Review
Meeting Madrid’ s new-look Palace for events
PAUL COLSTON VISITS THE NEW MICE STRONGHOLD OF MADRID COURTESY OF MARRIOTT, AND CHECKS IN AND CHECKS OUT THE PALACE AND A PRINCESA
M adrid has seen a surge in
world-class hotel openings and multi-million euro infrastructure upgrades, all on top of its well known commitment to sustainability for events. That has helped the Spanish capital climb the ICCA rankings. The city is now 13th globally for hosting international association meetings, recording 108 international congresses, and sits at # 3 Europe in Cvent’ s annual ranking of European meeting destinations.
In those same Cvent rankings Meliá Avenida América took the top spot overall for meeting hotels in Europe.
Left: The Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, interior
Left: The Palace really has a dominant position in all senses
Other Notable Madrid Hotels: The Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Centre and the NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding also ranked within the prestigious regional Top 10.
I recently paid a flying visit to a real heritage star in the Spanish capital’ s hospitality firmament – The Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, now resplendent following a 22-month, € 90m renovation, which has included full restoration of its Belle Époque façade.
First opened in 1912, when it was commissioned by King Alfonso XIII, the hotel is packed with heritage and its art tells a thousand stories, from themed carpets and paintings to prints that challenge the viewer’ s perspective. Each room, too, is a work of art telling a story about this remarkable city.
The historical guest list is not short on artists either: Dalí and Picasso have stayed, and literary giants signing the guest register have included García Márquez and Hemmingway, after whom meeting rooms are now named. At the recent ceremony event to unveil officially the renovation work, the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, called The Palace“ a great reference for Madrid’ s history”.
I first visited the hotel pre-Covid and pre-renovation. It was then, and is still now, a haven in the city, near to parliament and traditional famous old streets where many of the shop frontages also tell tales of glorious times past and reflect a unique and tasty seam of Madrid cuisine.
The Palace sits in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage site Paisaje de la Luz, and its renvoation work has seen many of the former original features restored, including the sweeping main staircase, lobby and stunning main feature – La Cúpula Restaurant & Bar – a work of art in itself – where the dome is decorated with 1,875 glass panes. Each afternoon the chefs bring guests a tapas treat and special complimentary cocktail. The day I visited we were
26 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 143