BLESS Madrid Offers A Convenient, Posh, and Uniquely Madrileño Stay

10.12.2024 - 21:45 / matadornetwork.com

In Spain’s invigorating capital, it’s all too easy to pace the streets from dawn until dusk – and then some more. After stepping into my suite at BLESS Hotel Madrid, I ripped up plans for a jam-packed schedule in favor of slowing down for my final days in Spain. Made up of 111 rooms and suites on Salamanca’s prestigious Velázquez Street, BLESS just about meets the threshold for a boutique hotel where you can expect to strike up a rapport with staff and see familiar faces at breakfast. Speaking of food, this luxury hotel’s gastronomic offering includes an Art Deco lobby sporting a patisserie and cocktail bar, a rooftop terrace, and a supper club with a secret bowling alley.

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Photo courtesy BLESS Madrid

My stay at BLESS Hotel coincided with the unveiling of the lobby lounge, Pinzelada. Alejandra Pombo’s renovation has created an elegant arena for afternoon tea, cocktails, and all-day dining. Clad with curved velvet booths, brass bar stools, and oak paneling, Pinzelada sets the tone for a stay at this comfortable hotel.

As I came and went during my stay, I noticed there was a constant carousel of madrileños and travelers – people tapping at their laptops, couples discussing their itinerary, friends sharing cake, families resting with kids, and a backdrop of chatter.

I ate at Pinzelada on my first evening in Madrid. The dinner menu offered a creative selection of sharable and personal plates inspired by sea and land. I started with a cold soup of grilled artichoke, almond, garlic, and Iberian bacon which I’d have been just as happy to have as a main. I followed this with juicy monkfish dressed in barnacle velouté and tossed with strips of asparagus.

To drink, it took me a while to settle on “The Traveler” – the cocktail list was awash with liqueurs and spirits I’d never heard of and wanted to try. My choice was a refreshing blend of Roku gin, Chartreuse, honey, bergamot, and shiso oil. I’d have been tempted by a second had the prospect of a long soak upstairs not won out.

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Photo courtesy BLESS Madrid

My tastes always lean olde-worlde and I was charmed by how Lázaro Rosa-Violán’s decor amplified the original features of this 19th-century building and brought in modern flair where needed.

Guest rooms at BLESS Madrid are larger than average; my Velázquez View Studio Suite felt like an apartment with French paneled doors dividing the living area from a massive walk-in closet and bathroom. The bed, cushioned by a headboard of a fantastical woodland scene, gave me one of the deepest sleeps of my trip. To my