UMusic Hotel, Madrid: the perfect base for audiophiles and tapas lovers alike

Location is everything for this music-themed edifice successful the bosom of Madrid's engaged Centro district — the archetypal opened by grounds statement Universal — which boasts a historical theatre, alongside much modern touches.

At the UMusic Hotel Madrid, successful the bosom of the Centro district, you truly are slap bang successful the mediate of everything you mightiness privation to research connected a sojourn to the Spanish capital. The bustling Puerta del Sol is conscionable a fewer steps distant (with a useful Metro station), Plaza Mayor is simply a 5 infinitesimal stroll. I got up aboriginal 1 greeting to trot disconnected to the Prado, and was determination successful astir 15 minutes.

There are large sanction shops aplenty — from the obligatory Zara to the fashionable El Corte Ingles section store — but measurement disconnected the main squares and the streets astir the edifice soon go the benignant of higgledy-piggledy labyrinth Spain does truthful well. They are crammed with tapas bars and much pharmacies per quadrate metre than is surely necessary.

The hipster Malasaña barrio is simply a 15-minute locomotion away, arsenic are the medieval streets of Lavapies. And you tin find yourself exploring the historical neighbourhood of Barrio de las Letras — erstwhile location to immoderate of Spain’s large writers and paved with their astir celebrated quotes — successful little than 10 minutes.

It mightiness beryllium a modern concept: a edifice built by the Universal Music Group, but the UMusic has a historical past. The gathering was erstwhile the city’s 19th period Royal Printing House, wherever the Madrid Gazette was published, past successful 1867 became the Post Office. By the 1920s, the tract had go a associated task not dissimilar the 1 that sits determination contiguous — the Poymar Hotel and Poymar Theatre (now renamed the Albéniz).

In 2022, aft a two-year restoration, it reopened arsenic the UMusic Hotel — a associated task betwixt Universal and Dakia Entertainment. To that end, determination are euphony videos playing successful the lobby — thing that mightiness usually thrust maine a spot nuts, but which ne'er look to impinge.

The walls are covered successful posters and photographs of music’s biggest stars (and presumably besides Universal’s) from Kiss to Rod Stewart, Queen, Amy Winehouse and Bob Marley. Only the enactment of merch disposable to bargain successful the lobby makes the spot consciousness a small similar you’re leaving a euphony venue post-concert.

It means the edifice is simply a funny premix of the historical and modern - bronze statues and colonnades apical the exterior, chandeliers formal the marble-heavy lobby. But there’s besides plentifulness of slate grey, factual touches and pared backmost plan successful an effort to execute the owners’ imaginativeness of a edifice that combines ‘hospitality and entertainment’. It doesn’t consciousness retired of spot hosting some concern visitors and families - I spot plentifulness of some connected my visit.

The 130 rooms mostly person that minimalist, industrial-chic vibe that chains specified arsenic The Ace person popularised successful caller years among city-breakers.

The bath is simply a achromatic marble matter and my premium country besides features plentifulness of bleached Scandi-style wood, roseate golden lighting, a Marshall speaker, java instrumentality and astute TV. There’s a tiny balcony with a pleasant presumption of a Madrid broadside thoroughfare connected which locals bask an aboriginal evening cerveza (though it’s ne'er noisy).

The consciousness is fun, but it’s a quirkier instrumentality connected a five-star edifice than immoderate mightiness beryllium utilized to. I had to telephone reception to petition a bathrobe to usage for my immense bathtub (surprisingly invited aft a time walking the city) and my country work croquettes are inexplicably served successful an ovum tray — present we’re truly talking archetypal satellite problems.

Breakfast is served successful the 2nd level El Albeniz restaurant, with each the delicious cheeses, hams and cookware con tomate options you’d expect from a Spanish edifice (though the accompanying vocalist is much of a surprise), arsenic good arsenic continental options.

Head to the rooftop if its views you privation — close crossed the city, with the Sierra Oeste upland scope peeking retired successful the distance. There’s a rooftop barroom and guests tin bask al fresco snacks, though sadly it was closed owed to precocious winds during my visit.

Not to worry, though, arsenic the edifice is practically connected a tapas way — with tiny bars and cafes circular each corner. I enjoyed barroom snacks and brew astatine the antagonistic of Taberna La Fragua de Vulcano (lafraguadevulcanomadrid.eatbu.com), but it’s hard to spell wrong. Follow your nose, tummy and the dependable of clinking glasses.

After days of patatas bravas and croquettes, a affable edifice receptionist recommended Honest Greens (honestgreens.com) — a tiny concatenation of vegetarian canteen-style eateries, serving ample salads with the likes of falafel and grains. The subdivision I visited was rammed with locals enjoying lunch, chatting and speechmaking — a wellness footwear for the metabolism and mood.

Highlights included a cleanable cookware of beverage and a tiny carrot barroom astatine the arsenic tiny Cafe Angelica, successful the Centro territory — deliberation model tables and walls lined with urns of escaped leafage beverage successful what was formerly Madrid’s archetypal spice shop. Tapas astatine Alimentacion Quiroga, a barroom dating from 1958.

And, immoderate you do, don’t miss lunch, meal oregon immoderate repast you tin make, astatine Farah successful the Latin 4th — an Eastern Mediterranean edifice founded by cook Heba Kharouf, who was down the barroom chopping herbs and chatting warmly with her patrons. Octopus, a cleanable herb salad, cocoa crystal pick with olive oil. Rarely person I eaten truthful good connected a metropolis break, surrounded by diners who were intelligibly reasoning the aforesaid thing.

At this point, I’d usually notation the in-house gym and pool, but however galore hotels tin boast that they person a 900-seat historical theatre wrong their walls? The Albéniz Theatre has hosted everything from Broadway musicals Company and the Phantom of the Opera to well-known Spanish singers.

There is, of course, a rooftop excavation (again sadly closed owed to precocious winds during my visit) and a fittingness room.

Most visitors to Madrid volition person a must-see — whether the Prado (arrive earlier opening time, arsenic I did, to articulation the already tremendous queue but get successful earlier elevenses) oregon the glorious Retiro park, wherever you tin rotation astir the exterior of the UNESCO listed Glass Palace and unbend connected the grass, watching turtles aquatics successful the ponds.

Stroll implicit to La Almudena Cathedral to marvel astatine the 400 columns hidden successful the crypt beneath — not to notation the awesome religion itself — and the paintings wrong the Cathedral Iglesias are besides worthy a look.

Afternoons are for sitting successful squares. I loved the Plaza de San Ildefonso successful trendy Malasana — cleanable for radical watching with a acold beer, earlier wandering astir the section vintage shops and covering boutiques. I peculiarly liked a small boutique called La Antigua, which sells clothing, jewellery and illustrations by section designers — the cleanable spot for idiosyncratic gifts for those backmost location (or those connected holiday, too). And beryllium definite to bask tapas successful the Mercado de San Ildefonso nutrient hall.

Then locomotion it disconnected — really, you can’t spell incorrect getting mislaid successful Madrid and stumbling from barrio to barrio. There’s ever a Metro presumption adjacent by, and, astatine the precise worst, a sunny plaza astatine which to intermission and find your bearings.

Culture and comfort, with the bosom of Madrid connected your doorstep.