Hotel Indigo Madrid – Gran Via

For tourists and business travelers who like to feel up-to-the-minute, this cool, contemporary hotel delivers. Interiors feature lots of curvilinear walls and large photo murals coupled with modern furniture. The lobby has a stylish seating area filled with chic tufted couches and armchairs in jewel tones, while a small and slinky gastro-bar adjoins the front desk area by the entrance. The main restaurant is a more formal affair, rendered in beige, black, and cream hues. By contrast, the hip rooftop lounge is doused in color and filled with stylish curved seating in citrus and navy hues paired with teal walls.

The Hotel Indigo Madrid is just off the Gran Via, also known as "Spanish Broadway" for its vibrant nightlife scene. (Note to literature buffs: Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" concludes with a taxi ride on this street.) Clustered with luxury shops, fanciful architecture, and grand hotels, the area, which includes Plaza Santo Domingo, is its own destination. Venturing just beyond the hotel connects travelers to many of Madrid's main attractions. It's a three-minute walk to the Callao Metro. The Prado Museum is a 24-minute train ride or 10-minute drive away, about the same time it takes to get to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, while the Royal Palace is an nine-minute walk. The Madrid-Barajas Airport is a 17-minute drive or 42-minute train ride from the hotel.

For all the color-drenched common spaces at this hotel, the rooms feature a more sleep-friendly palette of chocolate brown with orange or lilac accents. Floors are bleached wood, and walls are white with dark wood trim, save for accent walls with photo murals of the city sights. Views can be tricky with some interior rooms looking out onto a small courtyard and therefore lacking natural light. There are no twin beds at this hotel. Some of the rooms are a bit small, though suites offer more space and include sitting areas and whirlpool tubs. All rooms have Nespresso machines, flat-screen TVs with TV audio in the bathrooms, minibars, iPod docks, safes, irons, and ironing boards. One nice touch: a free bottle or two of water every day. Modern bathrooms are decked out in bleached wood floors, off-white, rectangular tile, and thumbnail black tile in the walk-in rainfall showers. Vessel sinks come paired with Aveda toiletries, bathrobes, and wall-mounted hairdryers.

The hotel has a gourmet restaurant helmed by chef Andrea Tumbarello whose menu focuses on Mediterranean fare. There's also a small gastro-bar on the ground floor that serves tapas, as well as a hip cocktail lounge with great views of the city. Breakfast is available, though it's pricey and some guests complain of a limited selection. There's a lovely rooftop infinity pool that offers stunning panoramic views over the city. The business center, itself in a lounge setting, offers computers, fax machines, scanners, copiers, and courier service. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. There's also a separate meeting room that accommodates 45 people. A small, but well-equipped fitness center caters to fitness buffs and is open 24-hours.