After a trip to Spain to find the best hotel in Madrid, and staying in four hand-picked choices, I found my favourite. The NH collection Palacio de Tepa is the hotel I will stay at any time I am in Madrid’s city centre in the future. It is the hotel I will recommend to my friends, family and clients, and will be my benchmark for luxury hotels in Europe going forward.
Transparency Note: This is an independent, honest review. I paid for this stay myself, and the hotel was not aware I was reviewing them. All opinions are my own and the links to the hotel are not affiliate links.
What makes the Palacio de Tepa the best hotel in Madrid Centre?
The difference between a good hotel and a great hotel isn’t the comfort of the beds, the décor of the rooms, the sound proofing or the water pressure. All of these should be a given in any good hotel. The difference between a good hotel and a great hotel is how it makes you feel.
The feeling I got after staying at the NH Collection Palacio de Tepa was one of having been seen, been understood, and been looked after. It was the feeling of standing a little taller, and feeling the pressure on my shoulders lifted. And I didn’t even take advantage of the well-being services offered.
It is difficult to pinpoint the exact thing that makes the difference. It is one of those times when the sum is greater than the parts. One thing I did note was that every interaction I had with a staff member was accompanied with a smile, and that the smile felt genuine. It felt like the team enjoyed working there and were proud of their work. They are right to be.
Location Matters: Is the Barrio de las Letras the Best Area to Stay in Madrid?
Most visitors to Madrid want to visit the Royal palace, the Prado museum, the Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol. But they also want to be able to walk around, to visit the Tapas bars and feel the tempo of the city.
The four hotels I stayed at were in four different quarters of Madrid, and the Barrio de las Letras was undoubtably the best location. All of the major sites are walkable from here and the best tapas bars are to be found in this area.
The Palacio de Tepa straddles the block between the Calle de Atocha, which leads from the Plaza Major down to the museum district, and the Plaza del Angel just next to the Plaza de Santa Ana which is the heart of the Barrio de las Letras district. It has 2 entrances, one on the Calle de San Sebastián, and one on the Plaza del Angel. This means that in the evening I could walk out of the hotel straight into the pedestrianised plazas to to enjoy a Tapas evening.
As a solo female traveller I really appreciated this location and felt totally safe walking around after dark.
A look inside – what is the room like in the NH Collection Palacio de Tepa?
The Palacio de Tepa is a 19th century building, built for the Count of Tepa. The NH collection acquired it in 2010, and completely renovated it. It won the European Hotel Design Award in 2012 for restoration and design work by Ramón Esteve.
I had requested a room on the upper floor and was given a room on the top floor, under the eaves. Coming out of the elevator you arrive in a corridor around an atrium, where you really feel the history of the building.
My room was spacious, very tastefully decorated and had beautiful lighting (not something I often notice in a hotel). As it was in the eaves the only window was a large Velux skylight which I did have to ask for help with to close it (there is a remote control for the window, blinds and curtains). But help was given quickly and courteously with a smile. Everything in this hotel is given with a smile. I should point out that the velux did make for some noise when it rained (and at one point hailed) in the night. If this is something that would bother you then request a room on the 4th floor instead.
The bed is large, with deliciously smooth sheets and a large number of pillows. It may be the most comfortable thing I have ever lain on.
There are little touches that make a travellers life easier, a flexible reading light next to the bed, USB and USB C charging ports and a free plug socket by the desk (a rarity). There was an Alexa device on the desk which I felt was a bit of a gimmick at first. It was suggesting you use it to find a flamenco show, or check the weather, all of which I could do on my phone. That was until I realised it was also a speaker and I could listen to the radio news or some music without messing around trying to connect my phone to Bluetooth.
There was a large TV, but I didn’t turn it on as I never watch TV when travelling. No doubt many travellers do given that they are ubiquitous in hotel rooms. Far less common is the espresso machine which I did use. I appreciated that there were two different sizes of cups for espresso or long coffee. There was also a choice of tea on offer. The three coffee capsules would not have been enough if I had been travelling with my husband but I have no doubt more would have been provided had I asked.
There was a minibar which I didn’t fully explore, though I did notice it included champagne as well as a small bottle of red wine. The was also a corkscrew, not only to open the wine, but also to act as a bottle opener for the complimentary water that comes in reusable glass bottles with a crown cap.
A couple of easy chairs sat under the window, with a low table. On the table were a few glossy magazines which I thought was a nice touch.
The bathroom features a bath with a rainfall shower over it. All the toiletries provided where eco friendly down to the packaging which was printed with soya ink (I didn’t even know that was a thing). There were bathrobes in the closet and a hair dryer on the wall next to the mirror.
One thing I did appreciate in the bathroom was the small blue night-light. This meant that I didn’t need to turn on the light for the inevitable night-time visit. The door between the bedroom and the lobby to the bathroom was also appreciated. This would be especially good if not travelling alone as it adds an extra level of privacy, a far cry from the modern trend of glass walls to hotel bathrooms.
In terms of soundproofing, I heard nothing at all from the other rooms, not even a door closing, perhaps another advantage of the extra door. There was a very small amount of noise from the street as might be expected from being right in the centre of Madrid, but it was far less than from the other hotels I stayed at in the city.
The Morning Verdict: Does Palacio de Tepa Serve the Best Hotel Breakfast in Madrid?
Arriving at breakfast to be offered a fresh strawberry smoothie before I sat down gave me a taste of what I was in for. A coffee order was taken as I was seated (there is also a machine available if you prefer to fetch your own). I was offered a menu for egg dishes which were on top of the very large buffet selection. I chose eggs benedict with bacon, partly because I love it and never make it for myself, and partly because it is a very good test as to how to the kitchen is. It was good, very good in fact. I would very much like to start every morning like this.
Listing every item on the buffet could get tedious as there were a lot of options. Pretty much something for everyone. As well as the usual pastries, ham and cheese selection and different bread for toast there was also a good selection of healthy options. I particularly liked the muesli bar, with lots of choices of dried and candied fruits and seeds that could be added to my liking.
There were also gluten free options that I noted were kept separately in jars to avoid cross contamination.
Fresh fruit juices were in plentiful supply, as was the offer of Cava, although as I have breakfast early neither I nor my fellow breakfast goers took advantage of this. If you took a late breakfast the addition of cava would turn this into a luxury brunch option.
Planning your stay in the Spanish capital: is this truly the best hotel in Madrid city centre?
Final verdict: if you are looking for the best hotel in Madrid, the NH Collection Palacio de Tepa is a clear winner for its perfect location in the Barrio de las Letras, its blend of historical charm and modern luxury, and its world-class breakfast.
It is also a clear winner for how it made me feel. I want every hotel to make me feel this rested. If you could feel like this in every city in Europe you would have a wonderful stay indeed. I have no idea if this level of service is specific to this hotel or is general across the NH Collection as a whole but I will make it my mission to find out.
This is quiet, understated, luxury, and I like it a lot.
Important note: This is not an advert. It is an honest review. I paid for this stay myself and the hotel were not aware that I was reviewing them. All of the opinions are my own.
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