A hotspot for Madrid's elite when it first opened in 1946, the iconic Gran Hotel Velazquez has been given a second lease of life as the first outpost of Bless, a new collection of stylish urban retreats and beachside destinations from Ibiza-based Palladium Hotel Group.
Located in the city's upscale Salamanca District, an energetic half-hour stride from attractions such as the Museo del Prado or Plaza Mayor, the 111-room property is the work of prolific Barcelona-based designer Lázaro Rosa-Violan, who layered the building's original details, from the grand marble staircase to the glass dome, with contemporary touches that give a true sense of place – like the bed headboards and wall murals in the guestrooms that reference 19th-century Madrid with hunting scenes and country landscapes.
On the ground floor in Versus – originally called Ruleta – sip on cocktails under a roulette wheel ceiling installation, while in Etxeko, which is dominated by a central crystal pen that holds a life-size bull, cast in silver alloy, chef Martín Berasategui justifies his 10 Michelin stars with a menu based on the Basque standards of high quality raw ingredients, like the delicious oxtail cannelloni served on a bed of mashed potatoes and drizzled with a tempraillo bordeaux sauce, or the red tuna hot off the Josper Grill.
Come summer, Pico Pardos Sky Lounge will be the best place for a nightcap and views of the Golden Metropolis and beyond.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Calle de Velázquez, 62
-
Pharrell Williams’ latest Louis Vuitton show celebrates a ‘friendship for life’ with streetwear legend NigoLouis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams looked towards his long friendship with BAPE founder Nigo to create a collaborative A/W 2025 menswear collection shown in Paris this evening (21 January 2025)
-
Think small, think electric, as Hyundai attempts to revolutionise the classic Indian three-wheelerHyundai’s Micro Mobility strategy, in collaboration with Indian manufacturer TVS, has revealed two conceptual takes on small electric urban transport in a bid to cut the country’s crushing pollution issue
-
‘Just beneath the surface there’s another world’: How David Lynch used hair and make-up to create his singular universeFrom Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive to Twin Peaks, David Lynch used hair and make-up in his films as a narrative device, writes Laura Havlin
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
-
The most whimsical hotel Christmas trees around the worldWe round up the best hotel Christmas tree collaborations of the year, from an abstract take in Madrid to a heritage-rooted installation in Amsterdam
-
The world’s most enticing new hotel openingsExplore the best new hotels in the world, from luxe new suites at Badrutt’s Palace to the long-awaited Zaha Hadid-designed Romeo Roma
-
Mallorca’s ‘chocolate hotel’ celebrates six decades of Mediterranean panacheSixty years after it opened, Hotel de Mar remains a celebrated example of Mediterranean vernacular architecture
-
Easy and breezy: Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor is now openWe found Balearic bliss at Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor, the place to live the Mediterranean dream and connect with nature
-
Inside Hotel Ur Bare: a boutique surf retreat beside the Cantabrian seaHotel Ur Bare lies in Zarautz, a picturesque coastal town in Spain's Basque Country, and presents 13 modern rooms accented with local flair
-
Retreat to Casa Montelongo, a modern Fuertaventuran guest house filled with Canarian warmthCourtesy of Spanish architect Néstor Pérez Batista, Casa Montelongo is the perfect contemporary shelter to enjoy Fuerteventura
-
Soak up Barcelona vistas from the redesigned Grand Hotel Central's rooftop poolGrand Hotel Central, designed by Sagrada, opens its doors in the heart of Barcelona’s old town
