The Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Madrid reopened in 2025 after a two-year restoration, returning one of the city’s most recognizable buildings to active use. The project does not attempt to reposition the hotel through innovation. It works with precision, restoring key architectural elements while improving how the building functions today. The result maintains a clear balance between continuity and adaptation, where the structure maintains its identity while operating with greater clarity.
This approach extends throughout the hotel. Architecture, interiors and planning move together, forming a coherent environment that supports both daily use and cultural activity. The building remains closely linked to Madrid’s history while continuing to host new forms of engagement, allowing it to function both as a hotel and as an active part of the city’s cultural context.
Location
The Palace is located in Barrio de las Letras, one of the most historic districts of Madrid. The hotel is surrounded by major cultural institutions such as the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, as well as Retiro Park and Plaza Mayor. This location places it directly in the Paisaje de la Luz, a UNESCO-listed area, allowing guests to move easily between the hotel and the city’s cultural infrastructure.
Architecture
The restoration restores the facade of the 1912 building, revealing original accents and decorative details that had been hidden over time. “Palace colour”, a combination of warm beige and terracotta, brings the exterior back to its original form. The stained glass dome, designed by Eduardo Ferrés i Puig, remains the defining architectural element. Consisting of 1,875 panes of glass, it has been fully restored, regaining its structural clarity and visual presence as the central anchor of the hotel.
Rooms
The rooms follow a structured, residential approach. Natural light defines the spaces, while materials such as marble, wood and fabrics introduce depth without excess. The hand-painted wallpapers refer to the landscapes of El Retiro, while the bathroom mosaics come from the Royal Botanic Gardens. Mid-century lighting elements structure the rooms, maintaining a consistent relationship between historical reference and current use.
Plan
The interior decoration by Lazaro Rosa-Violan establishes a clear language throughout the hotel. Custom boisettes, wool rugs and visual artwork define circulation areas, creating a series of spaces that change perception as guests move through them. The design incorporates historical references without relying on reconstruction, allowing each element to work within a contemporary context. Staff uniforms designed by Juanjo Oliva extend this approach by aligning the visual identity across different levels of the hotel.
Refectory
The Dome it functions as the central area of the hotel, placed under the restored glass dome. The restaurant and bar maintain their role as a meeting point for both visitors and locals. The menu draws on historical references while introducing a modern approach to familiar dishes. The 27 Club continues this narrative, preserving archival material and visual elements that connect the hotel’s past with its current use, reinforcing its position as both a social and cultural space.
Palace Madrid X Philip Colbert
The collaboration with Philip Colbert introduces a contemporary level to the hotel environment. The figure of the lobster appears in many places, placed within the architecture and not separated from it. A large stainless steel sculpture reflects its surroundings, interacting directly with the interior while maintaining a strong visual presence. Additional works extend this approach, using familiar symbols and references to build a larger narrative around identity and visual culture.
The intervention continues at La Cúpula through a dedicated afternoon tea and cocktail program inspired by the artist’s work. Custom tableware and menu items bring the collaboration into everyday use, allowing it to move beyond exhibition and into circulation. This integration reinforces the hotel’s ongoing relationship with art, positioning it as a space where architecture, hospitality and contemporary practice work together.
The Palace works through continuity rather than reinvention. The restored architecture, controlled interiors and evolving cultural program are held together as a single system, where each layer supports the next. Colbert’s intervention reinforces this situation, adding a contemporary presence without disturbing the structure of the building. The hotel remains anchored in its history while remaining active in the present, functioning as both a place to stay and a space that continues to produce and absorb culture.
The Palace, a luxury collection hotel
Pl. de las Cortes, 7, Centro, 28014 Madrid, Spain
reservations@thepalacemadrid.com
+34 913 60 80 00
www.thepalacehotelmadrid.com
