Gran Melia Fenix

The Gran Melia Fenix is an opulent, classically elegant affair with lots of marble, rich wood, and luxes touches. Since it opened in 1953, it's drawn well-known figures such as Cary Grant, The Beatles, and Rita Hayworth, and has emerged as one of the top hotels in the city. Coming in off the street, the hotel’s striking circular lobby is clad in creamy marble from the walls to the floor, and there are ornately carved columns made of the same stone holding up an intricately painted glass dome with a crystal chandelier hanging down from it. In the center of the room is a round banquette upholstered in scarlet velvet. The fine-dining restaurant is an sleek space with forest-green leather booths, patterned chairs, gold wallpaper, black-marble tables, and a molded drop ceiling. Meanwhile, the walls of the popular martini bar are clad in dark-wood panelling and large paintings, plus there are comfy tufted sofas and armchairs, and a fireplace. The hotel does a lovely job of mixing old-fashioned and contemporary decor, and attracts a well-heeled set of both business guests and tourists. 

The Gran Melia Fenix has one of the most coveted addresses in Madrid -- it is not only a block from upscale Serrano Street, but it’s also right on the corner of Plaza de Colon and Castellana, one of the main thoroughfares in Madrid, lined with small palaces, restaurants, and attractions, such as El Prado Museum and the National Library.The hotel is next door to Hard Rock Cafe Madrid, but there are also lots of other less touristy restaurants within easy walking distance, both along Castellana and Salamanca and Alonso Martinez neighborhoods. The area has plenty of corporate offices, but it’s far from being a standard business area that empties out at night. Colon is always full of young and old people, and Alonso Martinez is a nightlife hot spot among young Madrileños. Goya, which comes out onto Colon, is lined with stores, but Serrano is the place to go for high-end shopping.The National Library is across the street, and there are two Metro stops within a block from the hotel. Plus dozens of buses run along Castellana and Goya. Recoletos, served by short range trains, is only two blocks from the hotel.- 17-minute drive to Madrid-Barajas Airport

• Steps to restaurants, bars, shopping, and nightlife
• One-minute walk to upscale shopping on Serrano Street
• Four-minute walk to the National Library
• 10-minute walk to Retiro Park, Madrid’s most famous garden
• 10-minute walk to Puerta de Alcala
• 11-minute walk to Cibeles
• 17-minute walk or 15-minute Metro ride to Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
• 18-minute walk to El Prado Museum
• 18-minute Metro ride to Plaza de Oriente, home to the Royal Palace, the Royal Theater, and Sabatini Gardens
• 20-minute Metro ride to Plaza Mayor
• 23-minute walk or 12-minute bus ride to Puerta del Sol
• 29-minute walk or 12minute bus ride to Reina Sofia Museum
• 18-minute Metro ride to La Latina, a nightlife hotspot
• 21-minute Metro ride to Templo de Debod Park, with great views and an original Egyptian temple
• 22-minute bus ride to La Almudena Cathedral
• 22-minute Metro ride to Plaza de Castilla, the financial district

The hotel’s 203 rooms are all luxuriously decorated in understated neutral shades and a mix of wooden antique furniture and modern pieces, such as sofas and chaise lounges upholstered in a silvery velvet. Gold-framed artwork illuminated by brass light fixtures, patterned carpet, and half canopies in some add pleasant touches. Classic, Premium, and Supreme Rooms are the simplest, with king-size beds and pillow menus, plus work desks, closets, and dressers. Higher-category rooms and suites add sitting rooms with sofa beds and Nespresso machines, and some have walk-in closets. Marble bathrooms have underwhelming shower/tub combos in lower-category units, while pricier options have separate showers and tubs -- some of which are huge and jetted-- plus bathrobes and slippers. Penthouse Suites have large terraces with sun loungers, shaded pergolas, and hot tubs. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, safes, AC, ironing facilities, toiletries, hairdryers, and minibars, as well as free Wi-Fi. On the downside, some rooms have poor views.

There are a range of high-end amenities at the Gran Melia Fenix to justify the hotel’s luxury billing. The hotel has an opulent Thai-style spa, which offers a varied menu of massages and wellness therapies, as well as steam baths and hydrotherapy in a room full of rich, burnished brass. There is also a somewhat small but modern gym with cardio and weight-training equipment. Guests staying in Red Level rooms have exclusive use of a swanky lounge with an open bar and a tapas buffet in the afternoon, plus a rooftop terrace with scenic views. The upscale restaurant serves a well-regarded buffet breakfast, although it doesn’t come cheap, as well as an a la carte lunch and dinner. The Dy Martini bar is a popular hangout spot for both tourists and locals. There are five meeting rooms with audiovisual equipment, the largest of which can accommodate 100 people. Free Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the hotel.