Palacio de los Duques, which opened its doors in July 2016, is one of the newest additions to its luxury brand, Gran Melia — and is already a member of the Leading Hotels of the World.
Other new additions to the luxury brand include Gran Melia de Mar in Majorca, Spain, and Gran Melia Nacional Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, which feature the brand’s RedGlove service combining “the tradition of the white glove with the elegance of the red carpet.”
The art: The hotel was inspired by the works of Velazquez, with nine reproductions featured in suites and public spaces, including Las Meninas, Rokeby Venus and Infanta Margarita Teresa in a Blue Dress (it’s already a featured stop on the city’s Madrid-Velazquez walking tour). This wasn’t a random choice by the hotel’s designers; the dukes (the palace’s original owners) were art collectors with a passion for Velazquez. The art — and even the colour palette of the hotel, which was inspired by the Velazquez Palette of yellow ochre, burnt sienna and French ultramarine — pays homage to the palace’s history. The food and drink: The newly opened Dos Cielos Madrid by Hermanos Torres — of Spain’s Michelinstarred Torres brothers — features haute cuisine inspired by Madrid’s Austrias neighbourhood set in the former palace’s stables and gardens.
There’s also Montmartre 1889 in a room of gold, red and black, with paintings and murals inspired by the Universal Exposition of1889 in Paris. The menu is inspired by FrancoSpanish cuisine, such as foie gras with fig purée and steamed truffle bread. And there’s the Coroa Gallery Lounge, with Mediterranean spe- cialties “inspired by different artistic styles, such as baroque, naturalism and Dadaism.”
Take it up a level: For guests who really want to splash out (if five stars isn’t enough), they can upgrade to Gran Melia’s RedLevel service, which offers a “boutique hotel experience within the hotel.”
The service includes separate check-in at the RedLevel Lounge, butler service, private buffet breakfast, an open bar and welcome amenities, as well as pillow and aromatherapy menus — not to mention private spaces within the hotel that aren’t accessible to other guests. Rooms and amenities: The rooms combine Old-World opulence — cut silk and velvet, in the tones of the Velazquez Palette — with modern amenities, such as iPhone docking stations, Nespresso coffee machines and free Wi-Fi.
Reproductions of Velazquez’s better-known works cover entire walls. Bathrooms include a rain shower, heated floors and Clarins toiletries; many come with a free-standing tub.
The hotel also features a seasonal rooftop pool and terrace with panoramic views of the city’s Austrias neighbourhood, a private historical garden with a cocktail bar and the Thai Room spa for Asian-inspired treatments. Rooms start at $388 per night. Vawn Himmelsbach was hosted by Melia Hotels, which didn’t review or approve this story.